iPad Air and iPad Pro Could Both Feature Landscape FaceTime Camera
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.
Popular Stories
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
