“Hi, Speed” - iPhone 12 with LiDAR and 5G on board
Another event organized remotely by Apple this year is behind us. The title “Hi, speed” could suggest a lot. The Cupertino company started with the presentation of the new, smart HomePod Mini speaker. There is no doubt, however, that the star of the night was the latest iPhone 12. The evolution of the world’s most popular smartphone has brought not only a refreshed design but also new technological solutions.
Camera set enriched with LiDAR
As was the case in April, with the launch of the iPad, the iPhone in the Pro version also gained a digital LiDAR. The new sensor extends the capabilities of the iPad with spatial vision, providing a precise map of the depth of the surrounding space. This move is great news for the future of ARKit based augmented reality. Thanks to the LiDAR sensor, AR experiences operate at an unprecedented speed, detecting surfaces in the blink of an eye. The sensor in combination with the latest version of iOS 14 also introduces a high-quality occlusion.
When introducing new technologies, apart from blinking an eye to developers, Apple also has the habit of using them practically in the product itself. It is no different in the case of LiDAR. Its presence has been used to significantly improve auto-focus for photos taken in low light conditions. The solution will certainly prove sensational, and combined with the new ProRAW recording format, it will allow Apple to effectively compete with manufacturers of popular amateur and semi-professional cameras.
iPhone 12 with Sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G
Another significant improvement of the Apple smartphone is support for 5G technology. Huge bandwidth combined with very low latency is very important in the context of the further development of augmented reality. Good-quality experiences are characterized by sensational, often photorealistic graphics. However, this quality requires elaborate 3D models with high-resolution textures. These resources are often loaded dynamically. A slow or unstable internet connection can completely kill the positive user experience.
It is eqully important be able to interact with many users at the same time. At the current stage of the market, this problem is particularly visible in gaming. However, there is an increasing number of business applications in which the smooth interaction between team members will directly translate into their productivity, and thus the company’s profit.
HomePod Mini with UWB on board
As we mentioned in the introduction, the whole event began with the presentation of the Mini version of the HomePod. The device itself enriches the smart home solution developed by Apple in an interesting way. However, it may also be important from the perspective of the ARKit-based platform. The company from Cupertino has introduced the U1 chip to its loudspeaker, offering Ultra-wideband radio technology. It is a technology characterized by spatial localization possibilities with a positioning accuracy of several centimeters.
Having several HomePod speakers in your home or office will allow Apple to build a hardware infrastructure that will allow you to locate both the users of AR experiences (e.g. those invisible in the camera) as well as devices or objects that can actively participate in such experiences.
Summary
New solutions such as LiDAR or 5G introduced to the latest devices under the sign of a bitten apple give great hopes for the quick arrival of the next technological revolution, where we will be able to abandon small and limited screens in favor of augmented and virtual reality.
