iPhone LiDAR Photography: Enhancing Low-Light Shots

April 12, 2024
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Updated February 9, 2026
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3 min read

A hand holding an iPhone displaying a photo of a coffee cup and a table in a café setting.
LiDAR is one of the new camera features on iPhone, which is similar to ToF on Android. How does that work? Because LiDAR is currently exclusive to Apple and can only be found on newer iPhone models or newer iPad models. Therefore, many users will not have the opportunity to use the iPhone pocket lidar officially.

From an article in Electric City Magazine by Clive Nichols.

For iPhone users who will be able to use the LiDAR feature, they must have the iPhone 12 Pro version or higher (and it must only be the Pro version or higher). The only thing that Apple may have missed is explaining how to use it. Apple’s LiDAR technology is very limited. Many users may not yet know how to use LiDAR technology to get the most out of it.

If you are one of the people who do not know how to exploit it to your advantage. We advise you to read this article to find out how you can use it. If you’re ready, let’s follow up.

What is lidar?

LiDAR is different from technologies like RADAR. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging. In short, LiDAR involves firing an invisible laser into your environment. The LiDAR sensor then uses the information from the laser to detect information about the object’s shape and its distance from you.

LiDAR is used in many different industries, including aviation, satellites, and autonomous vehicles, but LiDAR technology entered the smartphone market in 2020 with Apple’s iPhone Pro and iPad, and since then, every iPhone and iPad Pro model, including… iPhone 15 Pro, has a built-in LiDAR sensor.

Unfortunately, no Android phone currently has a built-in LiDAR sensor. However, there are some Android smartphones that use the sensor. Instead, Time of Flight (ToF), which has similar functionality (ToF vs LiDAR 2, what are the differences in camera features?)

Better photos

iPhones have been taking good photos for years, and many people love using iPhones to take photos because they take high-resolution, detailed, and accurate photos. But one thing that smartphones generally struggle with is taking photos in low light.

Fortunately, the iPhone 12 Pro and later Pro models can use LiDAR to detect how far away people or objects are. It then uses this information to make faster and more accurate autofocus adjustments. In fact, Apple claims that iPhones with LiDAR can focus up to six times faster, even in low-light conditions.

Faster autofocus on the iPhone camera means your photos will have more detail and less blur. Even if you don’t have the best lighting.

Make accurate measurements

For the complete article on iPhone pocket lidar CLICK HERE.

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