Phone barometric pressure sensor. What sensors can be found in smartphones - "Big Brother" is watching you and knows everything about you
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Not every mobile device user knows that most Android devices have such interesting thing like a barometer. Why is it needed on the phone? Is it really just to measure atmospheric pressure? In fact, this sensor is part of GPS systems and allows you to determine geolocation with maximum accuracy.
But, of course, nothing prevents us from using the barometer for its intended purpose. All it takes is to install special program from the shop Google Play. Below are some of these applications.
The app deserves to be at the top of our list. The program has all the necessary functions and user-friendly interface. It has its own widget, which shows not only the current pressure, but also. If you wish, you can set up automatic display of notifications on the display of your smartphone. Alerts for upcoming natural surprises will be displayed as an icon in the notification bar. Unfortunately, latest version SyPressure has an annoying bug: in the settings, sound alerts began to turn on by themselves, and the phone can sometimes ring at the most inopportune time.
The upper part of the program window displays the atmospheric pressure at the current time. You can choose from possible ways information output: scale, diagram or graph. Units of measure can also be customized to your liking: hPa (hectopascal), inHg (inch of mercury), mmHg (millimeter of mercury), psi (pound per square inch), atm (physical atmosphere). At the bottom of the window, you can see pressure fluctuations (rising/falling) and expected weather changes. There is also a notification settings panel.
The paid program is another useful tool for measuring barometric pressure and, compared to SyPressure, has more settings. Several options for displaying information are supported: indicator, graph, altimeter and list. In addition, the widgets displayed on the screen are varied in size: 1x1, 2x1, 2x2.
In the application, any of the functions can be configured very precisely. For example, in order to receive more reliable weather reports, you should specify the base measurement values for your location, and for the altimeter (altimeter) - the height above sea level. On the pressure change graph, you can set the desired display period (from 6 to 48 hours).
Here you can also choose the color of the main interface and indicators, change the transparency of widgets. Like SyPressure, this tool works with different units of measure. In general, from using the program there are quite pleasant impressions. She, without a doubt, justifies its cost of 40 rubles.
Barometer Reborn
Barometer Reborn is a simple barometer that allows you to track the amplitude of changes in atmospheric pressure in order to determine the influence of these factors on your well-being. This can be helpful for those of us who experience headaches and other discomfort when the weather changes.
Knowing in advance about the upcoming natural metamorphoses, you can try to reduce their unpleasant effect to a minimum. For example, if the device shows an increase in atmospheric pressure, then on such days it is worth abandoning increased physical exertion. First of all, it is important for people suffering from respiratory diseases (such as asthma) or hypertension. On the contrary, lowering the pressure should be an excuse to spend more time outdoors.
Barometer & Altimeter
Barometer & Altimeter - the program uses a built-in GPS-sensor (if there is none, it receives information from the Internet). You will be able to track atmospheric pressure, air temperature, wind speed, visibility, height above sea level. This information will certainly be of invaluable help to fans of extreme sports, tourists and travelers.
Agree it's enough interesting application and definitely worth a look. Imagine how great it would be to install a barometer and, having climbed onto the roof of a skyscraper, easily determine the height and atmospheric pressure.
The program is not demanding on the resources of the phone's memory and uses the battery very carefully. The interface is as convenient as possible, the settings are not complicated. Young researchers of natural phenomena, using this tool, will be able to conduct the first scientific experiments, satisfy their curiosity and thirst for knowledge.
mu Barometer
mu Barometer is a free and very simple tool that captures changes in barometric pressure. The application has an elegant design and user-friendly interface, uses such measuring units as mBar, mmHg, inHg, atm.
You can choose one of the three proposed themes for the design of the widget displayed on main screen phone. The program also allows you to measure the height (in meters or feet).
eWeather HD
The eWeather HD app is a complete weather station for your Android. Here you will find detailed information about natural phenomena for the next 10 days. The first thing that attracts attention is the amazingly beautiful images of the sun and clouds. Looking at them, you forget what purpose you pursued by opening this program. But in addition to colorful drawings, there are a huge number of other functions, and forecasts are extremely accurate.
