A device and method to detect a gesture made by an object in touch-less communication with the device are described. The device includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors configured to measure light intensity at the respective surface location. The device also includes a processor configured to detect the gesture based on a comparison of the light intensity measured at each of the respective surface locations at two or more time instants or measurement cycles.