The next-generation iPad Pro could feature a landscape Face ID camera setup that would be embedded within the iPad’s side border and not the top bezel, according to iOS 17.4 code discovered by MacRumors.
The piece of evidence is a string of text shown to the user when attempting to set up Face ID on what is assumed to be the upcoming OLED iPad Pro. “During Face ID setup, iPad needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen,” the string reads.
The only iPad that Apple currently sells with a landscape camera orientation is the 10th-generation base iPad, which does not feature Face ID and instead relies on Touch ID embedded within the Power button. As such, it is safe to assume that the text string is referencing an iPad Pro, which remains the only tablet line Apple sells with Face ID. All iPad Pro models sold to date feature a portrait Face ID and TrueDepth camera setup.
Apple says that iOS 17.4 will launch in March, matching expectations of the next-generation iPad Pro launching around the same timeframe. Mass manufacturing of 11 and 13-inch OLED panels designed for the device is reportedly underway.
The upcoming iPad Pro will bring forward an overhaul of the tablet which largely remained unchanged since its current design was released in 2018. According to recent reports, the next-gen device will offer the M3 chip, 11-inch and 13-inch OLED displays, and a revamped Magic Keyboard that looks more laptop-like.