The main screen of the weather display contains a lot of useful information: humidity, pressure, temperature (real and perceived), sunrise and sunset times, moon phases, temperature charts, precipitation probability, geomagnetism ... By the way, weather dependent people should pay attention to the last parameter. If geomagnetic storms are a concern for you, be sure to check the forecast before starting important business.
Equally, this information will be useful to everyone who reacts painfully to the approach of a thunderstorm, precipitation and other natural phenomena. You will be able to observe changes in barometric pressure over the past 24 hours on a chart or graph, where the indicator turns red in case of unfavorable indicators.
It is impossible to list all the features of this wonderful application, the interface of which, in terms of graphic design looks really cool.
According to medical statistics, more than half of the inhabitants of our planet in one way or another react to changing weather conditions. For some, these changes are almost imperceptible, and some, on the contrary, can hardly endure jumps in atmospheric pressure, bursts of solar activity and magnetic storms. In addition, the vagaries of the weather often cause a deterioration in well-being in people with chronic diseases of the joints and the cardiovascular system, suffering from hypertension or arterial hypotension.
Knowing in advance about upcoming changes, you can try to minimize their negative impact on health. To always have the necessary information at hand, you just need to install one of the applications described above on your smartphone.
If you remove all sensors from your smartphone, it will lose an impressive part of its functions and turn into a rather primitive device. Even actions that are familiar to users, such as changing the screen orientation when switching the gadget to horizontal position And automatic shutdown display during a conversation would not be performed without sensors.
In an effort to win competition in the market, manufacturers of modern mobile technology equip their devices with a huge number of sensors - because this increases functionality. In this article, we will talk about all known smartphone sensors, including those that are installed in the latest models.
Accelerometer– one of the main sensors of the smartphone; it is also called G-sensor. The function of the accelerometer is to measure the linear acceleration of the smartphone along 3 coordinate axes. Device movement data is accumulated and processed special controller Naturally, this happens in a matter of fractions of a second. Places a tiny sensor approximately in the center of the smartphone body. Self-replacement of the accelerometer in the event of a breakdown is excluded - you have to go to the service.
Who should thank developers for accelerometers in smartphones? First of all, fans of racing simulators who are able to drive virtual cars by simply tilting the device left and right. It is the accelerometer that allows the gadget to change the screen orientation from portrait to landscape when the user flips the device.
The first accelerometer appeared on the phone 5500 . This sensor caused a storm of enthusiasm among supporters of an active lifestyle, because it allowed the use of a pedometer.
The accelerometer has one significant drawback: it can only fix the position when acceleration- that is, when the gadget moves in space. The accelerometer is not able to determine the position of the apparatus lying on the table. A "partner" sensor called . Such a sensor measures the rate of angular rotation and provides higher data accuracy than an accelerometer. A gyroscope that has gone through the calibration procedure will not have an error of more than 2 degrees.
The gyroscope is actively used in mobile games– in combination with an accelerometer. In addition, this sensor makes possible cameras, panoramic shots (the gyroscope determines how many degrees the smartphone has been rotated), gesture control.
The first smartphone with a gyroscope was 4 . Now the gyroscope is far from exotic; they (as well as the accelerometer) are equipped with most modern devices.
Proximity and light sensors
The presence of a proximity sensor (Proximity Sensor) in a smartphone is an objective necessity. If there were no such sensor, the user would have to endure inconvenience every time they talk on the phone. It would be enough to easily touch the reset button with your cheek - and the conversation is terminated, you need to call the subscriber again. The function of the proximity sensor is obvious: it locks the screen of the gadget as soon as the user brings the device to the ear. This sensor allows the smartphone owner not only to communicate comfortably, but also save battery power.
The proximity sensor "hides" under the front glass of the mobile device. It consists of 2 elements: diode And detector. The diode sends out an infrared pulse (invisible to the human eye), and the detector tries to catch its reflection. If the detector succeeds, the screen "darkens". The sensor is able to register only 2 states: “ foreign object closer than 5 cm" And " foreign object further than 5 cm».
