Real reason why your iPhone has a small black circle next to the camera

It turns out that there is a real reason behind why your iPhone has a small black circle next to its camera on the back of the device.

If you’ve ever looked at your iPhone and wondered why certain details have been included, then it’s highly likely that they’re there for an important reason.

The camera lens is no different - in fact, it’s one of the few visible iPhone features that has remained a constant over the years, surviving each upgrade from model to model.

So, why does the camera have a bigger circle around it?

The latest smartphone model from Apple is expected to drop next month (Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

If you look closely, you’ll see that the black circle is actually located underneath the glass and it’s where the LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor can be found, which has been a fixture in all Pro models for the last five years.

If you closely inspect it, you notice that it sits flush beneath the raised glass surface of the camera module. This black circle is actually where the LiDAR sensor is situated, a physical attribute that has been on all Pro model iPhones since 2020. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging and is a sensor that is primarily used to create 3D models of the world around you.

The iPhone utilizes this to enable some very interesting and unique use cases.

What is LiDAR and how does it work?

LiDAR uses light to create a pulsed laser as a way to measure distances, and is used as a remote sensing method.

According to Apple, its own LiDAR system can measure up to five meters away from the device which can be used to enable a quicker auto focus as well as improve the performance of the camera in low lighting.

It’s one of the few visible iPhone features that has remained a constant over the years (John Keeble/Getty Images)

It can also be used on various apps that are compatible with the LiDAR including things like the Measure app, which gives you the measurements of nearby objects, and the Polycam app, which allows you to create 3D models of objects.

Other useful programs that enable the LiDAR in order to function various tasks include things like Blender and the Clips app, which generates 3D effects in real time.

The latest smartphone model from the tech giant is expected to drop next month and will likely include the now-iconic black circles around the camera lens.

Now though, it’s no longer a mystery as to why they are so important to the device.