[imdoor]

> Fixing the hardware, which is to say surgically removing the two or three tiny microphones hidden inside, is only the first step of an arduous process, and yet even after days of these DIY security improvements, my smartphone will remain the most dangerous item I possess.

What's the purpose of these microphones? Do they pose more threat than the standard non-hidden microphone?

[z77dj3kl]

I think he's referring to the standard, non-hidden microphones.

[olabyne]

These are the "standard microphones" of any modern smartphone. One microphone at the bottom, for calls, and 1 or 2 at the top, for stereo sound while recording videos and noise cancelling while doing call

[aaronmdjones]

I believe he's referring to the various MEMS sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, etc) which can be repurposed into microphones (much like harddrives).