It’s thought that Apple will release new iPads this year—there were no updates in 2023—and now reports are leaking that the iPad Air and iPad Pro will both have an update that’s been much-anticipated: repositioning the FaceTime camera on the long, rather than the short, edge of the tablet.
This is a design change which has already arrived for one tablet in the range, the 10th-generation iPad, which was released in 2022. The advantage of that placement is that the camera sits in a better position for video calls in landscape orientation, which is much better suited to Zoom calls, for instance.
So, following on from a rumor earlier this year that a new iPad, likely an iPad Pro, would have the camera moved to this position, a new comment from leaker Instant Digital on Weibo (in a report picked up by MacRumors), suggests that the same update will come to the iPad Air. They say, “The camera position of iPad Air 6 10.9/12.9 has been moved to the horizontal center.”
This is intriguing. While it means that all of the full-size iPads, will have the camera on the long edge, unifying the design for all except the iPad mini, it raises questions.
Right now, the Air and Pro have wireless charging circuits on the long edge, where the Apple Pencil snaps into place. It’s a tiny charging pad, but it takes up space, and there might not be space for the camera to fit there as well.
Will Apple move the charging pad? Has it found a way to accommodate both? Will a new Apple Pencil—also believed to be in the works—solve the problem somehow?
One other thing: your eagle eyes will have spotted that two sizes of iPad Air are mentioned in the leak. It looks like the iPad Air is soon to come in two sizes, one with a 10.9-inch display, one with 12.9-inch.
So, when can we expect to have our questions answered?
It’s thought that the new iPads could be here as soon as April, though it’s not yet clear how many will arrive. Personally, I’d be very surprised if both the iPad Pro and iPad Air land together, as there are so many updates expected for both. My guess is that the new iPad Pro, with OLED screen, in two sizes, will come first, with a new Apple Pencil and keyboard case. Then the iPad Air is more likely to come in the fall, with the 11th-generation iPad. More as we have it.
