Apple will launch updated iPad Pro tablets outfitted with rear cameras using time-of-flight 3D sensing technology in the first quarter of 2020, according to reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
According to Kuo’s note to clients, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, a time-of-flight camera would result in more accurate 3D sensing, better augmented reality features, improved photography and so forth. The new tablets will come in eleven and 12.9-inch sizes.
Also, this bit from AppleInsider:
The new iPad Pro is expected to see the first usage of a ‘LCP Soft Board,’ referring to a material known as Liquid Crystal Polymer. As the name suggests, the board is soft and can be used as a flexible way to connect components together, working around the restrictions of inflexible PCBs.
The use of LCP Soft Board is apparently being made in preparation for the use of 5G modems in the iPad Pro. According to Kuo, Apple will introduce 5G-supporting models in 2021.
A time-of-flight system resolves distance and maps objects by measuring the time it takes a beam of infrared light to bounce off of objects. This technology is said to yield even more accurate results than the TrueDepth camera system found on recent iPhones and iPads.
The revered analyst previously predicted that a time-of-flight camera system was headed for two iPhone models set to be released next year. As MacRumors points out, this is the first time that he’s specified the 3D-sensing hardware will be available in the next iPad Pro models, too.
Apple may want to outfit its iOS devices scheduled for release in 2020 with time-of-flight sensors to boost AR experiences in preparation for its oft-rumored AR headset. Kuo also wrote in today’s report that Apple is working with “third-party brands” to launch an AAR headset accessory sometime during the second quarter of 2020.
What do you make of all this, girls and boys?
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