iOS 11.3 Firmware Subtly Hints at iPad With Face ID

Apple is planning to release a next-generation iPad Pro this year with slim bezels and Face ID, like the iPhone X, according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg News, and evidence of the tablet may have been uncovered in iOS 11.3.

ipad pro face id

iPad Pro with Face ID mockup by Carlos Guerra

iHelpBR editor Filipe Espósito has discovered strings in the first iOS 11.3 beta that refer to a "modern iPad," which is notable since Apple's software engineers referred to the iPhone X as the "modern iPhone" in older firmware, according to both Espósito and developer Guilherme Rambo.


While the "modern iPad" strings could be placeholders, as commonly found in Apple's code, the discovery lends credence to rumors of an iPad Pro with Face ID, which would certainly be a logical next step in Apple's product roadmap.


KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also expects Apple to release a new iPad Pro with Face ID this year, so there is a good chance the rumor is true. Like the iPhone X, the tablet reportedly lacks a Home button, although it will likely still have an LCD instead of OLED display due to supply, cost, and technological constraints.

It's unclear if the iPad Pro will have a notch for the TrueDepth system, as illustrated in the first mockup above, or if the device will have uniformly slim bezels on all four sides with enough room for the Face ID sensors.

benjamingeskinipadprorender1

iPad Pro with slim bezels rendered by Benjamin Geskin

Face ID is also expected to be featured on a second-generation 5.8-inch iPhone X, a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed iPhone X Plus, and a new, cheaper 6.1-inch model with an LCD, aluminum frame, and no 3D Touch.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: iOS 11

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iOS 26 Screens

Here Are All the iOS 26 Features That Require iPhone 15 Pro or Newer

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence. The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple 'Sherlocked' These Apps at WWDC 2025

Wednesday June 11, 2025 7:14 am PDT by
Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple. When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Here's How to Tone It Down

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look. Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025 in 10 Minutes

Monday June 9, 2025 5:21 pm PDT by
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Apple to Let iPhone Users Watch Videos on CarPlay Screen While Parked

Thursday June 12, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles. iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...

Top Rated Comments

InuNacho Avatar
96 months ago
How are you supposed to hold an iPad that looks like one in the mock-up? You can't hold an iPad like a phone with your fingers wrapped around the sides.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anthropogenesis Avatar
96 months ago
As someone that is firmly in the notch-hating group, I hope this doesn't happen to the iPad too. Leave a bit of bezel at the top for the sensors to hide.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trekkie604 Avatar
96 months ago
Keep the bezels on the ipad so there is 1. a place to hold the ipad all around, 2. no ugly cyclops notch.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Böhme417 Avatar
96 months ago
Just wait until you can only unlock it in portrait orientation.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corrode Avatar
96 months ago
iPad with FaceID is a natural progression, but isn’t an iPad more often a multi-user device? This is where TouchID is handy for having multiple people’s fingerprints verified.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pete2106 Avatar
96 months ago
I've been thinking about updating my iPad Air 2. Perhaps this is the one.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)