New evidence that confirms Apple is preparing a future iPad with Face ID has been spilled by the latest iOS 12 beta.
One developer has discovered that AvatarKit, the framework that powers Animoji, is now ready for iPad. It still requires a TrueDepth camera which can only be found in iPhone X for now, but it seems that will change when new iPads arrive this fall.
Apple has made more obvious changes in iOS 12 that suggest a future iPad will have an edge-to-edge screen with Face ID. Not only does the iPad now support the same control gestures as iPhone X, almost negating the need for a Home button, but its status bar has been redesigned to accommodate a notch.
Now developer Steve Toughton-Smith has uncovered more evidence that suggests Face ID won’t be exclusive to the iPhone for much longer.
iOS 12 will bring Animoji to future iPads
The AvatarKit framework, which could previously be found only in the iPhone X’s firmware, is available to the iPad in the latest iOS 12 beta. It still requires a TrueDepth camera for real-time face tracking, which suggests Apple’s next-generations tablets will adopt this technology.
New in iOS 12: AvatarKit comes to iPad. Still requires a TrueDepth camera to do face tracking, though, i.e. an iPad with Face ID pic.twitter.com/9TvP2vsP6X
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) July 3, 2018
The more expensive iPad Pro models will almost certainly be the first to get Face ID and edge-to-edge displays. Recent rumors have also promised even faster processors with a custom Apple GPU.
The edge-to-edge design could allow the smallest iPad Pro to pack an even larger 11-inch display into the same form factor, while the larger model could retain its 12.9-inch screen in a smaller footprint that’s easier to lug around.
A Bloomberg report published in late May claimed Apple is planning to introduce new iPads this September, alongside its new iPhone lineup, refreshed Macs, and a new Apple Watch with a larger display.
