After Apple went the entirety of 2023 without releasing a new iPad, everyone’s waiting with bated breath for the rumoured imminent arrival of the 2024 models.
And, when those iPad Pro and iPad Air 2024 devices do arrive – perhaps carrying newer versions of Apple’s M-Series chips – there could be an important camera upgrade for those spending lots of time on video calls.
MacRumors has picked up on a couple of reports citing evidence that the FaceTime camera will be relocated to the side bezel so video calls can take place natively in landscape mode.
After code was discovered in iOS 17.4 mentioning that the iPad needs to be in landscape mode when setting up FaceID on an iPad Pro, a leaker known as Instant Digital has chimed in to say the iPad Air (10.9-inch and 12.9-inch) will also benefit from the switch.
Currently, on both models, the FaceTime camera sits above the iPad’s display while it is in portrait orientation. However, when the user switches to landscape orientation for a video call, for instance, their appearance is off centre.
This is an issue Apple helpfully rectified when it launched the 10th generation standard iPad model. At the time, our reviewer pointed out the change was a surprising omission on the iPad Air M2 (2022.
Hw wrote: “I’m slightly baffled that Apple has elected to make such an obvious change to the front camera on what is essentially the base iPad, when the iPad Air M2 (2022) retains the awkward positioning of its predecessor.”
However, he was full of praise for that relocation within the base model iPad.
He added: “Apple has smartly repositioned the front camera from the short edge to the long edge, meaning it’s directly facing you when the tablet is propped up in landscape orientation. This makes so much sense, as you’re no longer at an odd angle on video calls.”
