Apple took the veil off its iOS-based augmented reality framework ARKit just last month – and the company looks intent on enabling even better AR experiences by giving the iPhone a new 3D laser.
An advanced 3D laser system will be integrated in the phone’s rear camera and allow augmented reality apps to utilize improved depth detection, according to Fast Company. These details and many others have come from “a source with knowledge of the situation”, according to the news site.
The source has reportedly claimed that this VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) system, to use a more technical name, is “probably intended for” this fall’s expected highest-end iPhone. That device has been dubbed the iPhone 8. However, it is thought that the sensor’s debut in an iPhone could slip to 2018 depending on what progress Apple’s engineers make.
This kind of 3D laser system was, in April, predicted for the iPhone 8’s front camera. There, it could allow for facial recognition more secure than that of Samsung’s currently available Galaxy S8; however, at the rear, this system could help make iPhone-based AR experiences even more lifelike.
Fast Company reports that many of the iPhone 8’s VCSEL lasers will be sourced from Lumentum, though other shares will be provided by II-VI and Finisar. ARKit will arrive with iOS 11 this fall and should be compatible with all iPhones and iPads running an A9 or more powerful processor.
