Technical Glossary (1935 terms)

Standardized hardware and benchmark definitions across smartphones, laptops, CPUs, GPUs, SoCs, and tablets.

• dual-SIM 5G — A phone with two SIM slots that can each use 5G data. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
• dual-band Wi-Fi — Wi-Fi that can operate on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
• dual-channel — Using two memory channels for double the bandwidth. [ MEMORY ]
• dual-frequency GPS — GPS that receives two satellite frequency bands for better accuracy. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
• dual-purpose port — A port that serves two functions, such as charging and data, or data and video. [ PORTS ]
• dustproof — Dustproof means sealed against dust ingress to a rated level. [ DURABILITY ]
• dynamic contrast — A marketing contrast figure adjusted on the fly by changing overall screen brightness frame by frame. [ DISPLAY ]
• dynamic driver — The most common speaker and headphone driver type, using a moving coil. [ AUDIO ]
• dynamic range — The span between the darkest and brightest detail a camera captures. [ CAMERA ]
• dynamic theme — A theme that derives its colours from the wallpaper. [ SOFTWARE ]
• dynamic wallpaper — A wallpaper that animates or changes over time on screen. [ SOFTWARE ]
• e-waste — E-waste is discarded electronic equipment and components. [ GENERAL ]
• eDRX — Extended Discontinuous Reception, a power-saving idle mode for cellular devices. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
• eMMC — Budget embedded flash storage; slower than UFS/NVMe, found in entry-level devices. [ STORAGE ]
• eSIM — Carrier profile stored on-chip, allowing dual lines without a physical SIM. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
• eSIM profile — A digital SIM profile stored on a device, replacing a physical card. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
• earbuds — Small in-ear audio devices worn inside the ear canal. [ AUDIO ]
• easy mode — A simplified interface with larger text and icons for ease of use. [ SOFTWARE ]
• echo cancellation — Processing that removes echo from calls so both sides hear clearly. [ AUDIO ]
• ecosystem — An ecosystem is a set of products and services that work well together. [ GENERAL ]
• edge panel — A side panel of shortcuts and apps pulled in from the screen edge. [ SOFTWARE ]
• edge-to-edge — A display design where content extends close to the device's edges with minimal bezels. [ DISPLAY ]
• editor's choice — Editor's choice marks a product our reviewers especially recommend. [ GENERAL ]
• efficiency core — A small, low-power CPU core that handles background tasks. [ CHIPS ]
• emergency SOS — A feature that contacts emergency services, sometimes via satellite. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
• encryption — Encoding data so only authorised users can read it. [ SOFTWARE ]
• end of support — End of support is when a product stops receiving updates. [ GENERAL ]
• energy density — How much energy a battery stores per volume or weight. [ BATTERY ]
• energy saving — Modes and settings that reduce power consumption to extend battery life. [ BATTERY ]
• energy use — How much power a device consumes during use, which determines real-world battery life. [ BATTERY ]
• ergonomics — Ergonomics is how comfortable and usable a device's design is. [ GENERAL ]
• esports — Competitive multiplayer gaming with low-latency titles. [ GAMING ]
• esports mode — A low-latency mode tuned for competitive online gaming. [ GAMING ]
• esports monitor — A high-refresh, low-latency display aimed at competitive gaming. [ GAMING ]
• esports title — A game designed or played competitively, often with tournaments. [ GAMING ]
• exFAT — A file system for flash drives that supports large files and both Windows and macOS. [ STORAGE ]
• expandable storage — The ability to add storage, usually via a microSD card slot or an open drive bay. [ STORAGE ]
• expansion port — A port that lets you add extra connectivity or storage to a device. [ PORTS ]
• exposure — The combination of aperture, shutter, and ISO that sets brightness. [ CAMERA ]
• exposure time — How long a camera's sensor collects light for one photo. [ CAMERA ]
• external drive — A portable storage device that connects over USB or Thunderbolt. [ STORAGE ]
• eye tracking — Detecting a person's eyes to focus or apply effects. [ CAMERA ]
• face detection — Locating faces in a scene to aid focus and exposure. [ CAMERA ]
• factory reset — Wiping a device back to its original factory state. [ SOFTWARE ]
• fast charge minutes — The headline figure describing how many minutes a fast charge takes to reach a given level. [ BATTERY ]
• fast charge time — How long a device takes to reach a high charge level using fast charging. [ BATTERY ]
• field of view — A game's field of view describes how much of the scene is visible at once. [ GAMING ]
• file system — The structure an operating system uses to organise and access data on a drive. [ STORAGE ]
• file transfer — Moving files between devices or drives, limited by the interface speed. [ STORAGE ]
• filter — An effect applied to alter a photo's colour or tone. [ CAMERA ]