Know your Lumia: mobile tech terms explained
Your Lumia smartphone is loaded with some seriously impressive technology. Here we get closer to a number of specifications you may never knew existed.
Magnetometer
As a traditional compass is used to determine the direction of the Earth’s magnetic north pole the smart phones use something more accurately referred to as a magnetometer. The magnetometer can determine the direction of magnetic north, but it can also determine rotation of the device relative to magnetic north. In addition, it is also capable of detecting magnetic fields around the device. This an essential tool for location services.
IPS LCD
An IPS (in-plane switching) LCD (liquid-crystal display) offers true color representation and better viewing angles. A few years ago, such displays were usually found only in high-end devices. But that’s no longer the case: many Lumia smartphones offer this out of the box.
Proximity sensor
The proximity sensor detects the presence of nearby objects without physical contact. The sensor saves battery life by shutting off the screen when it recognizes that your Lumia smartphone is near your face and you’re on a call. Furthermore, it detects–and skips–accidental touches or taps on your screen when your phone is held to the ear.
Orientation sensor
As the name suggests, the orientation sensor determines the orientation and how you are holding your Lumia smartphone. Simply moving it will change (rotate) your screen the moment you hold your phone from a vertical motion to a horizontal position, without any instructions from you. Furthermore, thanks to these sensors you get the best viewing or playing angles in your motion-controlled games and augmented reality apps.
mAh
mAh stands for milli-ampere hour; a unit of electric charge. It is commonly used to describe the total amount of energy a battery can store at one time. You’ll be happy to know that Lumia smartphones, such as the Lumia 830, come with a high-performing 2200mAh battery.
A2DP
A2DP stands for “Advanced Audio Distribution Profile.” This lets mobile users stream high-quality (stereo or mono) audio wirelessly from one device to another over a Bluetooth connection. For example, you can stream your music from your Lumia smartphone to your wireless headphones or to your car’s audio system.
Even though it is quite common for headphones, car audio system and other products to be Bluetooth-enabled for voice calls, always ensure that they’re also A2DP compliant.
Play To DLNA
DLNA stands for “Digital Living Network Alliance” and it provides an easy way to share media on a network. Complemented with the Play To app— exclusive to Lumia–you can enjoy your photos or videos on other DLNA-enabled devices.
For example, by using DLNA, you can stream video from your Lumia smartphone to a compatible TV using Wi-Fi.
A-GLONASS
Time for some Russian now: A-GLONASS stands for “Assisted GlobalnayaNavigazionnayaSputnikovayaSistema,” or global-navigation satellite system, Russia’s version of GPS.
A-GLONASS offers more features for smartphones. By making use of the mobile towers near your location, it quickly locks your location with the help from your data connection or Wi-Fi. Now you know how you get turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic data and more on your Lumia smartphones.
TTY support
TTY is short for teletypewriter, a special device that helps people with speech or hearing impairments to communicate by typing text messages. A TTY is required by both individuals wishing to have a synchronous text conversation.
To know more on how you can use your Windows Phone with a TTY, head here.
Microsoft Intune
Intune provides mobile-device management, mobile application management, and PC management capabilities from the cloud. This service helps organizations give employees secure access to corporate applications, data, and resources from virtually anywhere on almost any device.
To know how it can help your company better, head here.
Qi standard
Qi is a global standard in wireless charging. It lets you wirelessly charge your Lumia smartphones over distances of up to 4 cm (1.6 inches). For a range of these smart and efficient chargers, head here.
PlayReady
Microsoft PlayReady technology is the comprehensive content-delivery and management solution for entertainment products and services. A Microsoft PlayReady ecosystem consists of PC clients, devices and servers.
Microsoft PlayReady enables content services and device manufacturers to make more content available, portable and easier to enjoy to users such as you and me. If you wish to know more about it, head here.
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