What is a mobile gyroscope, what is it for and how to know if yours has it

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The inside of your mobile is full of sensors. Many more than you could probably imagine. Each of them is intended for a different purpose, and although not all of them are essential, the lack of one of them can result in the loss of certain interesting functions or that some applications do not fulfill their function as they should.

This is the case of the gyroscope, a sensor that the vast majority of smartphones have incorporated for years now. Still, on occasions, we have seen how it disappeared from some models without prior notice, causing an avalanche of criticism from those who decided to buy it thinking that, Like the rest of the mobiles on the market, this sensor was part of its specifications.

But what is the gyroscope, and why has it become so important? There are still many doubts and confusion regarding this component, used in multitmanytions ranging from smartphones to ships, airplanes or even, missiles.

What is and what is the gyroscope of a mobile phone for?

What is and what is the gyroscope of a mobile phone forAs I said, despite not being essential, the gyroscope has become an increasingly important component in modern mobiles, especially after the advent of advanced games and applications that make use of this type of technical resourceresourcegh in other fields, we can find mechanical gyroscopes, in the case of smartphones this sensor is electronic.

Until a few years ago, mobile phones were only able to “indicate” their position to the operating system through the accelerometer, another sensor that is somewhat less limited that can only measure the position of the phone – horizontal or vertical. With the introduction of the gyroscope in the devices and the combination of this sensor with the accelerometer, the measurements of movements and changes of position became much more precise thanks to the addition of new dimensions of movement such as the rotation or the turns of the device, so that a whole range of possibilities was opened up by being able to know exactly the position of the mobile at all times.

At a technical level, MEMS-type gyroscopes –Micro Electro Mechanical Systems–, which are included in smartphones and are only 1-100 micrometers in size , work in such a way that they can detect changes in the position of the phone. They convert the movement into a low current electrical signal amplified and identified by a microcontroller in charge of sending the signal to the operating system to act accordingly.

Check if your mobile has a gyroscope.

Now that we have seen what a gyroscope is, it is much clearer why a sensor capable of accurately measuring the movements of our phone can be extremely useful. Now, does your phone have a gyroscope? The vastMostmid-range and high-end smartphones already have this sensor, although older ones or those with more limited resources can do without it.

Unlike other sensors on the device, the gyroscope is located inside, hidden from the user’s view. Luckily, checking it is as simple as installing an application that allows you to know the components of a mobile, such as CPU-Z, available for free download on Google Play.

Once the application is installed and the necessary permissions have been granted, you will have to access the “Sensors” section. In the complete list of sensors and components, look for the one in which the word “Gyroscope” or similar appears. A series of numerical values should also appear, which will vary as you move the mobile from one side to the other, rotate it, or rotate its position .

The 3most common uses of the gyroscope

The 3most common uses of the gyroscopeThat is why in recent years, we have seen how more and more applications have among their requirements the need for the gyroscope to be among the specifications of the devices. To take advantage of the gyroscope’s capabilities, Android offers developers a specific API to introduce functions that use this sensor in their applications. Some uses that can be given to the gyroscope through apps are the following:

  • Games: the vast majority of games base their mechanics on device movements. A good example is racing games.
  • Augmented and virtual reality: the vast majority of virtual and augmented reality platforms, such as Google’s ARCore, base their operation on monitoring the position and movements of the device. That is why no smartphone without a gyroscope can be compatible with ARCore, much less run augmented and virtual reality applications.
  • Three hundred sixty videThree hundred sixty and panoramic photos: as in the case, some apps also take advantage of the gyroscope for some of its functions. Facebook or YouTube, for example, determine the position and movement of the device through this sensor when playing 360-degree videos, and the vast majority of camera apps that include the option to capture panoramas or 360 images to risotto this component.

There is no doubt that this small sensor is much more important than it might seem at first, and it is certainly a shame that not all manufacturers decide to incorporate it in all the devices that make up their catalog. Luckily, mobiles without a gyroscope are becoming less common. We hope that shortly, all ter minerals on the market will include this sensor among their technical specifications.