No moving/mechanical parts. The term electronic implies that analog and/or digital circuits are used to provide a solution. Electricity (electrons) activates semiconductor elements that change their state, but all the movement is at atomic levels. Electronic systems imply decision making, which can be embodied in a simple circuit or an entire CPU that executes instructions. See
intelligence and
electronics.
Electronic vs. Electromechanical
Computers, smartphones and tablets are examples of electronic devices, whereas keyboards and mice are electromechanical because they have moving parts (keys, buttons, scroll wheels).
Electronic vs. Electrical
Electronic devices contain chips that use low voltage DC current. However, there are countless devices that use chips for control but draw electricity from DC batteries or AC wall outlets to directly run motors or generate light and heat. Increasingly, there are fewer electrical products made without at least one semiconductor component. See
chip and
semiconductor.
From the Electron Tube
Although coined earlier, "Electronics" magazine popularized the term in the 1930s. The subhead was "Electron Tubes - Their Radio, Audio, Visio and Industrial Applications." See
vacuum tube,
hardware circuit,
electron and
electromechanical.