Apple's M5 iPad Pro to Feature a Second Front Facing Camera: Report

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2024) with a key change in terms of its camera. While the hardware remained the same, the front camera shifted its orientation from portrait to landscape, enabling more flexibility while using FaceTime and unlocking the tablet. However, not all users have been happy with this change. A seasoned journalist suggests that the Cupertino-based tech giant could solve this issue by adding a secondary camera in a portrait orientation on the purported M5-powered iPad Pro.

Camera Upgrades on M5 iPad Pro

In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman wrote about the upgrades coming to Apple's M5-powered iPad Pro. Since moving the camera from portrait to landscape orientation, users who have become familiar with the former have allegedly been finding it hard to unlock the purported tablet and use its front camera for selfies and FaceTime calls.

Here, Apple's solution is reportedly pretty simple. Instead of moving the camera back to its former location and giving a headaches to the rest of the iPad Pro (2024) owners this time around who have grown accustomed to its new placement, the tech giant is said to simply add a second one where the portrait one used to be located.

It is reported to be a portrait-side front facing camera which can be used in the portrait orientation to unlock the iPad Pro or use FaceTime. Thus, it is expected to enable users to the purported M5 iPad Pro equally well irrespective of the orientation it is held in.

"This isn't particularly revolutionary, but it's a nice enhancement", Gurman said in the report.

The tablet is speculated to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, which also hints towards its launch this year. Apart from an upgrade to the M5 chipset, no other major changes are expected.

Apple's iPad Pro (2024) arrived with several notable additions, including an M4 processor, a new tandem OLED screen, nano-texture display coating, and a landscape front camera. The same upgrades are reported to be carried over to the 2025 model. It is expected to be followed up by the launch of entry-level iPad and iPad Air models early next year. The former could pack a faster mobile processor whereas the latter may get an upgrade to the Apple M4 SoC.