Location awareness technologies will play an important role in the growth of sensors in smartphones. It is reported that by 2013 "85 percent of smartphones will ship with GPS, over 50 percent will ship with accelerometers and almost 50 percent will have gyroscopes." Applications on smartphones will be able to "sense motion on six axes", thus allowing multiple degrees of freedom.
When you have 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyro, 3-axis magnetometer (eCompass) and a barometric pressure sensor you have 10-degrees of freedom. This gives application developers more resolution and control to develop features. This will lead to more innovation.
Tony, I would like to know about the latest outcome from Freescale semiconductor Forum. I meant any new innovative products for the medical industry. I heard that they have a plan for medical electronics equipment based chips and sensors.
"The trend for smartphones is to incorporate several sensors working together for multiple degrees of freedom"
Tony,
I totally agree with you that the trend for smartphones is to incorporate several sensors, but do you think this trend will push the prices of the smartphone higher ?
The prices for MEMS sensors have been dropping. i do not see this trend reversing. Increasing voluem and improving yields will drive this. Many vendors such as Freescale are offering more of the full complement of sensors. one of the trends is for chip vendors to put muultiple sensoirs in multichip packages. This reduces package cost and board space.
The final price of a smartphone has to meet market requirements. Smartphone manufacturers need to compete on features. The cost to the consumer is not so much the HW cost as much as services. The carriers will subsidize the cost of the handset and make up for it with new and improved services.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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