Top Apple analyst says TrueDepth Camera and Face ID will come to the iPad Pro next year

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, versions of the Apple iPad Pro to be unveiled next year will include the TrueDepth Camera, like the one found on the Apple iPhone X. The camera is used for the Face ID feature on the tenth anniversary phone, which allows users to unlock their handset with a simple glance at the device. At the same time, Face ID also verifies the identity of the phone's owner when Apple Pay is being used to make a payment.

According to Kuo, with the TrueDepth Camera coming to the Apple iPad Pro, so is Face ID. He believes that Apple is trying to make the high-end experience of the iPad Pro similar to the experience users get with the iPhone X. The analyst made these comments in a note sent to KGI's clients today. Kuo says that among Apple's tablets, only the 2018 iPad Pro will feature Face ID. In addition, Kuo expects all 2018 iPhone models to sport the TrueDepth Camera and Face ID.

As we told you over the weekend, Android handset manufacturers are now working on facial recognition for their own models instead of trying to embed a fingerprint scanner under the front glass. Samsung and Apple both worked feverishly in an effort to move the biometric reader under the display of their flagship phones, but both failed. Samsung placed its fingerprint scanner near the camera on the back of the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and the Galaxy Note 8. Apple came up with Face ID as a replacement on the iPhone X, and the public reaction to the feature during the unveiling of the phone has Android manufacturers looking to offer it on 2018 models.

The one drawback that Apple has discovered is that manufacturing the complex TrueDepth Camera is apparently quite difficult. A financial news wire recently reported that due to issues with the production of  the camera, Apple has achieved a yield under 10% on the production of the iPhone X. As a result, the launch of the premium model could be pushed back from November 3rd to sometime in December. Pre-orders will begin on October 27th.

As for the 2018 Apple iPad Pro tablets, new models (presumably carrying Face ID) could come as soon as the first half of next year.


source: MacRumors