What Does Accelerometer Mean?

An accelerometer is a device that detects its own acceleration and is used in mobile phones to determine the phone’s orientation. Once the orientation is determined, the phone’s software can react accordingly, such as by changing its display from portrait to landscape.

Techopedia Explains Accelerometer

An accelerometer is able to detect acceleration through a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS), which changes electrical properties such as voltage. These changes are translated into signals, which are sent to the appropriate software for processing. There are different types of accelerometers used in phoneses: