For Mobile Technology, MEMS Microphones Are a Must

There are always some parts of technology that just don't bear a lot of consideration, yet are absolutely vital to the successful operation of said technologies. While the individual parts are important, there's just not much thought given to these. One of these vital components that doesn't get much thought is the microphone, and for mobile devices, more and more mobile device makers are turning to one particular breed of microphone: the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone.

MEMS microphones are, according to a recent report from IHS Technology titled “MEMS and Sensors Report – Microphones – 2014,” increasingly found in mobile devices from major makers like Apple, who puts said technology into its iPhone line. Samsung is also reportedly a major buyer in the market as well, joining in with several other technology makers to form a combined market of $836.9 million for the devices in 2013. But that's not the high-water market for MEMS microphones; the market for the technology is projected to reach $1.04 billion in global revenue by the end of 2014. The climb is expected to carry on until 2017, where it reaches $1.37 billion, representing something of a slowdown in terms of growth, but growth nonetheless.

So what's driving this kind of growth in the field? Perhaps the biggest driver is one of overall quality. Two key measures determine the overall quality of a microphone, including the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the maximum sound-pressure level (SPL). These two measures essentially determine the microphone's overall dynamic range, or the measure of the lowest and highest sound levels that the microphone can gauge. Dynamic range is used as a basic metric for microphone quality by firms like HTC and Nokia, reportedly, and so, microphones with a very high SNR—equal to or greater than 64 decibels—will have the greatest growth in the sector.

While smartphones will understandably drive much of this growth, IHS looks for tablets to also prove to be what's described as a “vigorous market driver” in this field, and it will only increase, particularly for vehicles where hands-free calling will become a major new use of this technology. Harman recently, according to reports, noted that two MEMS microphones would be part of Daimler vehicles starting in 2016.

It's easy to forget about things like sparkplugs in cars or wires in laptops or even the infrared port in a television set. But without these things, the devices that we know and love wouldn't work anywhere near as well as is the case today, and microphones prove no different for smartphones. What's really exciting about this development, though, is the sheer number of applications that MEMS microphones are becoming a part of. Smartphones, sure, this made sense. Adding microphones to tablets wasn't such a stretch, either. But cars? This was a development that came out of nowhere until it was carefully considered, then it was a development that made such sense it was a wonder it wasn't started sooner.

But this may well be the beginning for the MEMS microphone, at least, until a new technology is discovered that surpasses its quality. Still, this is one point in which the simplest things can make so much difference, and an otherwise poorly appreciated point of technology gets just a little more respect in the field.