M1 iPad Pro Selfie Camera Can Automatically Pan and Zoom to Keep You in Frame During Video Calls

Apple's brand new M1 iPad Pro features drastically improved performance thanks to the new chipset and an improved TrueDepth camera system with a new "Center Stage" mode.

f1618940831
The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ features a 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera with a 120° field of view, compared to the standard 7MP wide-angle front-facing camera on the previous generation.

The new TrueDepth camera system enables new capabilities on the ‌iPad Pro‌, including Portrait mode selfies with the ability to adjust bokeh and Depth Control, and Portrait Lighting effects including Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, and High-Key Mono.

While notably spec and feature upgrades on paper, the Ultra Wide camera enables a new feature that Apple calls "Center Stage." Thanks to the TrueDepth camera's wide viewing angle, the ‌iPad Pro‌ can now use machine learning to automatically detect people in the frame, and pan and zoom to ensure they’re always visible. As Apple explains:

The all-new Center Stage uses the Ultra Wide camera and machine learning to change the way you participate in video calls. As you move around, it automatically pans to keep you center in the frame. When others join in or leave the call, the view expands or zooms in. Center Stages works with FaceTime and other video conferencing app for an even more engaging experience.

The new iPad Pros were one of a handful of new announcements Apple made during its "Spring Loaded" event.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...

Top Rated Comments

jclardy Avatar
43 months ago
It is incredible to me that the $799 iPad gets this feature, yet the $1299 iMac does not.

iMac has essentially the same internals, a larger display and a few extra ports. Yet it gets a 1080P webcam...

Of course they have to save Face ID for next year's model.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
43 months ago
and if you put it on those mac pro wheels — it will follow you around the house.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DevNull0 Avatar
43 months ago

I don’t think I would want to use a $1,000 plus iPad in the kitchen.
That oven the guy is using is $30,000 CDN. I guess Apple's target audience here is people who see $1,000 as a cheap disposable item. Like $1,000 for a set of casters.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmgregory1 Avatar
43 months ago
This face tracking is cool, but the issue I have with the Zoom / Teams / FaceTime calls on the iPad Pro is I almost exclusively use it in landscape mode, so I’m never looking directly at the camera, since it’s on the side. The question I do have is, will this tracking work while the iPad is in landscape mode - such as what it would be if attached to the Magic Keyboard? Seems to me that it would be tracking in the vertical direction only when in landscape.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brookzy Avatar
43 months ago
I think this is what Gurman was on about when he was talking of weird HomePod-iPad combos.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
43 months ago
You will have to walk behind the screen to clear a boogie. No more leaning over. Ha. Really through, great feature. I can see this in my kitchen just like in the ad.

Side note: The range in the back with the red knobs, Wolf maybe, looks sweet. As someone that cooks often I would love one of those.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)