Technical reference · Rev A This spec sits alongside the Recorder and SPL handbooks. It defines which devices are allowed to capture opentez data and why. Recorders need it to confirm their phone or camera qualifies; SPLs need it to vet a fleet before a batch. It’s a living document. As new models ship and are validated, they get added here.

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Why the sensors matter

opentez doesn’t just want video. The most valuable egocentric data is video plus synchronized motion telemetry, the readings from the device’s inertial sensors (accelerometer and gyroscope, together an “IMU”), and where available, GPS. That motion track is what lets a model tie “what the camera saw” to “how the head and body moved,” which is exactly the signal a robot needs to learn a physical skill.
Video with missing, noisy, or time-misaligned motion data is worth a fraction of video with a clean, aligned IMU track. That’s why device eligibility is stricter than “any phone with a camera.”
A qualifying device has to do two things well: capture stable first-person video, and provide trustworthy motion data whose timestamps line up with the video frames.
The real gate is the sensor test, not the model name. Treat the model lists below as a fast shortcut, not the rule. The actual requirement is that a device passes the recorder’s preflight sensor test: a real accelerometer and gyroscope, sampling fast enough, with monotonic timestamps that stay aligned to the video. A device on the list that fails the test is out; a device not yet listed that passes can be added. Always record the device model and firmware in the clip’s provenance record so the batch is auditable.

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At a glance

PlatformTechnical minimumOperational minimum (recommended)Non-negotiable
iPhoneiPhone 6siPhone 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max or laterPasses sensor test; captured via the opentez recorder, not stock Camera
AndroidAllowlist + test requiredPixel 6 / Galaxy S21 series or newer, testedReal gyroscope confirmed by preflight (software “orientation sensor” is not acceptable)
GoProHERO5 BlackHERO9 Black or newer BlackNative GPMF telemetry present and parsed

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1. iPhone

Eligibility rule. iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, or any later mainline, Pro, Pro Max, Plus, mini, Air, or SE model released afterward, subject to passing the recorder’s sensor test. Older iPhones already contain accelerometers and three-axis gyroscopes. The iPhone 6s, for example, officially lists both, so the technical minimum is the iPhone 6s. But an iPhone 11 cutoff buys a far more consistent baseline for camera quality, processing, OS support, storage, and sustained recording without throttling. So the operational minimum we recommend is the iPhone 11.
Excluded on iPhone:
  • iPhone 5s and older.
  • Any device that cannot run opentez’s exact recorder version.
  • Devices with damaged stabilization or autofocus.
  • Recordings made only through Apple’s normal Camera app. Capture must go through the opentez recorder so IMU and video are logged together.
  • Cinematic mode, Action mode, or any undocumented digital stabilization, unless the opentez pipeline explicitly supports it (these alter or crop the image in ways that can break motion-to-video alignment).

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2. Android

There is no valid “Android model X and above” rule. Android manufacturers can remove or substitute sensors between product lines, even between similarly named models. Budget phones frequently omit a true gyroscope, and a software “orientation sensor” is not an acceptable substitute. Every Android device must be validated individually by the preflight check below.

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Initial allowlist

  • Google Pixel 6 series or newer.
  • Samsung Galaxy S21 series or newer.
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20 / 20 Ultra (if you want an additional older approved model).
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 / Z Fold 3 or newer.
  • Recent Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 flagships, only after testing.
  • Recent OnePlus flagships, only after testing.
Google officially lists the accelerometer, gyrometer, magnetometer, and barometer for the Pixel 6 family; Samsung lists the accelerometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, barometer, and GPS hardware for the Galaxy S21.

