iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro to Sport 3D Time of Flight Depth Sensor, iOS 14 Code Suggests

The upcoming iPhone models are reported to offer enhanced camera performance, and uplift the augmented reality (AR) experiences.

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 18 March 2020 10:56 IST

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro to Sport 3D Time of Flight Depth Sensor, iOS 14 Code Suggests

iPhone 12 line-up launch may get delayed this year

Highlights

A ToF sensor uses infrared projector to capture 3D images
The sensor offers better depth information, will enable better AR
iPhone 12 Pro Max is reported to sport quad cameras at the back

The upcoming iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro phones will reportedly come with Time of Flight (ToF) sensors for more accurate depth sensing. Mentions of a 3D sensor have been spotted in the code of iOS 14, and past reports have also noted the inclusion of a ‘world-facing' 3D sensor. If these rumours are indeed true, the upcoming iPhone models will offer enhanced camera performance, and uplift the augmented reality (AR) experiences. The iPhone 12 Pro Max is also reported to come with a quad camera setup at the back.

9to5Mac spotted references of the ToF sensor inside iOS 14 code. The new 2020 iPhones are possibly codenamed ‘d5x', as the iPhone 11 series was codenamed ‘d4x'. The code suggests that only two models will come with a ToF sensor integrated, stirring up speculation that it has to be on the most premium variants – the rumoured iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The reported quad camera setup on the iPhone 12 Pro Max will most likely include a ToF 3D sensor, a wide-angle sensor, a telephoto lens, and an ultra-wide angle sensor. The company is also reported to be working on an AR app for iOS 14, and this sensor will help gauge better information.

This ToF sensor comes with an infrared projector to capture point clouds in the environment and generate 3D models, and essentially bring in more accurate depth information. A recent report also suggests that the iPhone 12 line-up will sport a 64-megapixel main camera, a big jump from the 12-megapixel sensors found on the iPhone 11 series. There's also rumoured to be a large 4,440mAh battery this time around. On the other hand, people might have to wait longer than expected for these phones — there are reports of a delayed launch in the fall, because Apple engineers are restricted from travelling to Asia due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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