Apple’s 2018 iPad will feature Face ID and nearly bezel-less display, says new report

It looks like Apple could have big plans for the iPad in 2018.

The company is working on a redesigned, high-end iPad Pro that’s tipped to release at some point in 2018, according to new rumours. This remodelled iPad will reportedly feature “slimmer edges” and facial recognition technology borrowed from the iPhone X, according to a new report stemming from Bloomberg’s often reliable Mark Gurman.

The new version of Apple’s iPad will feature a screen size that falls in line with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, complete with Face ID for unlocking the tablet, Apple Pay and, of course, animated Animojis.

This also means that the rumoured upcoming iPad design won’t feature a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. To put this shift in perspective, Apple’s various iPads have included a fingerprint sensor 2014.

Removing the fingerprint sensor will allow Apple to reduce the tablet’s border, bringing its design closer in-line with the iPhone X’s nearly bezel-less display.

Apple updated its high-end iPad line back in June 2017 with a 10.5-inch iPad Pro iteration that features ProMotion 120Hz display technology, which makes the the tablet’s operating system appear smoother when flipping rapidly between apps. Just a few months earlier, Apple also released a cheaper version of its standard iPad model as well.

Interestingly, according to Bloomberg, it’s likely that Apple’s revamped iPad won’t feature the same OLED display technology as the iPhone X. According to what the publication calls “a person with knowledge of Samsung’s display operations,” the company is unable to manufacturer iPad sized OLED displays at the capacity required to meet a 2018 release.

Samsung is currently the only display manufacturer able to produce large quantities of liquid-crystal screens, says Bloomberg.

Source: Bloomberg