New Apple iPad Pro Coming With Unique Camera Feature, Report Claims
The first Apple iPad didn’t even have a camera. It looks as though the next iPad Pro, predicted to land this year, will have two front-facing ones. If that seems overkill, read on for the rationale and what to expect.
Apple iPad Pro
According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg in his latest Power On newsletter, “Apple’s M5 iPad Pro will have one noteworthy change besides a faster chip.”
Let’s be clear, this is not to turn the iPad into a better camera substitute: a large, flat slab of metal and glass can’t match the ergonomics of a DSLR, for instance. Though, admittedly, that big screen is great for framing your shot.
No, this change is all about unlocking the iPad. All current iPads, apart from the iPad mini, have a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera on the long edge of the tablet, that is, at the top when the iPad is in landscape orientation. That works brilliantly for video calls, for instance.
However, the iPad Pro is unique in Apple tablets in that it has Face ID as the way to unlock it — the others use Touch ID with a sensor in the power button. Trouble is, if you want to use the iPad Pro in portrait orientation, that landscape camera doesn’t always work quite as well to unlock effectively.
“Fans of portrait mode suddenly found it harder to unlock the device and use the front camera. So, what’s the solution? Pretty simple actually: Apple is apparently adding a second, portrait-side front-facing camera to the upcoming M5 iPad Pro, presumably so FaceTimers and selfie fans can use the device equally well in either orientation. This isn’t particularly revolutionary, but it’s a nice enhancement,” Gurman said.
How will this look on the tablet, you might ask? After all, two cameras could look like overkill. Gurman has an opinion: “The latest approach shouldn’t be too objectionable, in contrast, since the dual cameras mostly disappear behind the black bezel,” he explained.
I’d agree with that, though it might take a little getting used to for the more eagle-eyed and discerning user.
The last iPad Pro was released in May 2024, so it’s possible the next one will land this fall, or else spring 2026.