Skip to main content

Apple working on depth-sensing technology that could show up in a future iPhone

Depth-mapping appears to be one of the next major points of development for technology like virtual reality and immersion, and it looks like Apple won’t be left behind. The company has been awarded a patent for a so-called “scanning depth engine,” which includes the use of a transmitter that emits beams of light and a scanner that scans those beams to determine depth.

The patent is a continuation of a few different patents that date back to 2012, so it’s clear that Apple has been thinking about technology like this for a while. While the technology looks to be something that could be built into a Mac based on the images, it’s also easy to imagine it showing up in an iPhone — where it could potentially be much more useful.

Recommended Videos

Depth maps could prove helpful in a number of situations. Not only could they make for more immersive images on a phone, but they could also help in capturing virtual reality content, as well as immersive gaming. Along with the transmitter and scanner, the technology also uses a processor that helps generate the depth map using the information received.

Apple isn’t the only company working on depth maps. Qualcomm has a Spectra camera module that can capture a massive 10,000 points of depth and was included on the new Snapdragon 845 processor. Facebook is also working with Red to build a super high-end 360-degree camera that will support things like depth-sensing and six degrees of freedom. Rumors have also been gaining steam that Apple plans to launch new augmented reality devices, or at least include more augmented reality tech in future iterations of the iPhone, so the ability to sense depth could prove invaluable to the company.

Of course, it’s also possible that Apple won’t end up using the new tech at all. Large tech companies like Apple routinely file for patents that they ultimately don’t use, and it’s possible that this particular depth-sensing technology could fall into that category. Apple, however, has already been experimenting with depth-sensing tech in Face ID on the iPhone X, and we can expect that experimentation to continue.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Apple could split iPhone 18 series launch to put the spotlight on its foldable
An iPhone 16 Pro Max showing the Rolex Land Dweller.

The year 2026 is shaping up to be a big one for the future of iPhone. Apple is expected to give a much-needed makeover to the Siri assistant with enhanced AI chops next year. The foldable iPhone also looks primed for a 2026 launch. But it seems the packed schedule will also require some launch timeline adjustments. 

Apple typically launches its entire mainline iPhone slate in the Fall season, usually around September. Next year, as the line-up gets more crowded with the iPhone 18 series, the company will reportedly shift the expected entry-level smartphones to 2027, as per The Information.

Read more
This new iPhone change could actually save you money, in lots of places
Apple Pay Later

A new change on iPhone could mean that savings are made, which can be handed back to the people actually using the devices.

Stripe, the payment processing body, has shared new documents which help developers accept out-of-app payments on iPhone and iPad.

Read more
Apple could finally fix Siri on iPhones with help from Google’s Gemini
Gemini Live on an iPhone.

“Find me a decent coffee shop where I can sit and get work done?” I uttered into my iPhone’s mic. 

“I’ll need to use ChatGPT to write that.” That was Siri’s response in my interaction with Apple’s voice assistant just over a week ago. Google’s Gemini assistant helped me the way I expected it to. 

Read more