The upcoming Samsung Galaxy Nexus looks amazing. The next Google flagship phone is thin, incredibly fast, and loaded with a number of next-gen features like the ability to unlock the homescreen using facial recognition. One of the features that puzzled a lot of people was the inclusion of a barometer. People wondered what purpose it could serve. Well, now, thanks to a Google in-house Android developer, we know.
The barometer, like all other barometers, is used to determine altitude. With the built-in barometer getting a lock on your altitude, the phone's GPS system can more quickly lock in your location. Now that the GPS doesn't have to work on calculating your altitude (data it can't get from cell phone tower triangulation) it can focus its attention on your latitude and longitude. While the Motorola Xoom tablet already included a barometer for the same reason, the Galaxy Nexus is the first Android phone to include one.
[Netbook News via Ubergizmo]
