2024 iPad Air and iPad Pro refreshes could finally move the camera for better landscape use

When Apple released the 10th-gen iPad in 2022 it brought with it a big first for the company's tablet lineup. The iPad saw its FaceTime camera move from the top of the device to the side, a switch that meant that the camera was better suited to being used when the iPad was in landscape orientation. Now, a new report claimed that the same switch is coming to Apple's best iPads as well.

Historically iPads have had their camera at the top of the display which meant that it was perfect for use when the tablet was held in portrait. But with more iPads now connected to keyboards that meant that the camera was in the wrong place, causing people on video calls to appear as if they were looking to the side. The 10th-gen iPad fixed that, and now it's claimed that the upcoming OLED iPad Pro and new iPad Air models will follow where the 10th-gen iPad left off.

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The rumors of the change coming to the iPad Pro have been around for a while now following the discovery of code found in the iOS 17.4 beta in January suggesting the tablet would go that route, Now, the leaker Instant Digital has posted to Weibo to claim that the same change is coming to the iPad Air in both its 10.9-inch and all-new 12,9-inch display sizes.

One interesting note here is that both iPads are expected to support magnetic wireless charging of the Apple Pencil just like previous iterations, so Apple may have had to make some tweaks there. The company could simply put the camera on the other side but that would put it at the bottom of the iPad when connected to a stand or keyboard and that seems likely to be sub-optimal - if only because it could mean people on video calls would be looking up the iPad owner's nose.

Previous reports have suggested that the new iPad Airs plus refreshed iPad Pro models could be announced within weeks - either in March or early April. Apple recently released the M3 MacBook Airs via a press release and a similar fate is expected to befall its latest iPads as well.

The new iPad Airs are expected to sport M2 chips while the iPad Pros are likely to use the M3, but the biggest change will be the addition of OLED technology on the iPad Pro models. That should allow for better images and improved contrast on both the 11-inch and 12,9-inch versions, assuming the rumors are true of course.