Apple has added the next-generation of motion tracking to its iPhone 6. The new device can measure elevation, such as tracking flights of stairs, using an inbuilt barometer. It works by analyzing relative air pressure.
All of this information will appear in the iPhone’s Health app, tracking how often you climb stairs and other related metrics. The chip can also differentiate between running and walking distances, as shown below.
Image via The Verge
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
While barometric pressure readings can be subject to the vagaries of local conditions, accuracy may be an issue for weather-gathering apps. Combined with geo-located map data, however, you will have accurate on-point readings. Only flight requires accurate elevation readings that GPS can’t give — why you calibrate your baramoter at the apron of the departure runway, which has MSL marked on the chart. Using statistical sampling could overcome some data accumulation problems, as well.