The ubiquitous smartphone has become an integral part of our lives. The American Express advertising tagline, “Don’t leave home without it," could well apply to the instrument in our pocket. More than any other piece of hardware, the smartphone has revolutionised society and transformed how we interact, partake in entertainment, travel, conduct business, acquire information, etc.
All this is made possible by the variety of sensors that exist in a smartphone. A typical smartphone has about 25 sensors, including the accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS, biometric sensors, facial recognition, and proximity sensors, in addition to cameras and microphones.
These help you navigate safely, track fitness goals, capture memories, and keep you connected around the globe.
The smartphone is also a veritable warehouse of knowledge about its owner. The phone continuously tracks your movements; it knows what you surf on the internet, watch, read, and buy. It has a list of all your contacts and knows to whom you speak. More importantly, the data from your social media activity helps draw a psychological profile and identify personality traits that can predict your behaviour.