Apple will improve the LiDAR scanner of its smartphones

February 25, 2023 Joe Kenehan

Good news for Apple fans, the American giant should equip its next iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max with an improved LiDAR sensor, signed Sony. It should be more efficient, but above all more energy efficient.

One of the elements that distinguishes the iPhone “Pro” from the others is the photo configuration. Not only do the iPhone Pros have a third telephoto sensor, which should also be replaced by a periscope in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but there is also a LiDAR sensor. The LiDAR scanner was first introduced with the 2020 iPad Pro, then added to the iPhone 12 Pro.

The latter helps other sensors to capture more accurate shots and videos, especially in low light, but also allows users to have access to some special features for augmented reality. This technology uses a time-of-flight sensor to emit lasers and calculate the distance between the device and objects. They are even able to precisely measure people’s height, simply by pointing the smartphone at them.

The new LiDAR sensor will be signed Sony

According to information from the famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to replace the LiDAR sensor of the iPhone 15 Pro with a more powerful model. The American giant would supply this time from Sony, and would use its VCSEL sensor.

The latter would have the advantage of being much more energy efficient than the one currently used by Apple. This could therefore contribute to improving the autonomy of its high-end smartphones.

In addition to being more economical, this new LiDAR scanner could offer better performance at the same level of power consumption as on existing iPhones. ” the critical design of Sony’s ToF VCSEL solution is the integration of VCSEL and driver circuit, which can reduce power consumption or provide better ToF performance with the same power consumption Kuo announces in a tweet.

Kuo said the improved LiDAR scanner could benefit camera functions, such as Night mode and autofocus, as well as augmented reality. In the meantime, we remind you that we already know what the iPhone 15 Pro will look like.