New iPad Pro Expected This Year With M5 Chip and Two Front Cameras

[bradman83]

I'd rather have the M5 MacBooks launch this fall like they normally do in October and the M5 iPad Pro next year alongside the MacBook Air. (Mostly because I want to upgrade to the rumored M6 redesign which now looks to be postponed to 2027 instead of late 2026).

 

[darngooddesign]

I really urge anyone who is waiting for this iPad to just purchase the M4 model at a discount now or whenever there’s a sale. In terms of hardware it’s really perfect especially with the new display leaving absolutely nothing to be desired. And iPadOS will be virtually identically across the M4 and M5 models.

Ignore that incremental small M5 update and forget worrying about iPads for the next couple of years. My M4 purchase was the best one in a while since I know it will take Apple many years to come up with a generation that sees as dramatic improvements as the current gen saw with the introduction of Tandem OLED.

The front camera is the best one I’ve seen in any Apple device yet and contrary to other opinions I find it to be better than that of my iPhone. The iPad creates a natural look that isn’t so over processed and over sharpened. There’s a very common complaint about iPhone selfies looking unnatural and making yourself look ugly. I can confirm that my 15 Pro has that issue yet the M4 iPad does not.

Indeed the downside is I only use the iPad in landscape mode as portrait doesn’t work with the placement. But that’s fine for anyone who uses their iPad in landscape mode exclusively regardless. Can you not do your FaceTime call in landscape mode?

As for M5 it might have more memory but if you want 1TB you’ll get the extra memory with the M4 as well. I have not once found my 1TB M4 to close apps on me and running out of memory. It’s unlikely the M5 will get even more memory than that.

I pretty much agree. After moving the cameras to landscape I'm not sure why Apple would add back a portrait camera.

 

[rishiomedia]

Hard to believe this rumor, however, we have to understand that Apple doesn’t add hardware unless there is a good software reason. I could see dual cameras being used so the cameras can better track your hands and you could use VisionOS style hand movements and finger pinches to control the cursor as an option instead of a trackpad. VisionOS, is, after all, based on iPadOS, so you got to believe the software to do this is already baked in.

 

[Octavius8]

I have seldom used the camera in my iPads.
I don’t see the point…
Please Apple, make an iPad with a decent display and no camera and make it cheaper than the “pro”.
Non-pro iPad displays are the worst of the maket at the same price point and people still buys them.

 

[EugW]

The bigger upgrade would be to have base 16 GB RAM. (Or at least base 12 GB.)

 

[Biro]

I didn’t realize they’d moved the portrait mode camera to landscape. That’s a weird choice.

I guess this fixes the problem they created?

Not so weird after Apple began paying attention and realized that most iPad users (but not all) use the device in landscape mode. Personally, I have never used any of my iPads (and I’ve owned them from the very start) in portrait mode. You may feel differently. But you’re actually in the (perhaps sizable) minority.

 

[EugW]

Not so weird after Apple began paying attention and realized that most iPad users (but not all) use the device in landscape mode. Personally, I have never used any of my iPads (and I’ve owned them from the very start) in portrait mode. You may feel differently. But you’re actually in the (perhaps sizable) minority.

Yep. I had been complaining for well over a decade that the camera was in the "wrong" place on the iPads, ever since my first iPad, the iPad 2.

 

[Greenmeenie]

Personally, I’d rather have a bigger battery instead of an extra front facing camera wasting that space. What was the point of moving it to the side? A move everyone agreed made more sense. Seems like a weird decision to now go back and add another camera back in the portrait side. 🤔 Why? Unlike on an iPhone, I doubt people are doing conference calls on an iPad in portrait mode. But hey, what do i know? 🤷‍♂️

Just as long as Apple doesn’t add TWO NOTCHES because they shrunk the bezels again! 😂

 

[darngooddesign]

We might be misinterpreting dual cameras to mean a new portrait camera. It's possible Apple will move to dual landscape cameras so the iPads feed a 3D-ish image of you to support Vision Pro personas.

 

[Darrensk8]

Was anyone asking for this?

personally I hated the camera move....Face ID fails way more for me now. (I mostly use in portrait)

 

[iJulio]

This doesn't seem like something Apple would do. It would look odd from a design perspective and seems rather pointless.

 

[klasma]

Unlike on an iPhone, I doubt people are doing conference calls on an iPad in portrait mode. But hey, what do i know? 🤷‍♂️

People often do FaceTime calls on an iPad in portrait because the other side is often using an iPhone.

