The iPhone 12 Pro LiDAR camera finally has a use case – TikTok filters

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The first augmented reality filter using Apple’s LiDAR sensors was just added to TikTok. It uses the new sensor on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro to create virtual confetti that can realistically settle on people or objects in the room.

While we would have loved to see this before the New Year celebrations, it really is an impressive demo of what the LiDAR TrueDepth cameras from Apple can do. TikTok promises “more innovative effects in 2021,” so expect more reality augmenting tools from the app.

Does this mean that TikTok thinks that LiDAR will become a standard addition to smart devices in the future? Perhaps, after all, it does seem to be popping up everywhere, from self-driving cars to Apple’s upcoming AR glasses.

With so much of TikTok’s success hinging on innovative additions to the app, it makes sense to leverage the impressive tech that Apple wants to put in everything, considering that Apple has 13.5-percent of the global smartphone market and 40-percent of the US market.

Other major players have also been eyeing Apple’s LiDAR technology. Snapchat integrated support for LiDAR into its creator studio back in October, so anyone who wanted to could create enhanced AR filters using Apple’s tech.

TikTok’s enhanced filter might not have arrived in time for 2021, but at least we’ve got AR confetti for next year, right? Maybe by then, the pandemic will be over, and we can celebrate in person. Still, there is one big bonus to virtual confetti – no cleanup!

Have any thoughts on this? Plan on trying this filter on TikTok? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.