iOS 11.3 Beta Code Suggests Face ID Coming to iPad

News
By published

It appears that Apple thinks what's good for the iPhone X is good for certain iPads, as the iDevice maker may add Face ID recognition technology to future tablets.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Credit: Shaun Lucas

We first saw signs of this change last year, when Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo, both reliable prognosticators, claimed 2018's iPad Pro slates would add Face ID, and possibly drop the home button and offer an even slimmer size.

The latest evidence comes from code found in the recently-released beta version of iOS 11.3. Specifically, Filipe Espósito, editor of Brazil's iHelpBR, found references to a "modern iPad" in the code. This suggests an upcoming iPad with similarities to the Face ID-bearing iPhone X, as Apple code-sleuth Guilherme Rambo replied that "Modern iPhone" was the term Apple's developers used for the iPhone X.

Yep, there’s definitely some references to a “Modern iPad” inside iOS 11.3. pic.twitter.com/JHHone2R1D — Filipe Espósito  (@filipekids) January 25, 2018

This is just the latest iOS 11.3 news we've heard, as Apple announced that this upcoming update will introduce a way for users to check the health of their device's battery, and opt to disable the related performance-based throttling.

iPad Pro Tips and Tricks

Henry T. Casey

Henry was a contributing writer at Laptop Mag. He penned hundreds of articles, including helpful how-tos for Windows, Mac, and Gmail. Henry has also written about some of the best Chromebooks, and he has reviewed many Apple devices, including various MacBook Air laptops. He is now a managing editor at our sister site Tom's Guide, covering streaming media, laptops, and all things Apple.