The company has achieved amazing results in experiments with the proximity sensor. Based on this sensor, the Korean manufacturer has created gesture sensor, thanks to which contactless control of the smartphone became possible. The first gesture sensor appeared on samsung galaxy S3 - in 2012 it was a real breakthrough.
The Light Sensor is not in vain considered in tandem with the proximity sensor - as a rule, these two sensors are located in close proximity to each other. The light sensor is the "oldest" of all sensors that are used in mobile electronics. It is also the simplest - from a structural point of view, this sensor is a semiconductor that is sensitive to the photon flux. The function of the light sensor is not as responsible as that of the proximity sensor: Light Sensor only adjusts the brightness of the display in accordance with the surrounding conditions.
In some Samsung models(For example, Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S5) installed RGB sensors. The RGB sensor can not only change the brightness of the display, but also adjust the proportions of red, green, blue and white flowers images on the screen.
The developers of Samsung Galaxy Note 4 reached the point of absurdity: they taught the sensor to measure illumination in the range invisible to humans - ultraviolet. Thanks to this curious innovation, the user can, for example, choose the optimal time for sunbathing.
Barometer and temperature sensor
A person with high sensitivity to sudden changes in atmospheric pressure simply needs to have a barometer application in their smartphone. On Google Play, for example, one of similar programs It's called "Barometer".
The barometer sensor is able not only to warn the user about the approach of a cyclone - anticyclone; it's not even its main function. The sensor increases the efficiency and accuracy of the gadget's GPS navigator. GPS satellites show where in the world the place you are looking for is located - but not at what height. This shortcoming of their work is eliminated by the barometer. A pressure sensor can help you find, say, the office of a certain company in a multi-story business center building.
Temperature sensors, unlike barometers, are present in most smartphones - however, you cannot measure the temperature on the street with their help. This is about internal thermometers, whose task is to ensure that the gadget does not overheat. One smartphone can have a lot of these sensors: the first controls the graphics accelerator, the second controls the processor cores, and so on. If overheating occurs, the internal thermometer will automatically stop charging or reduce the output amperage.
External thermometers they are also found on gadgets, but they are still “a curiosity”. The first smartphone with a built-in thermometer was the Samsung Galaxy S4. The sensor was needed to improve performance preinstalled application S Health.
Alas, external thermometers of mobile devices have a significant drawback - low accuracy. The data is distorted due to the heat emanating from the user's body and the insides of the machine itself. So far, the developers have not been able to solve this problem.
For the needs of the S Health application, another curious sensor was installed on the Samsung Galaxy S4 - hygrometer. This sensor measures the level of humidity, giving the user the ability to effectively control the indoor climate.
What sensors allow you to monitor your health?
A person who wants to lead a healthy lifestyle will not hurt to get a gadget that is equipped with the following sensors.
Pedometer (pedometer)
The function of the pedometer is to count the distance traveled by the user based on the number of steps taken. This function is also capable of performing the accelerometer, but the accuracy of its measurements leaves much to be desired. The pedometer as a separate sensor first appeared on the Nexus 5 smartphone.
Pulsometer (heart rate sensor)
The built-in heart rate monitor is one of the innovations of the Samsung Galaxy S5. Samsung developers felt that it was the heart rate sensor that the S Health program lacked in order for it to be considered a full-fledged personal trainer. Among users, the Samsung heart rate monitor has not yet become popular, because it is quite picky. To provide accurate data, the sensor needs close contact with a part of the user's body where blood vessels are shallow, such as the ball of a finger. Jogging while holding your finger on the sensor is a little pleasure.
Blood oxygenation sensor (SpO2 sensor)
This sensor determines the degree of oxygen saturation in the blood. It is present only on 2 Samsung smartphones (Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge) and “sharpened” for the S Health app. On devices, the SpO2 sensor is combined with a flash for the camera and a heart rate monitor. It is enough for the user to activate the corresponding application and put a finger on the flash for 30-40 seconds - after which he will see the measurement result as a percentage on the gadget screen.
