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ooh fancy

This concept puts LiDAR into an iPhone for the first time and it looks...ok

It takes the bump on iPhone 11 Pro and adds another lens to the mix.
Oliver Haslam

iPhone 12 Pro Concept SvetappleSource: svetapple.sk

What you need to know

  • Apple's refreshed iPad Pro had a LiDAR Scanner built in.
  • It's likely iPhone 12 Pro will get one, too.
  • This concept shows us what that might look like.

Rumors of a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor coming to a 2020 iPhone have been more than prevalent so when Apple added a LiDAR Scanner to the refreshed iPad Pro it pretty much telegraphed the fact that it's going to do the same with iPhone this year. And now we have a concept showing us what that might look like.

This concept comes courtesy of svetapple.sk and was spotted by Cult of Mac. Not only does it show us an iPhone 12 Pro concept, but it also gives us a glimpse of the rumored Navy Blue model as well.

Apple says that the LiDAR Scanner used in iPad Pro will allow it to take accurate and detailed 3D scans of a location, something that will be a big deal to developers who want to create immersive augmented reality experiences. What we've seen so far looks promising, and this is just the start.

For now, this concept is the closest thing we've got to iPhone 12 Pro, and it doesn't have too many surprises. With Apple's square camera bump the obvious place for a LiDAR scanner is in one corner of it with the LED flash moving to the center. It does make for a more balanced aesthetic, but I'm sure some people will still find a reason to complain!

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iPhone 12 Pro Lidar ConceptSource: svetapple.sk

If Apple follows its usual release cadence we can expect iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro to be announced in September time, although it's possible the current coronavirus pandemic situation could push that back. Time will most certainly tell on that front.