{"id":3835,"date":"2026-03-30T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pirhome.com\/?p=3814"},"modified":"2026-03-30T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T15:00:00","slug":"sony-ultra-small-pir-smartphone-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=3835","title":{"rendered":"Sony Develops Ultra-Small PIR Sensor for Smartphones and Wearables"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>March 18, 2026 \u2013 Tokyo, Japan \u2013 Sony Miniaturizes PIR Technology<\/h2>\n<p>Sony Semiconductor Solutions has announced the development of an ultra-compact PIR sensor measuring just 2mm \u00d7 2mm \u00d7 0.8mm, designed for integration into smartphones, wearables, and hearables. The new sensor, designated the IMX-PIR01, represents a significant miniaturization of pyroelectric sensing technology.<\/p>\n<p>The sensor is currently in sampling, with volume production expected in Q4 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Technical Specifications<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Package:<\/strong> 2mm \u00d7 2mm \u00d7 0.8mm LGA (land grid array)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Elements:<\/strong> Dual pyroelectric with common-mode rejection<\/li>\n<li><strong>Integrated optics:<\/strong> Built-in Fresnel lens (no external lens required)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Field of view:<\/strong> 90\u00b0 horizontal, 60\u00b0 vertical<\/li>\n<li><strong>Detection range:<\/strong> Up to 1 meter (optimized for close-range applications)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Power consumption:<\/strong> 15 \u00b5A (active), 0.5 \u00b5A (sleep)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Supply voltage:<\/strong> 1.8V to 3.3V<\/li>\n<li><strong>Output:<\/strong> Digital (I2C) with configurable interrupt<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Key Innovations<\/h2>\n<h3>Integrated Optics<\/h3>\n<p>The sensor integrates the Fresnel lens directly into the package, eliminating the need for external optics. This simplifies integration and reduces the overall system footprint. The lens is fabricated using semiconductor lithography techniques, enabling precise zone patterns in a miniature form factor.<\/p>\n<h3>Ultra-Low Power<\/h3>\n<p>The sensor consumes just 15 \u00b5A when active, and 0.5 \u00b5A in sleep mode. Combined with the integrated wake-on-motion feature, it enables always-on presence detection with minimal impact on smartphone battery life.<\/p>\n<h3>High Sensitivity<\/h3>\n<p>Despite its small size, the sensor achieves sensitivity comparable to larger PIR modules, with detection range optimized for 0.2-1.0 meters \u2013 typical distances for smartphone and wearable applications.<\/p>\n<h2>Target Applications<\/h2>\n<h3>Smartphones<\/h3>\n<p>Integrated into the front-facing camera area, the sensor could enable:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Raise-to-wake detection (turn on screen when user picks up phone)<\/li>\n<li>Always-on display activation based on user presence<\/li>\n<li>Attention sensing (keep screen on while user is looking)<\/li>\n<li>Gestures (wave to silence calls, skip tracks)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Smartwatches and Wearables<\/h3>\n<p>In wrist-worn devices, the sensor could enable:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wrist raise detection (wake screen when user raises wrist)<\/li>\n<li>Sleep tracking (detect when watch is being worn)<\/li>\n<li>Gesture control (flick to dismiss notifications)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Wireless Earbuds (Hearables)<\/h3>\n<p>In earbuds, the sensor could detect:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>In-ear presence (pause playback when removed)<\/li>\n<li>Touchless gesture control (wave to skip tracks)<\/li>\n<li>Head orientation detection (for spatial audio)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Smart Home Controllers<\/h3>\n<p>Smart displays and speakers could use the sensor for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wake-on-approach (activate screen when user approaches)<\/li>\n<li>Far-field presence detection<\/li>\n<li>Gesture control from across the room<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Comparison with Existing Technologies<\/h2>\n<p>Current proximity sensing in smartphones typically uses capacitive sensors or time-of-flight (ToF) cameras. Sony claims the PIR sensor offers advantages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lower power:<\/strong> 15 \u00b5A vs. 50-100 \u00b5A for ToF<\/li>\n<li><strong>Privacy:<\/strong> No imaging, only presence detection<\/li>\n<li><strong>No light source:<\/strong> Passive operation, no illumination needed<\/li>\n<li><strong>Smaller footprint:<\/strong> 2\u00d72mm vs. larger modules<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Development Timeline<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>March 2026:<\/strong> Sensor announced, sampling begins<\/li>\n<li><strong>Q4 2026:<\/strong> Volume production starts<\/li>\n<li><strong>Q1 2027:<\/strong> First smartphones with integrated sensor expected<\/li>\n<li><strong>Q2 2027:<\/strong> Wearable and hearable integration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sony is already in discussions with major smartphone manufacturers about integrating the sensor into 2027 models.<\/p>\n<h2>Industry Reaction<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;This is a significant breakthrough for PIR technology,&#8221; said a mobile industry analyst. &#8220;The ability to integrate PIR into smartphones opens up new use cases for presence detection that were previously limited to cameras or larger sensors. We expect this to become a standard feature in premium smartphones within a few years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Sony&#8217;s ultra-small PIR sensor represents a major step toward ubiquitous presence detection in consumer electronics. By reducing the size and power consumption to levels suitable for smartphones and wearables, Sony is bringing PIR technology to applications previously dominated by cameras and capacitive sensors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>March 18, 2026 \u2013 Tokyo, Japan \u2013 Sony Miniaturizes PIR Technology Sony Semiconductor Solutions has announced the development of an ultra-compact PIR sensor measuring just 2mm \u00d7 2mm \u00d7 0.8mm, designed for integration into smartphones, wearables, and hearables. The new sensor, designated the IMX-PIR01, represents a significant miniaturization of pyroelectric sensing technology. The sensor is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>Sony Develops Ultra-Small PIR Sensor for Smartphones and Wearables - PIRHOME<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pirhome.com\/?p=3835\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sony Develops Ultra-Small PIR Sensor for Smartphones and Wearables - PIRHOME\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"March 18, 2026 \u2013 Tokyo, Japan \u2013 Sony Miniaturizes PIR Technology Sony Semiconductor Solutions has announced the development of an ultra-compact PIR sensor measuring just 2mm \u00d7 2mm \u00d7 0.8mm, designed for integration into smartphones, wearables, and hearables. The new sensor, designated the IMX-PIR01, represents a significant miniaturization of pyroelectric sensing technology. 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