LiDAR Scanner

Compared to everything else about the iPhone 12 Pro, Apple actually had surprisingly little to say about the new LiDAR Scanner, with Apple’s iPhone Product Line Manager, Francesca Sweet, taking the stage for only a few minutes to explain what the sensor is and briefly talk about how it will be used.

Of course, we already know in general terms what the LiDAR Scanner is capable of, as Apple already debuted it in the iPad Pro last spring, although that was focused primarily on augmented reality applications.

As Sweet pointed out, the iPhone 12 Pro will of course gain those capabilities, enabling object and room scanning and precise placement of AR objects. With the iPhone however, Apple is also leveraging the LiDAR scanner to significantly reduce capture time in low-light scenarios by using it to power autofocus.

Apple says this will improve focus time in low light scenes by a factor of 6, letting you capture photos more quickly. It will also power depth mode in low light conditions so that you’ll be able to get even better Night Mode Portrait shots.