Apple is just days away from its Oct. 30 press event where the company is almost certain to launch a new iPad Pro. And now some leaks the company itself has let out suggest a big change is coming.
According to a 9to5Mac report, Apple has revealed in its iOS 12.1 beta some important details on how Face ID will work on its upcoming iPad Pro. The code inside the beta reveals what is believed to be information on setting up the device and asks for users to "Lift and Rotate iPad" into portrait mode, so you can set up its Face ID scanner.
That all sounds like the same old experience we've come to expect, but the code adds a kicker: "Face ID needs to be in portrait to learn how to recognize you. After Face ID has been set up, it will work in portrait and landscape."
Apple has been offering its Face ID scanner since the iPhone X. And that scanning feature has only been available in portrait mode. So, if you're holding your iPhone in landscape mode and want to access your software, you'll need to turn it so the Face ID components can verify your identity.
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That wasn't necessarily a problem in the iPhone, since portrait mode is often how people interact with the handset. But on a tablet like the iPad Pro, landscape mode is far more appealing. It's in landscape mode, after all, that you can type from a keyboard and get some work done. It's also the best way to watch videos on the iPad Pro.
Being able to use Face ID in landscape mode would prove to be a boon for iPad Pro owners and something that shouldn't limit how you use the tablet. Being forced to rotate the iPad Pro to unlock it and use it would have been a real problem for Apple. It appears — if the rumor is true — that the company has solved the problem.
Apple is expected to unveil the new iPad Pro next week at a special press event in New York City. Apple's iPad Pro could come with a design refresh that ditches the physical home button and thins the bezels around its screen. Pricing and availability are unknown.
