Learn About Cell Phones with Always-on Sensors

Round-the-Clock Sensing.Always-on sensors in a few new mobile phones will likely make them more contextually-aware and bring new capabilities to such applications as pedestrian navigation, health, and fitness tracking. The typical approach to extending mobile device operating time between battery charges focuses on switching off sensors whenever they're not urgently needed. But a few phones turn this strategy on its head, incorporating a highly power-efficient coprocessor that operates and manages all of the sensors, permitting always-on sensing without draining the battery too quickly.