REFERENCE
Tech Glossary
Every phone, laptop, wearable and audio spec — explained in plain English. Search 36+ of the terms you see on spec sheets, from OLED and mAh to periscope zoom and IP68.
OLED
Display where each pixel emits its own light, giving true blacks and high contrast.
AMOLED
An active-matrix OLED panel used widely in modern phones for vivid colour.
LTPO
A smart OLED backplane that varies refresh rate on the fly to save battery.
Refresh Rate
How many times per second the screen redraws, in Hz; higher feels smoother.
Nits
The unit of screen brightness; more nits means better visibility in sunlight.
ProMotion
Apple branding for a 120Hz adaptive-refresh display.
HDR
High Dynamic Range, for brighter highlights and richer colour in video.
Dolby Vision
A premium HDR format with scene-by-scene tuning.
mAh
Milliamp-hours, the unit that measures battery capacity.
Fast Charging
Wired charging speed in watts; higher watts refill the battery faster.
Wireless Charging
Cable-free charging using the Qi standard by resting the phone on a pad.
Silicon-Carbon Battery
A newer battery chemistry that packs more capacity into the same space.
SoC
System on a Chip, the main processor that runs the whole device.
Nanometer (nm)
The manufacturing scale of a chip; smaller numbers are usually more efficient.
RAM
Fast temporary memory that keeps apps open and multitasking smooth.
UFS
Universal Flash Storage, the fast storage standard used in flagship phones.
NPU
A Neural Processing Unit that accelerates on-device AI tasks.
Megapixel (MP)
The resolution of a camera sensor, in millions of pixels.
OIS
Optical Image Stabilisation, which steadies the lens to reduce blur.
Periscope Zoom
A folded telephoto lens that enables long optical zoom in a thin phone.
Pixel Binning
Merging neighbouring pixels into one for brighter low-light photos.
Aperture (f-stop)
How wide a lens opens; a lower f-number lets in more light.
Computational Photography
Software that combines frames and AI to improve photos.
ToF Sensor
A Time-of-Flight sensor that measures depth for focus and effects.
IP68
A rating certifying strong dust and water resistance.
Ceramic Shield
Toughened cover glass that improves drop resistance.
eSIM
A built-in digital SIM that activates a plan without a physical card.
NFC
Near-Field Communication, used for tap-to-pay and quick pairing.
5G
The latest mainstream cellular standard, offering faster mobile data.
Wi-Fi 7
The newest Wi-Fi generation, with higher speed and lower latency.
Bluetooth LE
A low-energy Bluetooth mode for accessories like earbuds and watches.
UWB
Ultra-Wideband, for precise short-range location and device finding.
Satellite Connectivity
Lets phones send emergency messages where there is no cellular signal.
Haptics
Vibration feedback that simulates taps and texture.
Always-On Display
Shows time and notifications while the screen is mostly off.
Ray Tracing
A graphics technique that renders realistic lighting in mobile games.
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