Apple’s Foldable iPad Pro Could Be Equipped With Under-Display Face ID

Apple is working on a foldable iPad, according to recent reports, and a tipster has now shared some information about the purported tablet’s display. The Cupertino company is expected to equip its foldable tablet with a large screen that is equipped with Face ID. Unlike its recent smartphones which feature a front-facing camera and the sensors used for Face ID inside the Dynamic Island, Apple is tipped to switch to under-display Face ID technology for the foldable iPad Pro.

Foldable iPad Pro Could Sport Display Larger Than Existing MacBook Models

In a post on Weibo, Digital Chat Station (translated from Chinese) claims that Apple’s purported foldable will sport an 18.8-inch display. The tipster says that one of the company’s prototypes is equipped with a “metal superstructure lens”. It is said to allow the iPhone maker to move the sensors for Face ID under the display on the foldable tablet.

Apple will use the so-called metal superstructure lens to integrate both the transmitter and receiver components used for biometric authentication into the new under-display Face ID setup. There’s no word from the tipster on whether the tablet will have a regular camera or an under-display camera.

It’s worth noting that Apple has previously been tipped to be working on a foldable device with an 18.8-inch display. While Digital Chat Station (and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman) has claimed that Apple is working on a foldable iPad Pro model, previous reports suggest that Apple is working on another foldable device with the same display size, but it could be launched as a MacBook.

TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in May 2024 that Apple is working on two screens for a foldable device that is said to be a MacBook. At the time, the analyst claimed that the company was considering using 18.8-inch or 20.25-inch OLED displays for the device.

At the time, Kuo had claimed that Apple supplier LG Display would begin producing these displays in Q4 2025. Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) CEO and Co-Founder Ross Young said that Apple would pick the 18.8-inch model due to the cost of production. A recent report suggested that Apple has tapped Lens Technology to supply ultra-thin glass (UTG) for its upcoming foldable. More details of the device are expected to emerge in the coming months.