Yes, you heard that right! This has been made possible by a miniature near-infrared spectrometer that can detect molecular signature of things. In simpler words, a tiny sensor (SCiO) that can be fitted into phones, which keeps bouncing infrared off an object to register its unique molecular fingerprint.
Now, considering all things in the world are made of molecules, the sensor can work on any material. For now, it comes fitted in the Changhong H2 smartphone. Changhong, Analog Devices, Inc., and Consumer Physics have together developed this first smartphone with an embedded material sensor.
With Changhong H2, that was on display at CES 2017, consumers can analyse properties of foods, liquids, medication, body metrics, and more. It can be used for various things such as to find out the gluten in bread and even your body fat. This will help users improve their personal wellness, select the best fruits and vegetables, stick to their diets and nutritional needs, and verify product authenticity in ways never before thought possible. Changhong is now working to build a broader eco-system of mobile applications that utilize the SCiO sensor for a wide range of use cases.
In terms of other specs, it sports a 6-inch screen and comes powered by a 2.0GHz eight-core CPU. TheVerge got a hands on with the device, and the report explains, "Tried out a few apps. One was designed to measure the sugar content in fruits. You pick the fruit you want to scan, scan it, and then it tells you if the sugar content is high or low relative to that category. I was pretty skeptical going in, so I was surprised when the sensor correctly pointed me to the sweetest strawberry in a dodgy bunch."