iPhone 12 Again Reported to Come With LiDAR Scanner
LiDAR is set to see "increasing penetration in consumer electronics devices," catalyzed by the upcoming iPhone 12, according to a new report by DigiTimes.
LiDAR, which stands for "light detection and ranging," first appeared in the Apple product lineup in the 2020 iPad Pro. The technology was primarily used in the automotive industry before coming to handheld consumer technology products. LiDAR component manufacturers are reported to be benefiting from the proliferation of the scanning technology.
LiDAR can measure distances by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor. This data can then be used to make accurate 3D representations of an object or environment, and can significantly improve augmented reality experiences.
The report predicts that LiDAR is expected to be increasingly adopted for consumer electronics applications in the coming years, driven by the fact Apple will allegedly "incorporate the technology into some of its new iPhone models." Although the DigiTimes report does not explicitly state that LiDAR will come to the iPhone 12 Pro models specifically, it seems likely that this is the implied meaning of the report's claim that the feature will not come to all new iPhone models.
The scanner has been rumored to feature on the rear of the iPhone 12 Pro for some time. Some leaks have suggested that the LiDAR scanner will only come to the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro, but others have claimed that the feature will come to both the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro models. The less expensive 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models are said to be missing the LiDAR scanner, with the technology being regarded as a "pro" feature.
Last week, screenshots allegedly from an early iPhone 12 Pro production unit showed settings for LiDAR functionality.
Popular Stories
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall.
Design
There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site.
The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out.
That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook.
Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing.
Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1.
Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China.
Our original article follows below.
Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device.
According...
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works.
iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week.
To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media.
According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June."
Gurman made the same comment ...
