Face ID Feature Expected to Debut on iPad Pro in 2018
Although Apple has yet to launch the Face ID feature on an iPhone, rumors about where the facial recognition tech might appear next has already been making the rounds online.
The iPad Pro could be the next Apple device to get Face ID, according to reports. The tech giant's latest technology may soon be arriving to more devices other than the anticipated iPhone X. Apple's facial-recognition software will also be introduced on the next version of the iPad Pro, which is likely to hit the market mid-2018.
In a note to investors, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the Face ID will be featured in the iPad in an effort to bridge the gap between iPad and iPhone users. The analyst explained that Apple's move to double down on the security feature is an attempt to drum up support for the new software.
"We expect Apple's major promotion of facial recognition related applications will encourage the Android camp to also dedicate more resources to developing hardware and facial recognition applications," Kuo wrote.
Engadget notes that once that once Face ID hits iPads and iPhones, it will give developers an idea that facial recognition can be used across multiple Apple devices instead of just one. The latest line of iPads would be shipped sometime in the company's fiscal 2018, which concludes September of next year.
As The Verge points out, Kuo previously mentioned that 2018 iPhones (non-X units) would have the face recognition feature if the fledgling tech becomes a huge success this year. His latest note reiterates his previous claim, but it is unclear whether that is based on new information or he is just repeating his previous statement.
The Face ID technology could either be built into the iPad's upper bezel beside the selfie camera. This could also imply that an iPhone X-inspired design of the iPad Pro may launched soon.
