A new report claims that iPads from 2024 could adopt a brand new type of Face ID lens that will be both cheaper to make and have a lower profile.
In a report Thursday, prolific inside and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that Apple's supply chain "is anticipated to start mass production of Apple’s metalens in 2024, which is expected to replace the iPad’s plastic lens of the Face ID."
This upgrade is currently tipped for introduction to Apple's iPads in 2024, and if that is successful could debut in Face ID a couple of years later. The Metalens would replace the iPad's plastic Face ID lens and "offers the advantages of lower cost and reduced height vs. existing plastic lenses."
The power of Metalens
Kuo says that Apple is hoping to reduce its reliance on plastic lenses, take advantage of the cost benefits, and use metalens technology in its futuristic Apple Glass eyewear, touted for a release sometime in the next decade. as Kuo notes, Apple Glass is not to be confused with Apple Reality Pro, the company's VR headset we could see in just a couple of months when WWDC 2023 rolls around in June.
As for the Metalens iPad Face ID upgrade, it doesn't seem that the lens will actually impact on the functionality or quality of Face ID or the iPad's front-facing camera. However, more reliable components that reduce the cost of manufacturing and make room for other innovations are always welcome.
The biggest upgrade on the horizon of the iPad currently is the introduction of OLED displays to the lineup, again likely to take place next year. Bolder, brighter displays could see the iPad Pro start with an eye-watering price tag of some $1,500. In the meantime, iPadOS 17 will be unveiled at the aforementioned WWDC, possibly with changes to the Control Center in tow.
