Apple is getting ready to launch four new iPhones for 2021, including the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. While some features will be the same across all four phones, it’s now being reported that one of the most interesting — LiDAR — will be exclusive to the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.
Rumors for the iPhone 13 series have been in full force for months. As such, there’s already a good idea of what to anticipate from the upcoming handsets. Apple is expected to use similar designs to that of the iPhone 12 lineup, introduce a faster A15 Bionic processor, and offer the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s Sensor-shift image stabilization across all four iPhone 13 models. The Pro variants will also get a few more exciting upgrades, such as additional cameras and 120Hz display refresh rates.
Leading up to the iPhone 13’s release this fall, it’s been believed that LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors would be present on every model — a feature that was only found on the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max last year. Unfortunately, it looks like that’s no longer the case. Apple leaker @DylanDKT broke the news over the weekend, saying, “LiDAR will only be coming to the Pro iPhone models. Earlier this year it seemed Apple wanted to release all iPhone 13/12S models with LiDAR but due to one reason or another, it won’t be happening this year.” @DylanDKT may not be the most recognizable Apple leaker, but as 9to5Mac points out, they’ve been accurate with other Apple reports in the past.
Why LiDAR Would Have Been A Great iPhone 13 Feature
LiDAR is a relatively unused technology for smartphones in 2021, but as seen last year with the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, the potential for the feature is enormous. By sending out small lasers and measuring how long it takes to reach a surface and return to the iPhone, LiDAR allows for vastly improved augmented reality (AR) applications. This includes more precise measurements with Apple’s Measures app, improved AR filters in TikTok, and the ability to see virtual furniture pieces via the Wayfair app with unmatched accuracy. LiDAR is also a helpful photography tool, with it enabling low-light portraits and 6x faster autofocus on the iPhone 12 Pro/Pro Max.
While it’s great to hear that LiDAR is returning to the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max this year, the fact that it’ll be missing from the regular iPhone 13 and 13 mini is a bummer. LiDAR is a fascinating technology that many people haven’t had the chance to use yet, and if it was present on every iPhone 13 model, that would make it much more accessible than it’s ever been. By limiting it to the Pro variants again, that means a lot of iPhone users will be missing out for another year. LiDAR is bound to become more commonplace across Apple products in the coming years, but at least for the iPhone, it seems that Apple isn’t ready to go mainstream with it just yet.
