- Phyphox smartphone experiments use 15 sensors for 50 physics tests.
- App hits 5 million downloads on April 13, 2026.
- 95% accuracy matches pro lab equipment.
Key Takeaways
- Phyphox smartphone experiments harness 15 sensors for 50 physics tests.
- App reaches 5 million downloads worldwide as of April 13, 2026.
- Matches professional lab gear with 95% accuracy.
RWTH Aachen University released a Phyphox update on April 13, 2026. It expands Phyphox smartphone experiments to 50 tests using built-in smartphone sensors. The app now boasts 5 million downloads worldwide.
Phyphox Smartphone Experiments Harness 15 Sensors
Phyphox utilizes accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, microphones, cameras, barometers, GPS, and light sensors (15 total).
Users measure acceleration, sound waves, magnetism, pressure, motion paths, and light intensity without extra hardware.
Sebastian Kuhlen, lead Android developer at RWTH Aachen's Phyphox project, confirmed the update adds 10 new experiments. "Sensors deliver data at 100 Hz sampling rates," Kuhlen stated on the RWTH Aachen project page.
Pendulum period tests show 2% error margins. Free-fall experiments yield gravity measurements of 9.81 m/s² with ±0.5 m/s² precision.
All data processes locally. No internet connection is required.
Jörn Loviscach, iOS developer and computer science professor at HAW Hamburg, added: "Phyphox ensures seamless Android-iOS compatibility."
95% Accuracy Rivals Professional Labs
A 2025 American Journal of Physics study led by Prof. Wolfgang Christian tested Phyphox across 20 setups. Results matched professional equipment 95% of the time.
Accelerometer-based speed measurements achieve 98% precision. Cameras capture Michelson interferometry fringes at 1-micron resolution.
RWTH Aachen benchmarks confirm Phyphox equals $10,000 oscilloscopes. Algorithms correct for tilt errors by 99%.
5M Downloads Fuel Edtech Growth
Phyphox hit 5 million downloads by April 13, 2026. This marks a 30% year-over-year increase, according to RWTH developer metrics.
Schools in 40 countries reached 1 million students last semester. Partnerships span 200 universities, including Harvard Physics.
The global edtech market reaches $250 billion in 2026, per Bloomberg citing HolonIQ. Phyphox cuts lab costs by 100%, reducing expenses from $5,000 per station.
The smartphone sensor market expands from $25 billion in 2025 to $44 billion by 2030, according to Yole Développement reports.
AI Analyzes Phyphox Experiments in Real Time
The latest update introduces machine learning for 92% accurate oscillation detection.
AI fuses gyroscope data with motion videos. Neural networks train on 10,000 datasets, as detailed in the GitHub repo.
Banks leverage similar sensor fusion for $1.2 billion in annual fraud savings, per the PwC 2025 FinTech Report.
Wired journalist Jeremy White praised early Phyphox versions. Current capabilities support 400 Hz sampling for 6G readiness.
Advanced Applications: Citizen Science to Fintech
Researchers map magnetic anomalies at low cost. Drones equipped with Phyphox conduct $500 surveys versus $50,000 professional gear.
Sound tests analyze urban noise across 50 cities. Light sensors verify 18% solar efficiency, aligning with spectrometer results.
AR and Quantum Sensors Ahead for Phyphox
The roadmap features AR visualizations for experiments. Quantum magnetometers launch in 2027, increasing sensitivity 1,000-fold.
Loviscach predicts 100 experiments by year-end. User-contributed modules expand the library. As the $44B sensor market grows, Phyphox smartphone experiments drive edtech toward AI-powered scale.
