Rumor: iPad Pro with triple-lens camera, iPad with dual-lens shooter to launch in October
An unconfirmed rumor out of China this week claims Apple plans to debut new iPad Pro and iPad variants in October, both of which will move from single-lens rear cameras to multi-sensor arrays.
Citing a Chinese supply chain source, Mac Otakara on Saturday reports Apple's next-generation iPad Pro could adopt a triple-lens camera array, while a 10.2-inch iPad might benefit from a dual-sensor solution similar to iPhone XS.
Both models are rumored to launch in October, the person said.
AppleInsider was unable to confirm the veracity of Mac Otakara's claims.
The Japanese publication has a decent track record in predicting Apple's hardware moves, often gleaning information from third-party case makers made privy to leaked schematics in the months prior to a major product unveiling.
As for the triple- and dual-lens iPads, Mac Otakara's source said diagrams of related accessories are currently "floating around." Whether the devices in question are official Apple products or third-party add-ons is unknown.
Adopting multi-sensor rear-facing cameras in two new iPads would be an unprecedented move for Apple, as the company has yet to migrate dual-lens shooters to its tablet line despite first integrating the technology in 2016's iPhone 7 Plus. The setup, which incorporates a wide-angle and "telephoto" lens, was later used in 2017's iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, and last year's iPhone XS and XS Max.
In February, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted an iPad mini refresh and said he expected the existing 9.7-inch iPad, last updated in March 2018, to gain a 10.2-inch LCD screen. Apple subsequently released a revamped iPad mini in March alongside a new 10.5-inch iPad Air, the latter of which effectively usurped the second-generation 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
Apple's iPad Pro has not been updated since the line received a massive redesign with a full-face display and Face ID in October 2018, while the most recent 9.7-inch iPad variant saw release in March 2018. Both models are due for a refresh.
If today's rumor is true, Apple's iPad Pro and iPad lines will sport camera technology commensurate to that of their iPhone contemporaries for the first time. This year's top-end iPhone, anticipated to launch in September, is widely rumored to benefit from a triple-sensor camera design boasting a new super-wide angle lens.
Citing a Chinese supply chain source, Mac Otakara on Saturday reports Apple's next-generation iPad Pro could adopt a triple-lens camera array, while a 10.2-inch iPad might benefit from a dual-sensor solution similar to iPhone XS.
Both models are rumored to launch in October, the person said.
AppleInsider was unable to confirm the veracity of Mac Otakara's claims.
The Japanese publication has a decent track record in predicting Apple's hardware moves, often gleaning information from third-party case makers made privy to leaked schematics in the months prior to a major product unveiling.
As for the triple- and dual-lens iPads, Mac Otakara's source said diagrams of related accessories are currently "floating around." Whether the devices in question are official Apple products or third-party add-ons is unknown.
Adopting multi-sensor rear-facing cameras in two new iPads would be an unprecedented move for Apple, as the company has yet to migrate dual-lens shooters to its tablet line despite first integrating the technology in 2016's iPhone 7 Plus. The setup, which incorporates a wide-angle and "telephoto" lens, was later used in 2017's iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, and last year's iPhone XS and XS Max.
In February, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted an iPad mini refresh and said he expected the existing 9.7-inch iPad, last updated in March 2018, to gain a 10.2-inch LCD screen. Apple subsequently released a revamped iPad mini in March alongside a new 10.5-inch iPad Air, the latter of which effectively usurped the second-generation 10.5-inch iPad Pro.
Apple's iPad Pro has not been updated since the line received a massive redesign with a full-face display and Face ID in October 2018, while the most recent 9.7-inch iPad variant saw release in March 2018. Both models are due for a refresh.
If today's rumor is true, Apple's iPad Pro and iPad lines will sport camera technology commensurate to that of their iPhone contemporaries for the first time. This year's top-end iPhone, anticipated to launch in September, is widely rumored to benefit from a triple-sensor camera design boasting a new super-wide angle lens.
Comments
I don’t care so much about cameras and FaceID, but IPad OS looks pretty sweet. For a guy that doesn’t watch TV, but will watch a movie, read a book, read the news, listen to music, play a game, read emails, do banking, shopping etc. on my iPad... Apple’s IPad is pretty great.
IPad OS takes the functionality of the device (for many) into “pc replacement” range...
Apple iPad hardware rumors are just about incremental improvements, at first glance.
But Apple’s OS has been about stability the last year or two. Maybe now, we’re starting to get an idea of Apple’s future vision for the device...
AR has underwhelmed, but maybe these camera (rumor) upgrades will lead to the “next big thing”...
Second, while I agree it might raise costs, standarizing the camera array on iPhones and iPads might make perfect sense for the economy of scale and the aforementioned VR/AR, and of course the iPad has very much lagged behind the iPhone on cameras for a while now. That said, I'm not sure I buy this rumour either -- but it is certainly plausible.
However cameras are not what will will get me to buy a new iPad! I’d have to see Apple become more reasonable with pricing especially with models containing increased storage. That and I really need to see what iPad OS finally ships with feature wise. I’m not convinced that they have over come the inherent weakness of iOS yet. The operating system on iPad is a huge limitation so this move to iPad OS is a big deal.
Hardware should be interesting! We should see a 30% or better performance increase.
And that’s the only reason Apple hasn’t usually kept an iPad camera up to the phone camera.
its all about cost, folks. Nothing else. I know it’s popular among some snobs out there to think that “nobody” uses their iPad to take pictures or movies with, but they’re wrong. I’ve seen it more than a few times myself, and I’ve even done it a few times.