What device should I use with Canvas?

For professional use, you'll want an iOS device with built-in LiDAR. You'll find it in these models:

  • iPhone 16 Pro: Starts at $999
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max: Starts at $1,199
  • iPhone 15 Pro: Released 2023
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max: Released 2023
  • iPhone 14 Pro: Released 2022
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max: Released 2022
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (M2 chip): Starts at $1,099
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (M2 chip): Starts at $799
  • iPhone 13 Pro: Released 2021
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max: Released 2021
  • iPhone 12 Pro: Released 2020
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max: Released 2020
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (6th Generation): Released 2022
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (4th Generation): Released 2022
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th Generation): Released 2021
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (3rd Generation): Released 2021
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th Generation): Released 2021
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (3rd Generation): Released 2021
  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (4th Generation): Released 2020
  • 11-inch iPad Pro (2nd Generation): Released 2020

iPhone or iPad?

It's really a matter of personal choice, as there's no discernible differences between the scans from these devices. The iPhones are good choices for those who don't want to carry an additional device. The iPad is a good choice if you want a bigger screen or more than one person will be scanning. Depending on your phone plan, and if you're due for an upgrade, the iPhone may or may not be less expensive than the iPad.

WiFi vs. Cell

You do not need to be connected to the internet to scan; you only need to connect when you're ready to upload scans/place orders. So, WiFi vs. cell is completely up to you and your workflow! 

Storage

Storage refers to the amount of data your device can hold at one time. When using Canvas, it affects the number of scans or homes you can hold on the device at one time. 

The base storage capacity for most of these devices is 128GB which is more than enough storage for Canvas, but a higher capacity may be necessary depending on what else you store on the device. Generally speaking, this is very rarely a practical concern for our customers, unless you use the device to store a lot of videos or audio files in addition to scans.

While the total storage footprint for a home can be all over the place, in our experience the average typically ranges from 500MB to 2GB. Since the operating system usually takes up 8-11GB (according to Apple's website), that means that if you have only 16GB of storage, in the worst case you might have only 5GB available for Canvas, which may correspond to only a few homes. If you had a 256GB iPad, you would be able to store several hundred homes.

What about non-LiDAR iPhones or Android?

Canvas is currently only compatible with iOS devices, and specifically the LiDAR-enabled devices listed above. If you would like to be notified if support for other devices becomes available, please sign up for our newsletter. 

Some of our customers who don't already have a compatible device, will buy one just to use Canvas for measuring and digitizing a space. Using Canvas as a business tool usually pays for the device in one or two jobs. The resulting CAD files from our service can be imported into your design programs which can be running on Windows. 

Find Your Model

To identify which iPad or iPhone you have:

  1. Open "Settings"
  2. Tap "General"
  3. Then tap "About"
  4. Find the "Model Name"