Apple’s next iPad Pro models are expected to ship later this year, which likely means a launch alongside the iPhone 17 in September or at a separate event the following month. And we’re starting to get a better idea of what Apple has in store for its premium tablet line.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims that, as well as a new M5 processor, the upcoming iPad Pros will feature an unexpected change to their physical camera design. Whereas the 2022 models feature a front-facing camera on a short edge (designed to be better for selfies and Face ID when the device is in portrait mode) and the 2024 ones have the same camera on a long edge (which is better for FaceTime and other functions in landscape mode), the 2025 edition will combine the two options with dual cameras on both edges.
That’s right, the M5 Pros, if Gurman’s sources are correct, will have two front-facing sensor arrays: one on a long edge and another on a short edge, “presumably so FaceTimers and selfie fans can use the device equally well in either orientation,” he describes. That way, you’ll be able to get optimal performance while taking selfies, using Face ID, and having video chats, whether you prefer to hold the device in landscape or portrait mode. Gurman doesn’t go into details concerning the way this will work, but thanks to their accelerometer, iPads can detect which orientation they’re in, and it seems logical that the devices would simply default to whichever camera is better for the current position.
It must be said that having two sensor arrays when only one is needed is not very Apple: the company is big on design minimalism and prunes back unnecessary hardware details wherever possible. But Gurman argues that this particular example of design duplication “shouldn’t be too objectionable” because the cameras aren’t really visible unless you hold the iPad at a specific angle. Most of the time, you just see the featureless black of the bezel, without knowing there’s a camera (or cameras) in there.
For all the latest news and rumors about Apple’s new premium tablets bookmark our regularly updated M5 iPad Pro superguide. But if you don’t want to wait until September, peruse our roundup of the best iPad deals to make sure you’re getting the lowest price on the current range.
Author: David Price, Editor, Macworld
David has been writing about technology for well over two decades, and got on board the Apple hype train when covering the original iPhone launch in 2007. He is an enthusiastic Apple Watch evangelist and feels that the HomePod is misunderstood.