Before we go into details of how a barometer in a Smartphone can be useful to the consumer, let us first understand what a barometer is. Typically it is said to be an instrument that evaluates atmospheric pressure. The reading thus got can be utilized to predict interim weather changes and also to get a fair idea of altitude.

With the declaration of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich launch it was also announced that a barometer has been integrated into the Galaxy Nexus. It has also been said that the Ice Cream Sandwich SDK would have all the required bits needed by software developers to incorporate the application into the sensor.

Weather Forecasting - an application for smartphones
The Sense UI from HTC includes a clock and weather widget that appears as an icon on the home screen. These sorts of things utilize the Smartphone geographical location and when the Smartphone is connected to the Internet it gets information regarding the weather. This is rather useful for those who provide information on weather or forecast weather temporary weather changes. You can even retrieve weather forecast using this technology for a few days in advance. When this is supplemented by the actual barometer readings these applications become more effective and responsive to changing weather conditions.

One point is that the barometer in your smartphone when used frequently can well drain the battery life and take up data usage and though it is nothing much to talk of, over a period of time you will find your data limits are going up and if you are in a limited plan scheme this could cost you extra money.

The barometer in your Smartphone can be programmed such that it updates you when changed barometric pressure takes place, so that if you have plans to go out you are always well informed about weather conditions.

Altitude - another Smartphone application
This is especially useful for those who have a penchant for hiking or mountain climbing particularly in unknown regions. Sometimes hikers never know how high up they are or what the weather is like where they are. It is in times like this that the barometer is a really useful feature. In the case of a barometer as it is a passive sensor unlike the GPS which is an active sensor, battery life is not wasted and you are always informed of not just your whereabouts, but about altitude and weather conditions as well. With the barometer in the Smartphone one is always in the know of what is happening weather-wise, so that there is always chance to take the necessary precautions well ahead of time. The changes in barometric pressure are recorded by the barometer in the Smartphone and all this is carried out without using up any data usage either. This just shows that having a barometer in the Smartphone can be extremely useful in all kinds of situations.