Future iPad Pro design may feature new camera & logo placements

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited September 2021
A new report claims that Apple is planning to change the iPad Pro design to feature both its camera and rear Apple logo in landscape orientation.

The current camera and Apple logo placement on an iPad Pro
The current camera and Apple logo placement on an iPad Pro


Leaker Dylandkt, whose track record includes accurate claims about the iPhone 13 Pro, now says Apple is planning to change a key design feature on the iPad Pro.

Future iPad Pro's will feature a horizontal camera placement and a horizontally placed Apple logo on the back. Apple will make landscape mode the default for iPad Pro usage. I have not confirmed whether the next generation model will have this feature but it is in the works.

-- Dylan (@dylandkt)


The iPad has always been promoted as a device that can be held in any angle, but it is not completely symmetrical. Currently iPad Pro cameras are positioned so that they are right side up when used in Portrait mode, for instance.

While users can readily hold the iPad Pro in landscape to take photos and not notice any issues, certain other apps do have problems. FaceTime, for instance, expects landscape by default, but this can be changed. The Apple logo, of course, is embossed and permanently in the orientation it ships in.

If Dylandkt is correct, Apple will be addressing this in a future iPad Pro, and also suggesting that landscape is the "correct" way to hold the device. That more fits the kind of professional workflow that the iPad Pro is being used for, as opposed to the Portrait orientation that arguably better suits users reading books.

Leaker Dylandkt was previously the first to correctly report that the M1 processor would be used in the iPad Pro. More recently, he has claimed that the expected 14-inch MacBook Pro will have the same performance as the next 16-inch MacBook Pro.

No previous rumors regarding the iPad Pro have suggested this orientation change. For the most part, they have detailed expectations about whether the iPad Pro may gain MagSafe

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,328member
    I’m neither advocating for the dominance of either Portrait nor Landscape over the design of Apple products, but I would appreciate Apple making sure that using portable devices in either orientation has as few compromises as possible. The orientation of the Apple logo does not matter at all to me, but the placement of physical controls does matter. I’ve always despised Apple’s decision to move the power button on its larger phones to the side, which started with the iPhone 6 Plus. I’ve missed several photo opportunities by accidentally hitting the power button while changing my hold on the phone to take a landscape photo or video. Portrait mode videos … why??? Can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned on the screen of my phone while sliding it into my pocket. Pocket glow madness.

    Apple could solve the logo “problem” by creating a small round screen using an e-ink display and triggering the orientation of the logo using the gyro. Talk about a fluff feature, but if that’s what it takes to keep owners of devices that don’t have cases or have logo peek-a-boo cases happy, why not?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 10
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Yes! Finally. It’s past time.

    but I don’t care about the logo.
    edited September 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 10
    It’s about time! To me, it’s the most glaring issue with the iPad. I have used one since they were first released. I love my iPad, but I have always used it in landscape mode. Our eyes are set in our heads side by side. Humans evolved to scan the landscape horizontally, not vertically.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 10
    Who is the arbiter of “professional?” Doctors, pilots, architects, artists all use portrait heavily. It’s the devices angle agnostic functionality that attracts users and lets them decide how to hold it. I’d think a solution to the camera is to install 2 front-facing - one at each “top” side… might give some cool options to camera angle effects too.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 10
    AniMill said:
    Who is the arbiter of “professional?” Doctors, pilots, architects, artists all use portrait heavily. It’s the devices angle agnostic functionality that attracts users and lets them decide how to hold it. I’d think a solution to the camera is to install 2 front-facing - one at each “top” side… might give some cool options to camera angle effects too.
    What do you mean by “device angle agnostic functionality”? Why would you consider portrait mode to be agnostic but consider landscape mode to not be agnostic? I haven’t done a survey but I would expect doctors, pilots, construction managers, etc. to be using the non pro version of the iPad. My guess is that artists would frequently want to use the iPad in landscape mode as well as portrait mode. Your idea of 2 sets of FaceID arrays sounds good but it also sounds expensive.

    How about only changing the FaceID array on the 12.9” iPad Pro? There are so many times where I’m using my left thumb to scroll and my hand is blocking FaceID.
  • Reply 6 of 10
    I’d be interested to know how many people actually use their iPads in portrait orientation. In 10+ years of iPad ownership, I know I rarely if ever have. Even on Zoom calls, when it would make sense to have the camera above the screen, my case/stand will only hold the iPad in landscape orientation, so the camera is off to one side. I’m glad to hear that somebody at Apple may be thinking about this. I hope they also put stereo speakers in the correct place for landscape orientation on all models eventually.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,275member
    Mine is used in landscape orientation 99.99% of the time. I can't even remember when I last used it in portrait orientation.
    My wife, on the other hand, uses it almost exclusively in portrait as she uses it as an e-reader a lot. She plays some games that force landscape, but other than that it's portrait for her. I think she finds it easier to handle that way.

    One thing for sure, Apple knows the exact ratios of portrait to landscape use and if they are making the switch, it's because most people, most of the time use it in the landscape orientation.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,328member
    I’d be interested to know how many people actually use their iPads in portrait orientation. In 10+ years of iPad ownership, I know I rarely if ever have. Even on Zoom calls, when it would make sense to have the camera above the screen, my case/stand will only hold the iPad in landscape orientation, so the camera is off to one side. I’m glad to hear that somebody at Apple may be thinking about this. I hope they also put stereo speakers in the correct place for landscape orientation on all models eventually.

    I use my iPad in portrait orientation very often, but only for reading e-books, PDFs, and magazines and for the (thankfully) rare few apps that aren't iPad aware. For e-books, single page layout, fit to fill the screen with comfortable line spacing, and with a nice font and background color selected is perfect in portrait orientation. The Kindle App for iPad makes it better still by giving you the flexibility and options needed to dial-in a screen layout and presentation that perfectly fits your personal needs. Apple Books ... not so great but still decent in portrait mode.

    Like everyone else I spend much more time in landscape orientation. In fact, using portrait orientation on larger iPads is not only silly but rather uncomfortable for handheld use. Portrait orientation works pretty good on the iPad mini if you're using it one-handed, like a super jumbo iPhone.


  • Reply 9 of 10
    emcnair said:
    It’s about time! To me, it’s the most glaring issue with the iPad. I have used one since they were first released. I love my iPad, but I have always used it in landscape mode. Our eyes are set in our heads side by side. Humans evolved to scan the landscape horizontally, not vertically.
    Yet we human made paper generally portrait orientation across many and varied cultures.

    Sure it is use and size dependant.

    they could rotate the orientation between members of the iPad sub families so large pro landscape with the base iPad. Mini and smaller pro stay portrait.

  • Reply 10 of 10
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    AniMill said:
    Who is the arbiter of “professional?” Doctors, pilots, architects, artists all use portrait heavily. It’s the devices angle agnostic functionality that attracts users and lets them decide how to hold it. I’d think a solution to the camera is to install 2 front-facing - one at each “top” side… might give some cool options to camera angle effects too.
    With the Mini, likely portrait is used more. But for my iPad Pro 12.9”, landscape is almost always used. I use portrait mostly for reading magazines. I read books in landscape in two page format. Everything else, with very few exceptions is also in landscape. 
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