Apple iPad With Face ID: iOS 12 Hints At Imminent Launch

It seems the upcoming iOS 12 software update is strongly hinting at the imminent launch of iPad tablets with Face ID.

Developer Steven Troughton-Smith shared on Twitter the latest discovery he made while checking out iOS 12. According to him, there seems to be an iPad-ready implementation of AvatarKit, which is the software framework the Cupertino giant’s Animoji feature relies on.

“News in iOS 12: AvatarKit comes to iPad. Still requires a TrueDepth camera to do face tracking, though, i.e. an iPad with Face ID,” Troughton-Smith tweeted Tuesday alongside a screenshot to back his claim.

The AvatarKit framework used to be only available in the iPhone X firmware. The inclusion of such framework in the software for iPad devices could only signify the presence of the Face ID real-time facial recognition technology in the new devices, as per MacRumors.

Apple has yet to confirm the existence of next-generation iPad devices with Face ID. But the latest discovery in the iOS 12 beta is a good indication that such hardware could be just around the corner, waiting for the perfect opportunity to hit the market.

It was previously found out that iOS 12 for the iPad has what appears to be tweaked iPad gestures similar to the gesture-based features of the iPhone X. The discovery strongly suggested that the upcoming iPad tablets will have a display notch to house the TrueDepth camera system for facial recognition. The gestures also indicate the absence of the physical Home button.

Last week, AppleInsider obtained a copy of KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest predictions for Apple. The renowned Apple leaker claims that Apple is going to introduce iPad tablets with Face ID alongside a low-cost MacBook Air and the next-generation Apple Watch.

Apple usually holds a big launch event for its new products in September. It’s possible that the products Kuo mentioned in his report will be unveiled at the same time as the highly anticipated trio of iPhones. Earlier reports said Apple is preparing to launch two OLED iPhones and one LCD model in the fall.