Apple's Next iPad Pro Could Gain iPhone X TrueDepth Face ID Camera

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 10.5- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets that will launch next year will feature the TrueDepth camera system that is one of the headlining features of the iPhone X. The TrueDepth camera system includes an infrared camera, flood illuminator and dot projector to enable the Face ID facial recognition system. This allows you to unlock your iPhone X just by looking at it, and does away with the venerable Touch ID fingerprint authentication system. TrueDepth also powers Apple's Animoji (animated emoji) system for iMessage.

There is no word on whether the 2018 iPad Pro models will completely ditch the home button -- like the iPhone X -- to reduce the size of the display bezels, or if the TrueDepth camera system will just serve as an alternative to Touch ID.

According to Kuo, Apple is looking to quickly spread TrueDepth throughout the iOS family to jumpstart developer interest -- just as it did with the proliferation of Touch ID across the iPhone and iPad Pro product families.

Although it's too early to know what else Apple has in store for the 2018 iPad Pro, it seems certain that the tablets will be packing a variant of the ultra-powerful A11 Bionic processor found in the iPhone X.