No, I don’t mean the notch. Famed Apple insider (and KGI Securities analyst) Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a research note suggesting that the 2018 iPad Pros will have Face ID, Apple’s new 3D facial recognition feature that is the signature feature of the iPhone X.
Kuo says that adding the TrueDepth camera necessary for Face ID will ensure a more consistent experience across Apple’s top-end devices, as well as broaden the reach of Face ID to help developers.
MacRumors got a hold of the note that Kuo sent to investors:
We predict iOS devices to be equipped with TrueDepth Camera in 2018F will include iPhone X and 2018 new iPhone and iPad models. Because of this, we believe more developers will pay attention to TrueDepth Camera/ facial recognition related applications. We expect Apple’s (US) major promotion of facial recognition related applications will encourage the Android camp to also dedicate more resources to developing hardware and facial recognition applications.
The next round of iPad Pro devices will likely be announced at Apple’s developer conference in May, with a release coming in June. Apple’s iPad refresh schedule isn’t quite as consistent as the once-a-year iPhone refresh, but a release in spring 2018, as demand for the iPhone X and its TrueDepth camera starts to slow.
Getting Face ID out to more users will help convince developers to integrate the feature into their own apps. That, in turn, will make Face ID more useful to users, and drive more high-end iPhone sales. 3D Touch, Apple’s last major UI change on iPhones, hasn’t taken off to the same degree as something like Touch ID, and Apple will want to avoid a similar fate for Face ID.
