iPhone 5 has had its time in the spotlight, so now iPhone 6 rumors should start gaining momentum. The latest suggest that Apple’s next smartphone may turn the device into a hygrometer, barometer and thermometer.
The idea of integrating these sensors into a smartphone is anything but new. Last year’s Samsung Galaxy S4 already had pressure and temperature sensors, so all that Apple did was to get inspired by the South Korean company. As a paradox, Apple might sue Samsung at a later point, claiming that they stole the idea from an iPhone launched in the future. Even the iPhone 5S was meant to come with more and better sensors than it was released with, but I guess that in Apple’s case, it’s better late than never.
Sun Chang Xu, news chief analyst at ESM-China, claims that sources close to the matter confirmed that Apple is looking to implement such technologies in its next flagship. In case there is any confusion, I should tell you that the pressure sensor does not refer to blood pressure (which would be really hard, if not impossible to determine using a smartphone), but to atmospheric pressure.
Apple’s great array of sensors makes a lot of sense in the context of iOS 8, which is said to bring support for them. The next mobile operating system developed by the Cupertino company will actually bring the Quantified Self closer to reality. Obviously, that has a greater meaning for the company’s iWatch, which should be able to measure a lot of parameters, including blood pressure, hydration, heart rate, calories burned, glucose levels and so on.
In the great scheme of things, the sensors and features that the iWatch should carry (given that a team of tech medical experts has been co-opted to help develop it) make the iPhone 6’s sensors not that spectacular, yet realistic.
It would be interesting to see whether Apple fans have missed such features in their smartphones, and so, if they could find various applications for these sensors. In time, I’m sure that there will be plenty of apps developed that will make use of the temperature, pressure and humidity sensors integrated in the iPhone 6. Aside from that, we’re looking forward to see what other rumors related to Apple’s flagship will surface in the future.
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