Barometer sensor in the iPhone 6 could be helpful for hikers, mountain climbers and bike riders, who need accurate details about their current altitude. Photo: Apple
Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) upcoming smartphone iteration, presumably dubbed the “iPhone 6,” is expected to be a major upgrade from the current model not only by virtue of a larger display, but also because of new sensors that will allow the phone to spit out atmospheric measurements.
The iPhone 6, which is expected to be released sometime in mid-September, could feature a barometer and other sensors that will help the phone measure altitude and atmospheric pressure, and provide accurate weather-related information, 9to5Mac reported, adding that the iPhone 6 could be handy for outdoor enthusiasts.
A barometer sensor, which is already present in Android devices such as the Galaxy Nexus, can also use air pressure data to measure other weather-related information like temperature and humidity, according to the 9to5Mac report, which was based on FutureTap developer Ortwin Gentz’s findings of a framework related to “altitude tracking” inside a version of Xcode 6, the latest iPhone software development kit, for iOS 8.