Accelerometers, gyroscopes, NFC, and gesture recognition are predicted to be the big winners in mobile devices. These mobile technologies are projected to make the greatest penetration gains over the coming years, according to a recent study by analysts at ABI Research.
“Hands-free operation or gesture recognition is soon going to become a key differentiator in high-end flagship smartphones, media tablets, and smart glasses,” said senior analyst Joshua Flood.
“Samsung’s latest Galaxy S4 has already incorporated the technology within its handset and has received significant plaudits for its new innovative user experience. Furthermore, with a host of new smart glass products soon to be released, it is easy to imagine the usefulness of the interface with this product.”
In 2013, almost 12% of smartphones shipped will have vision-based gesture recognition capabilities.
Accelerometers and gyroscopes play a crucial role with today’s mobile devices, enabling devices to be more intuitive and take action without a user pressing a button. Simple actions like switching from portrait to landscape when a smartphone is tilted are made possible by including these components.
Additionally, the fast growing mobile gaming market is highly dependent upon smartphones including gyroscopes, which enhance gaming experience. Nearly half of the smartphones shipped this year will include these MEMS sensor types.
NFC has been one of the most talked about mobile technologies that has not quite taken off. The technology has primarily been focused around mobile payments; however, mobile OEMs have begun to see other potential capabilities for the technology such as photo-sharing and location information tag points that could open a huge market for advertising and marketing campaigns.
Within three years, it is anticipated one in two smartphones shipped will include NFC and have gesture recognition capabilities. Furthermore, accelerometers and gyroscopes will be the “norm” with most smartphones.
