October 15, 2020

Stockpile Reports and the iPhone 12: What It Means For You

Author: Stockpile Reports

The next new iPhone 12 is just around the corner and we’re excited. It’s a massive upgrade over its predecessors in the camera department – especially the Pro and Pro Max variants. As SR’s iPhone app relies heavily on the camera for data capture and image processing, a large upgrade to the hardware automatically translates into a major improvement in our service.

If you’re planning to purchase an iPhone 12 in the future, you’ll find it to be more accessible, streamlined, and simply better than before.

What's New with the iPhone 12?

Here are 6 major improvements in the iPhone 12 you should note:

1. Better camera: While the iPhone 12 comes with the same 12-megapixel sensor as its predecessors, it has a new seven-element f/1.6 lens for the primary camera. This is a significant aperture increase over the iPhone 11’s six-element f/1.8 lens.
2. Improved performance in night mode: The aperture increase allows the iPhone 12 to work better in low-light conditions. The lens’s sensitivity has been bumped up by a rather considerable 27%. Shutter speeds are faster and the ISO effect is less grainy. All in all, you can expect photos to have sharp detail from corner to corner in low-light conditions.
3. Smart HDR3: Smart HD3 is Apple’s upgraded image processing technology for the iPhone 12. It uses machine learning to make adjustments to the various aspects of the photo to make it clearer, with more accurate, even tones between the contrasting elements.
4. 5G: The iPhone 12 will support 5th generation (5G) cellular networking technology, which is 100 times faster than the previous 4G connectivity. In ideal conditions, 5G will allow the iPhone to upload an impressive 100-200 megabits of data per second. Verizon is rolling out 5G nationwide.
5. A14 Bionic Processor: The iPhone 12’s newest processor is the first 5nm chip in a smartphone. The smaller transistor size means the phone will be 50% faster than any other smartphone on the market all while being more energy-efficient than any processer in the past.

If you choose the iPhone 12 Pro or 12 Pro Max, you get an additional LiDAR sensor.

6. LiDAR: The LiDAR sensor is a “time-of-flight”, laser-based system to calculate the distance to an object. Essentially, Apple’s LiDAR is going to allow 6x faster autofocus in low-light conditions as well as enable instant Augmented Reality (AR) additions. This LiDAR sensor allows SR to take our measurements to the next level by making them

Special Mention – iPhone 12 Pro Max-Only Improvements

The iPhone 12 Pro comes with the same 12MP primary sensor as the other iPhone 12 (and 11) variants as well as the f 1/1.6 aperture, but offers 3 other improvements:

• Bigger primary sensor: The primary sensor is 47 percent bigger and uses the largest-ever 1.7-micron pixels setup, which allows it to perform 87 percent better in low light than the iPhone Pro 11.
• Sensor shift: This is a type of optical image stabilization technology found in DSLRs, eliminating the need for OIS and allowing twice as long shutter exposures. This negates the need for night mode in most conditions.
• Longer telephoto lens: The longer telephoto lens (65mm f/2.2) increases the zoom range of the camera to 2.5x from 2x, and allows for “longer framing.”

What It Means for SR’s iPhone App Users that Upgrade to the New iPhone 12, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max

When you do get around to upgrading to the iPhone 12 in the future, you will find our SR app working better:

1. Better video capture

Apple’s new iPhone 12 cameras will be capable of recording HDR videos in the “Dolby Vision” format. Dolby Vision is a specialized HDR format that edits ultra-precise color and brightness levels onto each scene, using dynamic metadata, taking into account all the different light sources. Apple’s iPhone 12 will be the first and only camera in the world to implement this feature in real-time. When you use the iPhone SR app, you will be able to capture sharper, clearer scenes – faster and with less effort.

2. Capture stockpiles at dusk, night, and dawn

The video is the cornerstone of SR’s measurement iPhone app. With this improvement in dynamic range, there will be few to no measurement failures in low-light conditions, be it dusk, pitch dark, or dawn. In the majority of cases, you’ll be able to use our app in low light without arranging for separate lighting while getting the same results you do during daytime conditions.

3. Lightning-quick data uploads to SR’s servers

Thanks to 5G support, it’ll be faster than ever to upload video capture data to SR’s servers. With 4G, it takes our customers on average 15 minutes to upload measurement data for a single inventory unit. With 5G, you can upload the same measurement data in 6 seconds flat. Further, SR recently made it possible for customers to upload 50% faster than before. Combine that with the over 100x faster upload speeds you get with 5G and you’ll find it’s now possible to measure an entire typical worksite in under an hour!

4. LiDAR enhancements

LiDAR is not just a gimmick that allows for better photo making. It’s a practical, useful tool that can aid with your measurement efforts at work. Thanks to the now-inbuilt LiDAR sensor, Stockpile Reports will be able to deliver the following advantages:

• More accurate measurements.
• Better results with hard-to-reach stockpiles. For example: indoors.
• Augmented reality features such as “virtual training” to allow you to use our app more effectively.

5. Faster Instant Measurement Processing

The addition of the A14 Bionic processor means your iPhone will be over 50% faster than the previous iPhone. This will reduce wait time for instant measurements and allows the iPhone to measure larger stockpiles instantly. The faster processor will also open up opportunities for our engineers to build new features in the Stockpiles app that was not possible without the advanced machine learning cores. Think: on screen training using augmented reality features such as interactive arrows telling you where to walk and where to point the camera.

A Quick Recap of the iPhone SR App

Haven’t heard of the SR iPhone measurement app before? Here are some of the highlights of our industry-leading, game-changing solution:

• The iPhone SR app allows you to calculate the tonnage and volume of stockpiles simply by pointing your iPhone camera at them while you walk around the perimeter.
• The video feed is uploaded to the cloud, where it’s processed. You get a report immediately after. The results are within 1-2% of conventional LiDAR measurements.
• The whole process is effortless and inexpensive. Hiring a surveying team, on the other hand, is costly and time-consuming.

The iPhone SR app can confer multiple benefits:

• Faster, cheaper, and accurate measurements.
• The ability to monitor your stockpiles in real-time.
• Reduced write-offs through more informed, data-driven business decisions.
• Spot checking of incoming deliveries.

Every Pile, Any Time – Better, Faster, and Seamless with the new iPhone 12

Augmented Reality is the way of the future, with advances like virtual training and remote assistance fast becoming the standard across various industries. Stockpile Reports is ever at the forefront of new developments and our team is already finding innovative applications for the new portable, in-your-pocket LiDAR sensor and better hardware included with the iPhone 12.

SR’s iPhone app can transform the way you manage your inventory and do business. Get in touch with us to learn more about all the features of our iPhone solution.