Answer: Phototransistors have several important advantages that separate them from other optical sensors.

For example, phototransistors produce a higher current than photodiodes while also being able to produce a voltage, something that photoresistors cannot do. Phototransistors are very fast and are capable of providing nearly instantaneous output. Phototransistors are relatively inexpensive, simple, and small enough to fit several of them onto a single integrated computer chip.