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iPhone 6 barometer = High density cloud-based weather monitoring

zorinlynx

zorinlynx

macrumors G3
Original poster
May 31, 2007
8,168
17,687
Florida, USA
There's a rumor the iPhone 6 may come with a barometer.

This may end up being HUGE for the weather forecasting industry. We're suddenly going to have a fleet of millions of devices containing both GPS and a barometer. Combined with an appropriate app, it will be possible to get precise readings and trends of atmospheric pressure across wide areas.

Who knows, maybe that scene in Back to the Future part 2 where the weather service perfectly predicts the end of a rain shower will become a reality.

Thoughts? :)
 
Z

zone23

macrumors 68000
May 10, 2012
1,986
793
If that was the case then they would already have it, its not new to the android world just the iPhone.
 
jlake02

jlake02

macrumors 68020
Nov 2, 2008
2,259
1
L.A.
I can see how it would be great for forecasting but personally I'm betting it'll be on the "How to Save Battery Life" list and I'll be disabling the weather reporting feature immediately.


:apple:
 
simon48

simon48

macrumors 65816
Sep 1, 2010
1,315
88
zone23 said:
If that was the case then they would already have it, its not new to the android world just the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Ah, I don't know about that. It's not unusual for Apple to take something that already exists and make it a million times better and popular.
 
C

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
Android devices have included barometers for years. Galaxy S3? I know the Motorola Xoom had one. So yeah.

They aren't good for weather predictions at all in a mobile device. And when I say "at all" I mean they are literally useless. Pressure needs to be monitored from specific known locations and trends need to be watched for accuracy.

You carrying a barometer from outside to inside or from your first floor to your second floor of your house will throw any measurements WAY off. Stores and businesses are generally pressurized to a point which is generally unnoticeable to you (sometimes walking into a store you'll feel a draft blowing out) but will spike out a barometer. Even inside a vehicle with the heat or air on will be incredibly inaccurate from atmospheric pressures.

It's generally used for faster GPS locks.
 
Newtons Apple

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,253
Jacksonville, Florida
zorinlynx said:
There's a rumor the iPhone 6 may come with a barometer.

This may end up being HUGE for the weather forecasting industry. We're suddenly going to have a fleet of millions of devices containing both GPS and a barometer. Combined with an appropriate app, it will be possible to get precise readings and trends of atmospheric pressure across wide areas.

Who knows, maybe that scene in Back to the Future part 2 where the weather service perfectly predicts the end of a rain shower will become a reality.

Thoughts? :)
Click to expand...

I am not anxious to provide any information and would turn this off in a second.
 
gibbz

gibbz

macrumors 68030
May 31, 2007
2,701
100
Norman, OK
cynics beat me to it - this sensor will be more relevant to determining altitude than for forecasting.
 
zorinlynx

zorinlynx

macrumors G3
Original poster
May 31, 2007
8,168
17,687
Florida, USA
simon48 said:
Ah, I don't know about that. It's not unusual for Apple to take something that already exists and make it a million times better and popular.
Click to expand...

True that. I'd not even heard there's other phones out there with barometers in them. Why? Probably because nobody's used them for anything.

Apple probably will.
 
Z

zone23

macrumors 68000
May 10, 2012
1,986
793
At one time it was thought that maybe Google maps would use it so a map of a floor plan would know what level you were on. So say your in a building Google maps would know you were on the 3rd floor for example. Then show you the layout for that floor.
 
Lloydbm41

Lloydbm41

Suspended
Oct 17, 2013
4,019
1,456
Central California
cynics said:
Android devices have included barometers for years. Galaxy S3? I know the Motorola Xoom had one. So yeah.

They aren't good for weather predictions at all in a mobile device. And when I say "at all" I mean they are literally useless. Pressure needs to be monitored from specific known locations and trends need to be watched for accuracy.

You carrying a barometer from outside to inside or from your first floor to your second floor of your house will throw any measurements WAY off. Stores and businesses are generally pressurized to a point which is generally unnoticeable to you (sometimes walking into a store you'll feel a draft blowing out) but will spike out a barometer. Even inside a vehicle with the heat or air on will be incredibly inaccurate from atmospheric pressures.

It's generally used for faster GPS locks.
Click to expand...

Faster GPS coordinates AND elevation data. X, Y and Z axis for multi floor car structures and/or accurate mapping data.

----------
zone23 said:
At one time it was thought that maybe Google maps would use it so a map of a floor plan would know what level you were on. So say your in a building Google maps would know you were on the 3rd floor for example. Then show you the layout for that floor.
Click to expand...

Problem is, the floor layout still has to be mapped first. I don't know of too many indoor mapped areas yet.
 
M

Mildredop

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2013
2,478
1,510
zorinlynx said:
There's a rumor the iPhone 6 may come with a barometer.

This may end up being HUGE for the weather forecasting industry. We're suddenly going to have a fleet of millions of devices containing both GPS and a barometer. Combined with an appropriate app, it will be possible to get precise readings and trends of atmospheric pressure across wide areas.

Who knows, maybe that scene in Back to the Future part 2 where the weather service perfectly predicts the end of a rain shower will become a reality.

Thoughts? :)
Click to expand...

Surely it would mainly read the air in millions of air-conditioned offices, stuffy houses and sweaty back pockets.
 
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