Dosimeter
The Pantone 5 smartphone released in Japan is equipped with such a sensor. The function of the dosimeter is to measure radiation. For the Japanese, this function is important, because after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011, they are forced to more closely monitor the radiation background. There are no smartphones with dosimeters on the European market.
Fingerprint and retinal scanners
Users who believe that the first appeared on the iPhone 5S are greatly mistaken. Phones capable of scanning fingerprints have been produced before. Back in 2004, the "" Pantech GI 100, equipped with similar technology, was sold. 7 years later, introduced the Atrix 4g model with a fingerprint sensor. In both cases, users reacted to the technology rather cool.
When Apple built the iPhone 5S Home button into the iPhone 5S in 2013, both experts and ordinary consumers applauded the Apple company. Apple was more fortunate with the era: in the "zero" the issue of the security of cashless payments was not so acute.
The fingerprint scanner relieves the user of the need to use digital passwords to protect data stored on the gadget. Passwords are easy to crack; it is much more difficult to deceive the fingerprint sensor (although it is also possible).
Now it has become fashionable to install fingerprint scanners in smartphones. This technology is used not only by long-term market leaders - Samsung, Apple,. However, this technology became discussed only after Samsung turned to it - Galaxy Note 7 installed iris scanner.
The sensor in Note is different from those found in smartphones from Chinese companies. Samsung's idea can be called revolutionary because the Note 7 has a camera that is responsible just for eye scan. The “Chinese” read information from the retina with a selfie camera.
The method used by gadgets from China is ineffective. The fact is that the eye must be scanned with an infrared (IR) beam, but on front cameras The IR spectrum, as a rule, is filtered - because of it they deteriorate. It turns out that Samsung is so far the only smartphone manufacturer that does not force users to make a choice between high-quality "selfies" and the security of personal data.
Conclusion
Every modern smartphone is equipped with at least 5 sensors. In flagship models, the number of sensors reaches the "damn dozen", and manufacturers are not going to stop there at all. IBM experts predict that as early as 2017 gadgets will have a sense of smell, thanks to which they will be able to warn the user, for example, of a high concentration of fumes and the presence of an influenza virus in the air. We are looking forward to innovations - after all, the continuation should be?
Windows 10 monitors every user - all his requests and location, smartphones are not even discussed - they show the route of the owner and the height (floor) on which he is located and knows geodata and your requests - and can also record your voice without your knowledge , take your photos, and send third parties your fingerprints and scanned retinas
Despite their modest size, modern smartphones are very complex devices with powerful multi-core processors, autofocus cameras and optical stabilization, screens high resolution with high ppi values. In addition, any smartphone is equipped with various sensors, which make the use of the device more convenient, or, especially in top-end gadgets, expand their capabilities. In our material today, we will talk about sensors, which of them can be found in modern gadgets, as well as how and why they are used.
The first sensor that has become widely used in smartphones is accelerometer, which was also often called G-sensor. As its name implies, this sensor is used to measure the acceleration of the device along three axes. Obviously, there is acceleration only when the device moves or rotates in space, so the accelerometer cannot determine the position of a stationary smartphone. And this means that its accuracy, for example, in games, will be relatively low.
In order to level this shortcoming of the accelerometer, together with it in the vast majority modern devices, including the most budgetary ones, is used gyroscope. Unlike an accelerometer, a gyroscope can determine the position in space (the angle of inclination along three axes) even of a stationary device. The error of a calibrated gyroscope in modern smartphones, as a rule, does not exceed 1-2 degrees. The gyroscope and accelerometer are widely used in many mobile games for control, as well as in other applications with a variety of tasks.
The next sensor, which can also be found in almost every smartphone - magnetometer. This sensor reacts to the Earth's magnetic field and thus allows you to determine the cardinal points. This, in turn, along with data on cell towers and points WiFi access in line of sight, used when navigating in the absence of a GPS signal. The magnetometer is a sensitive sensor, and therefore, with a smartphone with it, you can, for example, look for wiring in the wall if it is walled up shallowly - just download an application that will read the sensor readings.
