Hello All, I am writing this to let you know how impressed I am with Apple's native Measure app, in iOS 16.3, running on my iPhone 14 Pro Max.
NOTE 1: In order to validate the following results, I wore a blindfold and performed each measure no fewer than 7 times, back-to-back, in order to insure consistency. NOTE 2: I measured 3 items, the first two of which I already knew the dimensions. I deliberately chose a third item, which I had never before measured in order to test my personal accuracy. NOTE 3: While measuring I had a sighted friend, standing right next to me, use an iPhone 11 running iOS 16.3, taking the same measurements to see if there was a difference between the 14 Pro Max and the 11 results. Given the cost of the 14 Pro Max, I was delighted to discover that there was, indeed, a difference, not in the accuracy, but in the target's ability to be measured, given the color contrast, in the 14 Pro Max's favor. NOTE 4: While it was easier to obtain an accurate measure of a target using my vision, at first, after a few tries with the blindfold, not including the 7 back-to-back measurements, listed above, I found it just as easy to use only my hands to get an equally accurate measurement. In fact, near the end, I actually began preferring to use my hands, only, as doing so allowed me to focus more on the target and less on distinguishing the target from the surface upon which it was placed or rested against. NOTE 5: VoiceOver was enabled on both the 11 and the 14, at all times. NOTE 6: The following results represent my measuring skills, only. Please keep in mind that I have been measuring items for decades and, as a result, I have a firm grasp of how to fine tune a hand movement in order to obtain an objective. My point? Do not be discouraged if your results are not consistent or accurate. Taking accurate measurements, like so many things in life, requires a great deal of practice. NOTE 7: The following steps are suggested for VoiceOver users who are totally blind. NOTE 8: The following steps, while a bit over simplified, for readability, are, in fact, the steps I used to obtain accurate measurements. The first item I measured was a picture frame hanging on my living room wall. The wall is white and the frame is dark brown. I mention this because the greater the contrast in colors, the more easily VoiceOver can guide you in taking a measurement. 1. With the Measure app open, hold the phone in portrait orientation. You must obtain / add two virtual points in order to measure the distance between them. For example, if you wish to measure the width of a picture frame, hanging on a wall, you will place a virtual point on the left side of the frame and a second virtual point on the right side of the frame. Then, the app will tell you the distance between the two points. 2. Using a finger find the edge of the frame and either hold the phone so that the center of the phone is directly above your finger. Then, remove your finger. You want to hold the phone so close that VoiceOver will say something like, "Too close," or "not in focus," etc. It may say, "Line not distinguishable," also. 3. Pull the phone, slowly, back, away from the target starting point. When VoiceOver stops announcing the error message, tap the onscreen "ADD" button. 4. Now keeping your phone hand as close to the current plane as possible, move the phone to the right side of the frame. As you move, VoiceOver will begin announcing the distance you've moved from your starting point. When you reach the right edge of the frame, tap the onscreen "ADD" button. Your measurement is complete. You can hear the final results by exploring the display. 5. To clear the results, tap the onscreen "CLEAR" button. The second item I measured was a desk calculator. I use the same method as described, above. Let me state here that during the 7 back-to-back measurements of each item, my results varied by no more than a quarter inch. While I would certainly not trust my measurements enough to order a precision-demanding item, such as a window screen, I would definitely trust my measurements enough to select an appliance such as a refrigerator. Now the third item I measured was a bathroom door. Both the door and the doorframe are white and the wall into which the door frame is set is also white. (Not really white but all three are the exact same color.) And it was here where the 14 Pro Max took the proverbial show in that it had absolutely no problem distinguishing the actual door from its surrounding objects, despite the lack of any color contrast, while the 11 could not even come close. My friend was not able to get the iPhone 11 to add any virtual points because the camera simply could not tell where the door began and ended. In order to get the 11 to distinguish the door from its frame, we had to open the door and shine a bright light on the door. Now of course our results are hardly definitive but they are, if nothing else, interesting, at least to me. Clearly Apple has done some work on the Measure app because my experience earlier today, on my iPhone 14 Pro Max running iOS 16.3, was far superior than what I experienced in previous versions of iOS, on older devices. The iOS Measure app on iPhone 14 Pro Max, measuring up, at last. Mark -- The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. 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