iPhone 15 Pro is getting an upgrade for the LiDAR sensor

(Image credit: Jonas Daehnert)

It looks like the iPhone 15 Pro could be getting an upgrade in the camera department — but not the part you might have been thinking.

One of the components that sets the pro iPhone apart from its lower-end counterpart is the camera system. Not only do the pro iPhones include a zoom and macro lens but also a LiDAR sensor that helps the phone with not only augmented reality, but more precise photography and videography.

Apple has seemingly used the same LiDAR sensor since it was brought to the pro iPhones with the iPhone 12 Pro, but that could be about to change. According to supply chain analyst Ming Chi Kuo, Apple is moving away from Lumentum and Win Semi, it's current partners for the sensor, to Sony for supply of the LiDAR sensor for all iPhone 15 Pro production.

(1/7)Sony will replace Lumentum (design) / Win Semi (production) as the exclusive ToF VCSEL supplier for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Lumentum/Win Semi will face long-term structural risks in the VCSEL market.February 24, 2023

According to Kuo, "the critical design of Sony's ToF VCSEL solution is integrating VCSEL & driver IC, which can reduce power consumption or provide better ToF performance under same power consumption." This means that Sony's sensor could result in better battery life as well as performance for the camera and augmented reality.

The iPhone 15 Pro is only 7 months away

The iPhone 15 lineup is expected to bring the Dynamic Island to the regular models and add USB-C to the iPhone for the first time (which appears to be confirmed if the most recent CAD models are real).

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are rumored to feature a titanium frame and the usual round of camera upgrades, something also indicated by some larger bumps that are expected due to some recent CAD render leaks. The pro iPhones are expected to be powered by the anticipated A17 processor and a new design language that is a slight departure from the rigid corners of the current generation.

We're only months away from Apple's yearly September event but, before that, we have WWDC 23 coming in June!

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.