Apple's upcoming OLED iPad Pro could finally be moving the FaceTime camera

We've been hearing rumors of new iPads arriving in the first few months of this year and two of those will likely be new OLED iPad Pro models. Those tablets are expected to come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch variations and a new report suggests that there will be one as-yet unreported change beyond the display and internal upgrades.

According to that report by MacRumors and developer Steve Moser, Apple is going to move the iPad Pro's FaceTime camera from the top of the display to the side which means that it will then be moved to the top of the iPad when it is used in portrait mode. Historically, all iPads have had their FaceTime camera a the top of the display when it's in the portrait orientation but this change is going to change that, we're told. Notably, Apple does have one iPad where the camera is on the top in landscape mode - that tablet is the base model 10th-gen iPad.

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According to MacRumors, code found in the first iOS 17.4 beta suggests that "During ‌Face ID‌ setup, iPad needs to be in landscape with the camera at the top of the screen."

• Read more: Apple's new M5 iPad Pro OLED displays from Samsung and LG enter mass production, ready for 2026

At the time of writing the iPad Pro is the only tablet that has a Face ID sensor which suggests that this code is related to the upcoming iPad Pro, expected to launch in or around March or April of this year.

The reason to move the camera is obvious and it stems from the way the iPad is normally used. Most iPads are used in landscape mode when working, especially when attached to a keyboard and trackpad accessory. Apple has historically tried to convince people that the iPad is a viable laptop replacement and as such, using it in landscape mode with a keyboard attached. With that in mind, moving the camera makes plenty of sense here.

The iPad Pro isn't expected to be the only model to get a refresh in the first few months of this year, however. Apple is also expected to revamp the 11-inch iPad Air as well as add a new 13-inch iPad Air to the lineup. That will closely mimic the iPad Pro lineup, with Apple seemingly borrowing a Pro and non-Pro approach from the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in the laptop space.

Expectations are high for the new OLED iPad Pros not least because of that switch to a new, premium display type. Apple is also expected to add a new M3 series chip to make these the most powerful iPads ever.