An apparatus and method for a framework exposing an API (application programming interface) to web-based server applications on the internet or in the cloud is presented. The API allows server applications to retrieve sensor data from a mobile device via a low-power sensor core processor on a mobile device. This API eliminates effort and cost associated with developing and promoting a new mobile device client application. The API framework includes APIs that web-based application may use to fetch sensor data from one or more particular sensors on the mobile device.