---
title: "Device & sensor eligibility"
description: "Which iPhone, Android, or GoPro qualifies to capture opentez data, plus the sensor test that really decides."
---

<span className="otz-eyebrow">Technical reference · Rev A</span>

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.

## 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.

<Warning>
  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."
</Warning>

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.

<Note>
  **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.
</Note>

## At a glance

| Platform | Technical minimum | Operational minimum (recommended) | Non-negotiable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **iPhone** | iPhone 6s | iPhone 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max or later | Passes sensor test; captured via the opentez recorder, not stock Camera |
| **Android** | Allowlist + test required | Pixel 6 / Galaxy S21 series or newer, tested | Real gyroscope confirmed by preflight (software "orientation sensor" is not acceptable) |
| **GoPro** | HERO5 Black | HERO9 Black or newer Black | Native GPMF telemetry present and parsed |

## 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.**

<Warning>
  **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).
</Warning>

## 2. Android

<Warning>
  **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.
</Warning>

### 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.

### Mandatory preflight check (every Android device)

Before a device is used, the opentez app must confirm all of the following:

<Check>A real accelerometer is available.</Check>
<Check>A real uncalibrated or calibrated gyroscope is available.</Check>
<Check>Both provide sufficiently frequent samples, ideally at least 100 Hz and preferably 200 Hz or more.</Check>
<Check>Sensor timestamps increase monotonically.</Check>
<Check>Video frame timestamps are available.</Check>
<Check>IMU and camera timestamps remain aligned during a 10–20 minute test.</Check>
<Check>The phone does not thermally throttle, drop frames, or silently lower the sample rate.</Check>

<Note>
  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.
</Note>

## 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:

<div className="otz-spec">
  <div className="cell"><span className="k">Gyroscope</span><span className="v">~400 Hz</span></div>
  <div className="cell"><span className="k">Accelerometer</span><span className="v">~200 Hz</span></div>
  <div className="cell"><span className="k">GPS (HERO5 Black)</span><span className="v">~18 Hz</span></div>
  <div className="cell"><span className="k">Telemetry</span><span className="v">Dedicated GPMF track in MP4</span></div>
</div>

The documentation explicitly covers both HERO5 Black and HERO5 Session for accelerometer
and gyroscope data; HERO5 Black additionally carries GPS streams.

### Practical eligibility

| Model | IMU (accel + gyro) | Onboard GPS | Fleet status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HERO5 Black | Yes | Yes | Approved |
| HERO6 / 7 / 8 Black | Yes | Yes | Approved |
| HERO9 / 10 / 11 Black | Yes | Yes | **Approved (recommended baseline)** |
| HERO12 Black | Yes | No | Approved (IMU yes, no onboard GPS) |
| HERO13 Black & later Black | Yes | Varies | Approved after validating your parser |
| HERO5 Session | Yes | No | IMU-only; not a standard fleet device |
| GoPro MAX / Fusion | Yes | Yes | Separate validation (360 geometry & processing differ) |
| HERO4 and older | Conditional / none | None | **Excluded** (GPMF was conditional, not native) |

<Warning>
  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.
</Warning>

## Applies to every device

<Check>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.</Check>
<Check>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.</Check>
<Check>Keep IMU and video timestamps aligned; a device that drifts, throttles, or drops frames over a sustained recording is disqualified until fixed.</Check>
<Check>Log device model and firmware version into each clip's provenance record, so a batch's hardware lineage is auditable alongside its consent lineage.</Check>
<Check>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.</Check>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="My phone isn't on the list. Can I still use it?" icon="circle-question">
    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.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Why can't I just use the stock camera app?" icon="camera">
    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.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Why is Android handled differently from iPhone?" icon="robot">
    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.
  </Accordion>
  <Accordion title="Do I need to re-test after a software update?" icon="arrows-rotate">
    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.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## 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`