Face ID may be coming to iPad with new version of iOS

Jul 8, 2018, 11:20 am EDT | Stephen Mayhew

Face ID may be coming to the iPad with iOS 12, as developer previews of the operating system appear to include a version of AvatarKit which supports the larger tablet screen, likely indicating the inclusion of TrueDepth camera, and therefore facial biometric capabilities, The Inquirer reports.

Apple launched iOS 12 to public beta on June 25, and on July 3 developer Steve Troughton-Smith tweeted his discovery of the AvatarKit version, which requires TrueDepth hardware for face tracking. The 30,000 infrared dots projected by the TrueDepth camera enable the face tracking that lets iPhoneX users create Animojis with AvatarKit, and also enable Face ID.

The Inquirer reports that a new iPad or possibly iPad Pro are rumored for a launch this fall, and that Apple typically announces new hardware in September.

Due to the popularity and “strategic success” of Face ID, Apple is reportedly planning to include the capability in all three new iPhone models expected this year, and the company recently trademarked the term “Face ID.” The rollout of the technology was not flawless, however, as Apple recently had to update its service policy to allow some iPohone X units to be completely replaced due to Face ID problems.