Last year, Apple brought LiDAR scanning to its smartphone lineup (after being available on iPad Pro). And this year, that same feature is found across a couple of iPhone 13 models. Since this is still a new (and somewhat unexplored) feature, we’re here to explain how lidar is being used on your iPhone.
From an article in TechNadu by Novak Bozovic.
What Exactly Is LiDAR?
In general, LiDAR is used to build a 3D model of any type of environment. That means that LiDAR helps your iPhone understand its physical surroundings.
It’s important to understand that Apple didn’t invent LiDAR. This technology has been used for a while in airplanes and helicopters, providing topographic and bathymetric measurements, letting government agencies examine natural and man-made environments with great accuracy. Of course, there are many other possible uses of LiDAR as well.
With that said, know that Apple has optimized LiDAR for use in smartphones. For the most part, it’s used in AR (augmented reality) apps that let you interact with virtual objects in your physical environment.
Where Is the iPhone 13 Pro’s LiDAR Scanner Located?
When it comes to the iPhone 13 lineup, you’ll find the LiDAR scanner placed on the backside underneath your iPhone’s three cameras.
More precisely, the LiDAR scanner is the dark circle opposite the flash. And since you can find the LiDAR scanner only on the backside of your iPhone, this feature can only be used with rear-facing cameras.
How to Use LiDAR on Your iPhone 13?
You can’t use LiDAR on its own, as iOS doesn’t provide you with direct access to this feature. That means that you need to use an app that has support for LiDAR scanning, which is often combined with some other feature.
For example, you can utilize LiDAR via the Camera app. If you take a look at your iPhone 13’s camera specs, you’ll see a step forward in comparison to the previous generation. Aside from bigger sensors and other improvements, iOS 15 also enhances how the Camera app uses LiDAR.
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