 

[klasma]

We might be misinterpreting dual cameras to mean a new portrait camera. It's possible Apple will move to dual landscape cameras so the iPads feed a 3D-ish image of you to support Vision Pro personas.

Gurman explicitly says that the added camera will be portrait-side.

 

[darngooddesign]

Gurman explicitly says that the added camera will be portrait-side.

And he'll say that until later he says something like "Apple changed their mind" or "Apple has cancelled/delayed their portrait camera plans".

 

[contacos]

It's interesting how different use cases are. I don't think I have opened the camera app on any of my iPad since iPad 2 even once.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Perfect excuse to make the device cost more to make and thus raise the price…

 

[sandman404]

Whilst mine is an old iPad Pro, yes, Face ID works in either orientation. Until you find you have your finger or thumb over the camera. Which is all too often given I usually use it in landscape with camera at left, and hold it in my left hand. Or use my left hand to swipe from sleep. (Despite being right-handed.)

Of course it is easy enough to overcome but a second camera has always appealed.

*Rant incoming* One of my biggest pet peeves is when Apple makes a change that disrupts previous patterns of use. I loved.. LOVED the button (finger print detection) because I could open and pay for things with one action.. ONE! Now, I have to orient my phone or my iPad… whoops.. phone.. gosh, the camera must be facing you but the payment machine is horizontal (guess I pick that up with one hand and phone with the other and show my face in some contorted zebra grin and my brain brains!)… iPad.. oh, I want to open it up but I hold it with my left hand.. whoops.. gotta switch hands. First World problems, I know! 😅 Do not get me started on the watch! Any way, my point is, I had very functional devices and patterns of use and then bam, it changed… no training and only warnings if you are actively looking for them. Not the way to endear people to products. so, now I have a watch 3 that I will never replace. I am soon to replace my iPhone to try an Android to device (I wanted to see how it really feels and works before I judge). My iPad Pro - just swapped it for minor damage and battery failing. Not sure I will be sticking with the ecosystem. sigh.

 

[CharlesShaw]

It's interesting how different use cases are.

Interesting yes, but there are still too many "my way or the highway" edicts in all types of threads. The very existence of the iPad inspires much consternation, let alone which size is best (naturally ignoring varying use cases).

 

[AlexESP]

Was anyone asking for this?

I was not asking for this (and thankfully Apple is usually not guided by what people explicitly ask for), but the only thing I don’t like of my M4 iPad Pro is the landscape-oriented camera.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

How about some keyboards that also don’t TIP OVER !

My Magic Keyboard and 13” iPad has not tipped over a single time, so I wonder what kind of surface yours was on when it did.

 

[AlexESP]

And he'll say that until later he says something like "Apple changed their mind" or "Apple has cancelled/delayed their portrait camera plans".

I don’t like the fact that he often presents his opinions as information, but it’s undeniable that he has a good accuracy record and great sources (even if exact dates are obviously hard to forecast) — i.e. saying that iOS 19 would be called 26, which is something you can’t just make up.

 

[CharlesShaw]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when Apple makes a change that disrupts previous patterns of use.

Ditto. My first ever feedback was to remind Apple that many of us use our Apple Watches to perform tasks we deem essential to our daily routines and safety, so making significant mandatory changes to interface functions that had remained constant for years is unacceptable.

What if your car's dashboard suddenly moved everything around after an update?

I loved.. LOVED the button (finger print detection) because I could open and pay for things with one action..

Since you mentioned your Apple Watch, have you tried it for Apple Pay? Having to remove an iPhone from my pocket to use Apple Pay meant I may as well just use my wallet. But Apple Watch means I can leave both my iPhone and wallet in my pocket, or at home, which I do daily for exercise. In cold climates with gloves and heavy coats, using the Watch for purchases or to board transit is a no brainer.

 

[Shirasaki]

How about some keyboards that also don’t TIP OVER !

Kekw. Just add 500g more weight to the bottom I guess. Make the keyboard weight 1.5kg and it should not top over.

 

[Shirasaki]

+100$ for an extra cam... I don't even see the point of 2 FaceTime cams... they should put 2 48mp cams on the back instead !!

iPad photographer I see. Might as well port iPhone camera system to iPad while we are at it.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Kekw. Just add 500g more weight to the bottom I guess. Make the keyboard weight 1.5kg and it should not top over.

Don't have the MKB, so is the tipping issue on a desk or on your lap? If desk, (in the spirit of diverse use cases) someone who hasn't invested in the MKB could use an iPad stand (like this one I learned about on MR) with the BT keyboard/trackpad of their choice. Landscape or portrait.