Apple iPhone 6 Expected To Have Air Pressure Sensors

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Most people who follow iPhone 6 news regularly have pretty much taken it as fact that the smartphone will have a bigger display—probably 4.7 inches in size, to be exact. Many have even gone so far to say that it’s probably a fact that there will also be a 5.5-inch iPhone 6. The rest of the features that have been supposedly leaked are pretty standard. Now for something completely different. Well, not really, as this is basically a reboot of a rumor we’ve heard before, only with some actual proof this time.

iPhone 6 with sensors for outdoor enthusiasts

Many Android devices already have a barometer. It’s used to measure altitude, air pressure, and other weather-related information. This sensor could make the iPhone 6 more for hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts because it will keep them up to date on changing weather conditions.

9to5 Mac noted (thanks to FutureTap) what looks like support for a barometer in iOS 8 and through Xcode 6. Included in the newest version of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s mobile operating system is a development kit that includes newer CoreMotion APIs. They make a reference to being able to measure altitude.

Other apps already make it possible for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) users to keep track of altitude, although those apps must be downloaded from the App Store. Those apps use the motion and GPS chips that are actually inside the phone. The new framework that’s inside iOS 8, however, will provide more accurate information to users faster because it is a special chip that’s dedicated to actually tracking barometric pressure.

iPhone 5S doesn’t support barometer readings

Developer Ortwin Gentz of FutureTap apparently tested this framework on the iPhone 5S and found that it does not support barometric pressure readings using it. This would suggest that the new framework that’s inside iOS 8 will be specifically for the iPhone 6 and other future devices from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). Perhaps the rumored iWatch will also have this capability.

Hamza Sood also helped 9to5 Mac find more references to tracking ambient air pressure buried in iOS 8. These capabilities will make the iPhone 6’s weather tracking abilities even better. 9to5 Mac suggests that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is building a new ecosystem designed for outdoor enthusiasts or possibly a crowd-sourced weather system.

Of course this isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors that the iPhone 6 will feature weather-related sensor. In March, we also heard that the smartphone will feature pressure and humidity sensors.

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