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Specifications and features of Android devices, if the device is a well-known product, are disclosed at official web sites or a special feature article in online media. Even some obscure devices have official web site, or introduced at portals as GSMARENA*1.
However, none of them, even the official websites, even disclose information about the sensors that the devices are equipped with. Sensor specifications, especially operational characteristics with programming, can only be confirmed through programming.
Android Sensor List is an application that collects information on sensors installed in Android devices and other available information, and outputs it in TSV (TAB-separated CSV) format files.
When the application is launched, the file is output to the Download folder on the device. And the same information is also output to Logcat in Android Studio when Android Sensor List is debugged their with connecting the device.
This post summarizes the usage considerations.
Install
Android Sensor List is distributed at GitHub, not Google Play.
To install, click the hyperlink to the apk file at GitHub, and download it. Android will ask approval for installation at that time. User can directly install it with approval, or download it once and install later.
Run
Since the purpose is to collect information, the application only needs to be run once.
Just by launching the application or debugging it with Android Studio, the collected information will be output. The collected information is saved as a CSV file in the Download folder, or can be viewed via Logcat when debugging with Android Studio.
It is recommended to import the CSV file to Excel or other application for easy reference.
Alternatively, as mentioned earlier, a quick way is to clone the source code from Github and degug it in Android Studio.
Off topic
After checking the output information, we realized a smartphone as sensor complex device. Comparing information output from multiple devices, it is clear that device with special gimic and high-end devices have a large number of sensors and some of them are from well-known vendors.
Attached screenshots are imported lists to Excel from devices as
DOOGEE V20*2, mid-class device in 2021,
Surface Duo*3, Microsoft's 1st foldable device in 2020,
Nokia 8 Sirocco, high-end device in 2018.
| model | year | sensor |
|---|---|---|
| DOOGEE V20 | 2021 | 15 |
| Surface Duo | 2020 | 32 |
| Nokia 8 Sirocco | 2018 | 53 |
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The first thing that is obvious is the number of sensors. Even though there is some overlap due to the fact that a single sensor is categorized in multiple types, there is 2 to 3 times difference between the number of sensors installed in DOOGEE and other devices.
This may be one of the reasons why DOOGEE is equipped with only enough sensors to meet the needs of its middle-class customers, without being limited to sensors from world-renowned companies, in order to ensure affordability.
On the other hand, the limited number of sensors consume less power, which, coupled with the Rugged Phone feature, contributes to a longer battery life.
Unlike other devices, Surface Duo is equipped with sensors related to the hinge due to its special characteristics as a two-screen device, but it still seems to have fewer sensors than Nokia.
Although the Nokia 8 Sirocco is not equipped with any special mechanism, it still has 53 sensors. This equipment was probably necessary in order to function in accordance with the user's natural behavior, such as waking from sleep with a tap on the screen, rejecting incoming calls by turning a phone over, and mute ring tone by simply lifting the handset.