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Mandatory preflight check (every Android device)

Before a device is used, the opentez app must confirm all of the following:
A real accelerometer is available.
A real uncalibrated or calibrated gyroscope is available.
Both provide sufficiently frequent samples, ideally at least 100 Hz and preferably 200 Hz or more.
Sensor timestamps increase monotonically.
Video frame timestamps are available.
IMU and camera timestamps remain aligned during a 10–20 minute test.
The phone does not thermally throttle, drop frames, or silently lower the sample rate.
Android’s framework supplies timestamps corresponding to the physical sensor event, but camera-to-IMU synchronization still varies by implementation, which is why the 10–20 minute alignment test is required, not optional.

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3. GoPro

Cutoff. GoPro HERO5 Black or newer HERO Black camera. HERO5 was the first mainstream GoPro generation with embedded GPMF telemetry, raw motion data written into a dedicated track inside the MP4. GoPro’s official parser documentation specifies approximately:
Gyroscope~400 Hz
Accelerometer~200 Hz
GPS (HERO5 Black)~18 Hz
TelemetryDedicated GPMF track in MP4
The documentation explicitly covers both HERO5 Black and HERO5 Session for accelerometer and gyroscope data; HERO5 Black additionally carries GPS streams.

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Practical eligibility

ModelIMU (accel + gyro)Onboard GPSFleet status
HERO5 BlackYesYesApproved
HERO6 / 7 / 8 BlackYesYesApproved
HERO9 / 10 / 11 BlackYesYesApproved (recommended baseline)
HERO12 BlackYesNoApproved (IMU yes, no onboard GPS)
HERO13 Black & later BlackYesVariesApproved after validating your parser
HERO5 SessionYesNoIMU-only; not a standard fleet device
GoPro MAX / FusionYesYesSeparate validation (360 geometry & processing differ)
HERO4 and olderConditional / noneNoneExcluded (GPMF was conditional, not native)
Do not treat HERO4 as a standard compatible device. Its GPMF availability was conditional and is not equivalent to the HERO5’s native video telemetry.

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Applies to every device

Capture through the opentez recorder / validated pipeline, not a generic camera app, so video and IMU (and GPS where present) are logged and time-stamped together.
Run the preflight sensor test before each new device enters the fleet, and re-run after any OS or firmware update that could change sensor behavior.
Keep IMU and video timestamps aligned; a device that drifts, throttles, or drops frames over a sustained recording is disqualified until fixed.
Log device model and firmware version into each clip’s provenance record, so a batch’s hardware lineage is auditable alongside its consent lineage.
Validate before adding anything new. New iPhone, Pixel, Galaxy, or HERO Black models are welcome after they pass the sensor test. Update this document when they do.

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Common questions

Maybe. The list is a shortcut, not the rule. The real gate is the preflight sensor test. A device not yet listed that passes the test can be added. Run the preflight check and, for Android especially, confirm a real gyroscope. When in doubt, ask opentez.
Capture must go through the opentez recorder so that IMU (and GPS where present) is logged and time-stamped together with the video. A generic camera app records the video but loses the synchronized motion track, which is most of what makes the clip valuable.
Because Android manufacturers can remove or substitute sensors between product lines, even between similarly named models. A software “orientation sensor” is not an acceptable substitute for a real gyroscope, so every Android device is validated individually.
Yes. Re-run the preflight sensor test after any OS or firmware update that could change sensor behavior. A device that starts to drift, throttle, or drop frames is disqualified until it’s fixed.

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Sources

Manufacturer specifications and documentation backing the requirements above:
  • Apple: iPhone 6s specifications: support.apple.com/en-us/111952
  • Apple: iPhone 11 Pro specifications: support.apple.com/en-us/111879
  • Google: Pixel 6 family sensors: support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7158570
  • Samsung: Galaxy S21 sensor hardware: news.samsung.com (Galaxy S21 Unpacked)
  • Android: camera frame timestamp synchronization (CaptureResult): developer.android.com … camera2/CaptureResult
  • GoPro: GPMF parser documentation: github.com/gopro/gpmf-parser
  • GoPro: MP4 telemetry (GPMF) structure: gopro.github.io/gpmf-parser