A report today says Apple may include a barometric pressure sensor to their upcoming iPhone 6 handset. A barometer is used to measure atmospheric pressure, which can be used to indicate current and future weather patterns, as well as altitude data.
The information regarding the next-generation iPhone likely including this sensor comes via Xcode 6 and iOS 8, the latest iPhone software development kit and operating system. The software includes updated CoreMotion APIs that clearly reference the new altitude measuring capabilities
New APIs in iOS 8 reference altitude data. One called “isRelativeAltitudeAvailable” lets apps know if a device “supports reporting relative altitude changes”. On an iPhone 5s, “isRelativeAltitudeAvailable” returns a “no.”
An earlier rumor indicated that the iPhone 6 might feature temperature and pressure sensors, and that the device could include a new humidity sensor. Those new sensors would likely be included as part of the iPhone 6′s M8 motion co-processor.
