Apple's upcoming redesigned iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models could include a front-facing camera positioned on the side of the device so that it is upright when in a landscape orientation, individual rumors suggest.
Currently, the iPad Air and both iPad Pro models in Apple's lineup feature a FaceTime camera on the top of the device, which puts the camera off-center when taking a FaceTime call in landscape mode.
Seemingly recognizing the issue, Apple on the 10th-generation iPad relocated the front-facing camera to the side of the device so that it would be usable in landscape mode rather than portrait mode. Apple has not launched an iPad since, but it appears that Apple could be making this change on future iPads as well.
In January of this year, code discovered in iOS 17.4 suggested the next iPad Pro could adopt a similar design for the FaceTime camera. "During Face ID setup, iPad needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen," read the code.
Now, occasional leaker Instant Digital on the Chinese social platform Weibo has claimed that this change is also coming to the two rumored new versions of the iPad Air, in both 10.9 and 12.9-inch sizes.
How Apple has achieved this switch to a landscape FaceTime camera on the new iPad models is unclear, since the second-generation Apple Pencil connects to both the iPad Air and iPad Pro using an inductive magnetic charger along the same side.
But with Apple rumored to be launching a new Apple Pencil alongside the updated iPads, Apple may have come up with a solution to the issue. Either way, we should find out soon. Both the new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models are expected to launch as soon as this month.
