ALBAWABA - Many iPhone users are unaware of the functions of the mysterious black circle next to the camera on the back of the latest iPhone models. The circle is only present on the latest iPhone Pro models and some iPad Pro models.
According to the British newspaper "Daily Mail," this circle is, in fact, a LiDAR scanner, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging. Simply put, it's a depth sensor that uses laser beams to measure the distance to objects.
LiDAR technology has been used to discover lost cities in the Amazon region through "digital deforestation" and finding ruins beneath it. It is also used in self-driving cars. However, in iPhones, it is utilized to enable advanced photography and augmented reality applications that "sense" the distance of objects. It can even automatically measure someone's height, for example.
Apple states, "The LiDAR scanner measures distances to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away, works indoors and outdoors, and operates at the photon level at nanosecond speeds. It enables applications like the company's measurement app to measure lengths, widths, and areas with extreme precision, even measuring a person's height using the LiDAR sensor."
Apple adds, "The LiDAR scanner enhances the measurement app, making calculating someone's height automatically faster and easier, while useful vertical and edge guides automatically appear to allow users to measure things more quickly and accurately."
This technology also helps the camera in Pro models capture better photos, especially in low-light conditions, and enables faster autofocus.
Furthermore, this technology allows for augmented reality applications where virtual objects interact with the real world.
