use of the lidar sensor in iPhone Pro model

J Mosen did podcast on it. livingblindfully.

the Lidar is more of a tech gimmic then anything. There aren't many apps out that use it I would save yourself money and go with the 16 E again Keep in mind I had a 15 pro max.

I agree with Dennis. I had the 13 Pro before, pretty sure it had that sensor. I have the regular 16 now, and have noticed no difference. Can't think of one single time when I actually used it.

I have a 15 Pro. While I'm not planning to do what Dennis has done, since my phone is working fine, if I were buying today, I would definitely go with the 16e.

I use it, although not every day. This sensor is useful in buildings whose layout I am familiar with but where there is a risk of colliding with other people or obstacles. For example, when walking through a hotel or an office building, I know how to get to a specific place, so I don’t need a cane. However, I still want to receive information about open doors, a cleaning cart, or other pedestrians so I can avoid these obstacles.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that the Pro models feature not only LiDAR but also a much more accurate GPS.

You'll need a specialised app to use it at all, it can work if like said previously you're confident of a flat floor, but I'm not comfortable walking around with my phone in hand just in case someone decides to steal it. On the other hand I have an air tag in a holder hanging off the inside of my front door and that is incredibly useful, if you know other people with iphones that have the ultrawideband chip you can also use your phone to go from in the same general area to within normal conversation distance but I haven't tried this,.

Give it about a year or two. Realistically, the smart glasses that are coming out will resolve a lot of issues for the blind. I believe even the echo vision glasses are going to have Lidar. The Google glasses and the next generation Meta glasses will probably use it in some form. Although smart phones aren’t going anywhere, a lot of what we are going to be able to do will be on something that’s going to be pretty much on our face all the time. So, I say wait through 2025 into 2026 and see what comes out. I think you’ll be happy with the results. Even Apple is going to have smart classes sometime in 2027 or so

Works well for VI and others. With time more things will be posible. After all the military use it.

If I were buying today, I'd get the regular iPhone 16 (I have the 15 Pro Max now). The features are mostly gimmicks and barely work as it is, so unless you know you need them (or other Pro features), then I shouldn't bother. JMO, of course, but the only feature I'd actively miss—and then, honestly, not realistically by much—is the 10 GBPS data transfer of the USB-C port. I do think it stupidly stingy of Apple to restrict that to a "Pro" phone; 480 MBPS is just embarrassing, sorry. There is no defence for it. Otherwise fine, especially with Wi-Fi 7 now available to soften the blow.

I had an iphone 13 pro, but when the ultramarine iphone 16 became available, I prioritized the pretty color over lidar. No regrets! Apart from a couple of apps I never actually used no longer working, I've noticed absolutely no difference, and honestly, having a physical camera button is far more beneficial to me than lidar ever was. I'm very happy with my new phone, and intend to keep it until it's no longer supported or there's a technology boost significant enough to warrant upgrading again.

I've been using the iPhone 13 Pro for several years, which comes with a LiDAR sensor. As for whether this hardware is useful, it does have some utility. Let me break it down for you. First, the iPhone's built-in Magnifier app has a few features that utilize the LiDAR sensor. One is "Point and Speak," where the iPhone reads out the text under your finger when you point at it. But honestly, as someone who is completely blind, I find it hard to use as a reference, so this feature feels more like a gimmick. Another feature is "Door Detection" and "People Detection," which I find relatively more useful, especially Door Detection. Sometimes, after getting out of a ride-hailing car near an indoor location, scanning the area with this feature can be somewhat helpful—though it's not revolutionary, since I could manage without it before. There's also "Furniture Detection," which identifies tables, chairs, and people near your iPhone's camera. The practical use cases for this are limited. Some say it can help detect empty tables in restaurants, but pointing your camera at people to scan feels a bit impolite, so I rarely use it that way.
Another category is third-party apps, which often claim to help blind people avoid obstacles. I think these apps are great, but you need to manage your expectations—they can't replace a white cane. As for their effectiveness, it depends on your personal situation. Take me, for example: I was born with visual impairment and learned to use a white cane in school. So when I step out of my house with my cane and my iPhone tells me there's an obstacle 5 meters ahead, it feels odd because I don’t need such an early warning, especially since the obstacle might be moving. However, a friend of mine who lost his sight as an adult told me he loves this feature. If he’s alerted a few meters in advance about a potential obstacle, he feels less anxious while walking and can plan a detour. So, these are two different perspectives—see which one resonates with you.
In summary, if your budget allows or you can get a heavily discounted iPhone, buying a Pro model isn’t a bad idea. After all, even if just one feature of the LiDAR sensor helps you, it’s genuine assistance. But if your budget is tight and you’re only worried that skipping the Pro models might compromise your experience, I’d say don’t overthink it—the iPhone 16E or 16 Plus are excellent choices. I hope my explanation gives you some useful insights.

I don't doubt someone's going to try putting lidar on some mainstream smartglasses but I don't see the mainstream market caring, sighted people can already judge how far away things are with their eyes. It may not be as accurate but it's going to be a very rare and niche situation where they would want that accuracy. The military use it sure but that's because they need precise ranges to account for bullet drop, giving accurate positions to call in artillery or airstrikes and that kind of thing. Noone else, apart from us, needs to know the car in front of you is 9.4 feet away.