Apple’s recently released iOS 12.1 beta contains code that suggests a new iPad is coming this fall.
The string “iPad2018fall” was discovered by Guilherme Rambo, reporting for 9to5Mac. This, along with the numerous other leaks, suggests that we should expect a new iPad to be announced before the end of the year, possibly a new iPad Pro with Face ID and an edge-to-edge notched display.
Although we’ve already seen a new model of the standard iPad released in 2018 (which mostly delivered iterative improvements outside of Apple Pencil support), rumors suggest this upcoming iPad Pro will be a much bigger step forward.
For one thing, we’re potentially looking at the first iPad equipped with Face ID.
iOS 12.1 beta brings support for the face-unlocking technology while your device is in landscape mode, a useful tweak for tablets when used with keyboard accessories.
The software also allows Memoji’s to be synced between devices.
Although this could be included to serve the small number of people who use two iPhones, it’s much more likely that this is meant for people with both a phone and a tablet, implying Memoji’s imminent arrival on the iPad.
