CCD (Charge-Coupled Device)

A CCD is a type of image sensor used in digital cameras. When speaking of low cost devices, CCD image sensors tend to provide better image quality than comparable CMOS models, though they require more power to utilize. As such, devices such as mobile phones tend to use CMOS sensors. Further refinements of CMOS image sensor technology will likely lead to CCD technology eventually being abandoned as far as cameras are concerned.