New iPhone Might Have a Built-In Barometer

Apple has already stepped into the health and fitness tracking market with its Health app for iOS. Now, the company could be upping the ante with its upcoming iPhone.

New code spotted by developers who spoke with 9to5Mac indicates the iPhone 6 could have a barometer built in.

An integrated barometer would track altitude and air pressure and could infer temperature readings, too.

Existing apps already perform many of these tasks, but they use the iPhone’s GPS and motionchips to do so. A piece of dedicated measurement hardware is likely to provide better performance.

With the recent release of Apple’s HealthKit tracking software, new sensors for tracking outdoor exploits like hiking and skiing would fit right (the new focus has been reinforced by recent ads).

The rumored iPhone 6 could launch as early as September, if Apple keeps to its track record of release dates.

 

Author: Stan Schroeder
Source: Mashable