Rumor: iPad Pro OLED gets new Face ID module, Apple cuts production and plans Apple Pencil 3

According to earlier rumors, the next generation iPad Pro will have the brightest, longest-lasting OLED panel of any tablet on the market as soon as March 2024. In keeping with this schedule, 9to5Mac has just discovered new clues about the successor to the iPad Pro in the code of the first beta version of iOS 17.4.

Specifically, new entries in the operating system indicate that the iPad Pro needs to be in landscape mode in order to be able to set up facial recognition via Face ID. In future, the front camera and TrueDepth module are thus likely to be positioned in the middle when the tablet is used in landscape mode, enabling a much more natural angle, especially for video calls. Face ID already works on the current iPad Pro in both portrait and landscape mode. 9to5Mac also found references to the third-generation Apple Pencil, which is listed under the "B482" model number in iOS 17.4.

The beta operating system at least confirms a new feature, namely an integration into Apple's "Find My?" network, so that the stylus can be tracked via an iPhone in a similar way to the AirTag if it has been misplaced. What other innovations the stylus will have remains unknown. Meanwhile, TrendForce reports that Apple is said to have reduced the production volume of the next generation iPad Pro by 20 to 30%; instead of 10 million OLED panels, Apple is now only ordering 7 to 8 million units. These more cautious sales forecasts may be related to the expected price increase of the Pro tablets.