Almost every modern smartphone also cannot do without proximity sensor. The sensor is an infrared emitter with a receiver, hidden under the front glass of the device. He can detect the presence of an object in front of him at a distance of about five centimeters. Thanks to this sensor, it is enough to bring the smartphone to your ear during a call - and the display will turn off automatically (as well as turn on if you remove the device); there is no need to use the power button for this. It is worth mentioning that some top Samsung smartphones use an advanced proximity sensor that performs the functions gesture sensor, which reacts to various movements of the hand above it.
Many smartphones, with the exception of budget models, are equipped with light sensors. The main purpose of this sensor is to determine the level of ambient light and adjust the brightness of the display backlight in accordance with it.
On this list of common sensors can be considered complete. As you can see, most smartphones have at least five useful sensors, but in more advanced gadgets you can find many other sensors. One of them - barometer. Although he first appeared in Samsung smartphone Galaxy Note a few years ago, so far it can only be found in some devices of the middle and top segments. Like a magnetometer, a barometer helps the device to quickly navigate the terrain and catch the signal of GPS satellites. Of course, by downloading one of the many free apps, you can use a barometer for its intended purpose - to find out atmospheric pressure in pascals or millimeters of mercury. It is also possible to use a barometer as altimeter An instrument that measures altitude above sea level. True, the accuracy of its readings in this case is significantly affected by fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, but this is regulated by entering current weather data and a control altitude point for a particular area.
In the smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4 first appeared thermometer. The use of this sensor is more than obvious: using the pre-installed S Health application (however, you can download one of third party programs from Google Play) the user can find out the temperature environment. The same can be said about the humidity sensor - hygrometer, which also debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S4 and can be used with the S Health app.
To work covers like Smart Cover, which automatically turn on the device's screen when opened, use the Hall effect sensor. Like a magnetometer Hall Sensor reacts to a magnetic field, but, unlike the first, has a simpler principle of operation: it does not determine the magnetic field strength along several axes, but simply reacts to its amplification caused by the approach of a permanent magnet hidden in the cover.
Modern gadgets have long learned to perform the functions of a pedometer, but usually an accelerometer is used for this. One of the few devices with pedometer in the form of a separate sensor, the LG Nexus 5 smartphone has become. So far, such a sensor is a curiosity, but it will probably soon be used in other devices.
Another rare sensor - heart rate monitor. On this moment a separate heart rate sensor can only be found in the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Galaxy S5 Active smartphones (not counting smart watch the same company under Android control and Tizen).
A slightly more common sensor - Fingerprint's scanner, allowing you to quickly unlock your device without having to enter a password. To date, this sensor has been used in Apple iPhone 5S, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One Max and several other less common smartphone models. Nevertheless, the first device, the iPhone 5S, is rightfully considered the benchmark for its implementation so far.
On this, perhaps, a long list of sensors can be completed, but in the end we still left a completely outlandish sensor for a smartphone - dosimeter. It is known for certain that the Pantone 5 107SH released in Japan is equipped with it - probably, after the infamous accident at a nuclear power plant in the Land of the Rising Sun, they began to carefully monitor the radiation situation around.
As a small conclusion, we repeat: almost any more or less modern gadget is equipped with at least five different sensors. The absolute champion in terms of their number can be called the Samsung Galaxy S5, which, according to our calculations, has as many as 12 sensors. And how many sensors did you count in your smartphone?
#Phone_sensors #Tablet_sensorsThe presence of many sensors in modern mobile devices, This known fact, but how many of them and what these sensors are used for is a mystery. Many manufacturers indicate only the main well-known sensors in phones, like accelerometer, gyroscope And proximity sensor. But the vast majority of manufacturers generally write little about the used sensors and other electronics that their device is stuffed with.
We decided to clarify the situation with the sensors of smartphones and tablets. The purpose of the article is to tell what sensors are, what they serve for, in what devices they can be found and how.
Sensors are called various devices reading Additional information. These solutions make working with a phone, tablet or other gadget more convenient and add functionality to the device.
