This major iPad Pro upgrade will also work on third-party apps

Ipad Pro Hero
Ipad Pro Hero (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple released a brand new iPad Pro with M1 at its Apple event yesterday.
  • It includes a beefier TrueDepth camera with a feature called Center Stage.
  • A new report says that Center Stage will be available to third-party apps and developers.

At its April Apple event Tuesday the company unveiled a brand new iPad Pro featuring an all-new M1 processor and a mini-LED display.

One major new feature is the iPad's new front-facing camera and Center Stage technology, as explained by Apple:

The TrueDepth camera system on iPad Pro features an all-new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera designed specifically for iPad, enabling Center Stage, a new experience for video calls. Center Stage uses the much larger field of view on the new front camera and the machine learning capabilities of M1 to recognize and keep users centered in the frame. As users move around, Center Stage automatically pans to keep them in the shot. When others join in, the camera detects them too, and smoothly zooms out to fit everyone into the view and make sure they are part of the conversation. So whether whiteboarding with coworkers or attending a virtual family gathering, the experience of connecting is now more engaging than ever.

A new report says Center Stage will be available for third-party apps. From Federico Viticci:

See more

It means the feature could be included in other apps like Facebook Messenger, Zoom, and more.

As mentioned, the new iPad Pro is also powered by Apple silicon thanks to the M1 chip. It has an awesome new mini-LED display, up to 2TB of storage, and even up to 16GB of RAM.

Everything you want and more

Everything you want and more

This is the biggest update we've seen to the iPad Pro lineup in years. With new storage options, better RAM, and the incredible M1 chip powering it all, the iPad Pro (2021) is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Pre-orders at Apple start April 30, 2021.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9