Google adds new Sensor Hub chip to Nexus devices

During the announcement of the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P that took place earlier today, Google shared a new technology they have added to their new smartphones. Called the Sensor Hub, this is a new low-power chip added to the devices in order to handle some secondary processing and help preserve battery life by keeping the main processor idle. The Sensor Hub chip connects to the various sensors included in the devices and monitors them for input. An example might be when you start running with the phone in your pocket or detecting when a user picks the phone up from off of a table. In the latter case, the device could go ahead and display notifications.

Using a secondary, low-power chip to handle recognition of activity when the main processor is idle is not a new concept. Motorola has been doing this for a while now with their Moto X line and Apple recently added this capability in their iPhone 6S devices. One area where there is a lot of room for improvement – and a competitive advantage – with smartphones is battery life, so any step that can help with that and improve usefulness at the same time will likely be pursued by more manufacturers. Using dedicated chips for specific purposes like monitoring for activity when a device is otherwise at “rest” is one strategy. With Google incorporating this into their Nexus devices, more Android phones should see this added.

source: Engadget

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