The presence of many sensors in modern mobile devices is a known fact, but how many of them and what these sensors are used for is a mystery. Many manufacturers list only the main well-known sensors, such as the accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor. But the vast majority of manufacturers generally write little about the used sensors and other electronics that their device is stuffed with.
We decided to clarify the situation with the sensors of smartphones and tablets. The purpose of the article is to tell what sensors are, what they serve for, in what devices they can be found and how.
Essential sensors in smartphones and tablets
Accelerometer
(accelerometer, orientation sensor, acceleration sensor)- the simplest sensor that is found in any smartphone or tablet. It serves mainly to register the rotation of the smartphone from portrait to landscape orientation. Often, it is the accelerometer that is called the G-Sensor. In general, an accelerometer registers the difference between an object's acceleration and gravitational acceleration along three axes. The electronics then calculates the difference, draws conclusions and sends a signal software- when and in what direction to turn the screen. This implies the main drawback of the accelerometer - if there is no acceleration or it is not large, then the accelerometer stops registering the position of the device in space or does it with a large error. This negatively affects the accuracy of device control, for example, in games or when controlling a quadcopter. This is where the next sensor comes in.
Gyroscope
(gyroscope)- also serves to register the position of the device in space, but, unlike the accelerometer, it can register the angle of inclination along three axes even of a stationary device. With the help of a gyroscope in games, accuracy is improved, since developers will have access to information about the deviation of the device in degrees with an error of only 1-2 degrees. Many people think that even cheap smartphones and tablets are equipped with a gyroscope. However, our experiment showed that inexpensive smartphones and tablets cannot boast of having a gyroscope - only an accelerometer. Here are a few smartphones and tablets where the gyroscope could not be detected:We also did not find a gyroscope in ,
But where is the notorious sensor:
We also found a gyroscope in , . And there is no doubt that the gyroscope and a solid set of other sensors are contained in TOP solutions like, and other best modern smartphones.
Surprisingly, the LG G4S and Asus FonePad 8 (about which we already wrote -) the gyroscope is not visible in the list of sensors, but it is full of auxiliary sensors:
In fairness, it should be noted that the auxiliary sensors, which we considered at the very end of the article, can level the absence of a gyroscopic sensor, but, we believe, not completely.
Geomagnetic sensor
(geomagnetic field sensor, magnetometer)- a sensor that responds to the earth's magnetic fields. With it, you can determine the cardinal points, so it is often called an electronic compass. In particular, the presence of such a sensor will greatly help devices without GPS module locate (not without WiFi assistance and towers cellular communication, of course). The magnetometer is one of key sensors, which, together with the accelerometer and gyroscope, allows developers to use the device to its full potential. Sometimes, to further increase the accuracy, additional hardware sensors of similar but simplified functionality are added, such as the Geomagnetic Rotation vector sensor. Naturally, the magnetometer can be used for its intended purpose: as a metal detector, to search for wiring in the walls, as a compass - look for what you need in the app stores.
Some smartphone applications using the geomagnetic sensor
Proximity sensor
(proximity sensor) - the sensor allows you to determine the object in front of you and the distance to it. It is an infrared emitter and receiver. When the receiver does not receive radiation, there is no object, and when it does, there is an object from which the beam is reflected. This sensor makes it possible to turn off the display when you put your ear close to your smartphone to make a call. Advanced versions of the sensor are used as a gesture sensor (gesture sensor) - a smartphone can recognize certain hand gestures and perform a given action. In some cases, the proximity sensor can be used to turn off the display when using a case (a cheap alternative to the Hall sensor).Light sensor
(light sensor, light sensor)- allows you to calculate the level of ambient light. A smartphone or tablet with a light sensor is able to independently increase or decrease the brightness of the screen backlight, which is very convenient, since adjusting the brightness several times a day is not the most pleasant experience. In TOP smartphones and tablets, an advanced version of the light sensor can be used - RGB sensor, which is able to capture the intensity of the primary colors (red, green and blue) to further adjust the picture on the display or to adjust the balance for photographing. Such a sensor can be found in the Galaxy Note 3, for example. And in the Galaxy Note 4, the functionality of the light sensor has expanded to measure not only in the visible range, nor in the ultraviolet. With this ultraviolet sensor, you can measure the level of radiation and determine the time of day suitable for tanning.
Conclusion on the main sensors
So, the presence of an exclusively accelerometer on a smartphone or tablet indicates that this device is the lowest price range and can only "rotate the screen". This is the fate of cheap smartphones and tablets. Of course, there is a possibility that the manufacturer did not give sane information about the types of sensors used - in this case, you need to start reading reviews that study the hardware of the device in detail using the System Info application for Android, For example.
The fact that the smartphone has an accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, proximity and light sensor indicates that it is sufficiently equipped, but it is still not very good for controlling a quadcopter or games where tilt / turn control is assigned to the user's movement of the smartphone. This problem is solved by a gyroscope - devices with a gyroscope accurately track the slightest deviations.
The presence of all the above sensors, a large set of auxiliary sensors (discussed at the end of the article) and most of the sensors below indicate that you have an advanced device that will be a pleasure to use, and its capabilities will exceed all your expectations - this best tablets and smartphones.
Sensors in expensive smartphones and tablets
Hall Sensor
(Hall sensor)- captures the magnetic field, like a magnetometer, but has a simple principle of operation, that is, it reacts only to field amplifications, and does not register the intensity along the axes. It is used to use covers such as Smart Cover - allows you to turn off the screen when you approach it with a magnet built into the cover. This sensor is rarely indicated by manufacturers, so pay attention to the available accessories for a smartphone or tablet - if there is a “smart case” among them, then the Hall sensor is present.
Barometer
pressure sensor- a sensor that measures atmospheric pressure. It can be used both for its intended purpose and as an assistant to GPS / GLONASS modules to speed up the location of the device and the height above sea level (altimeter).
Thermometer
(ambient temperature sensor)– ambient temperature sensor. First introduced on the Galaxy S4 to improve the S-Health app, but now used on a variety of other high-end smartphones.Humidity sensor
(hygrometer)- also first appeared in the Galaxy S4 as an extension of the S-Health functionality.
Pedometer
(pedometer, step detector)- the telling name of the sensor hints that it determines whether a person has stepped or not. This is really a separate sensor that allows you to more accurately determine steps and reduce the load on the accelerometer, which is a pedometer in most smartphones without a dedicated sensor. To help the pedometer, a Step Counter sensor and even a pedestrian activity motion sensor are sometimes added - a step counter and a pedestrian activity sensor (probably estimates the pace of walking). Such a sensor is, for example, in LG Nexus 5 and Galaxy Note 3.
Fingerprint's scanner
(fingerprint sensor, Touch ID)- a sensor that reads a unique fingerprint pattern. It is strange to see a fingerprint scanner in an article about sensors - it would be better to put it in the section of an article about securing the device. However, this sensor can rightfully be considered one of the most important sensors of a modern smartphone. With it, you can not only secure your smartphone, but also use it to open certain applications or confirm a payment.
Retinal Scanner
(retina scanner)– a unique retina reader, this is the first place on the security pedestal. Such a sensor has been around for a long time, but its practical implementation in smartphones or tablets, so far, it has not been noticed.
Heart rate sensor
(pulse meter, heart rate monitor)- first appeared in the Galaxy S5 in order for the smartphone to finally become a full-fledged personal trainer. The S-Health app began to receive more data about a person before, during and after training, and was able to give more accurate personalized recommendations.
Dosimeter
- determines the dose of ionizing radiation or its power. In other words, the background radiation can be measured. Live, we have not seen a device with a built-in dosimeter, but they say that in Japan there is a Pantone 5 smartphone equipped with this sensor. We are not surprised.
Auxiliary sensors found in many smartphones and tablets
Sometimes, for even greater accuracy, additional hardware sensors are added with similar, but simplified functionality (you could see them in the screenshots above).
Surely there are other sensors, but the secrets of their use are still known only to developers. operating systems and other software.