Same here — unless my hand happens to be blocking the camera, it works nearly perfectly for me.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPad Pro 2021 iPad Pro vs Air 4
- Thread starter jsmith1
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
There’s no question that it has to be manipulated much more if SOLELY in landscape mode than the home button ...I had one I know. You’re always turning a little etc..I’m sure it gets easier but it’s never as good as home button for never moving...truth
On a desk or holding it?
Docked 2-3ft away, I've never had issues with FaceID.
Alas, holding the iPad, the base of my thumb always seems to be just jutting out enough to interfere with the FaceID sensors. Plus, when it's sitting on my tummy, I often need to adjust the angle as well.
According to my settings I have the option to do an alternate Face ID scan and I wonder if I can get it to scan with mask on, or looking away without requiring my eyeballs looking directly at the camera. I haven’t tried so I wouldn’t know. I get the odd camera covered message but i just move my hand and it works.
I disabled face id because the iPad always say I am too far away or not at the right angle... plus I don't use a keyboard, is sits on stand most of the time, so I have to reach the screen anyway...
The Windows Hello camera on my Surface Book instead never complains and even unlocks at more extreme angles such as when I am standing
I love the Air, but the Procreate patch being issued for the M1 iPad Pro and a $70 price match discount* on the 256gb WiFi Pro made me order another iPad Pro today.
I will not use Face ID on the iPP, but would love it if the Touch ID on the Power Button gets added to more iPads and the iPhone, stat.
*Microcenter are discounting the 128, 256 -and I think 512- WiFi M1 11” iPad Pros and Best Buy pricedmatched through the online chat.
I will not use Face ID on the iPP, but would love it if the Touch ID on the Power Button gets added to more iPads and the iPhone, stat.
*Microcenter are discounting the 128, 256 -and I think 512- WiFi M1 11” iPad Pros and Best Buy pricedmatched through the online chat.
Still just very happy with my iPad Air 4, it does everything I need and I love the screen
60hz on iPhone especially when you pair it with the 120hz touch response (X and newer) makes it still feel a lot nicer than a 60hz iPad. I can move between a iPad Pro and iPhone 11 Pro without noticing it too much + it helps that it’s a smaller screen.
my work had a mask policy but not required when sitting at your desk or when sitting 6 feet apart. i think the mask was more of an issue with the iPhone than an iPad. I typically don't walk around using my iPad at work.
This is why I still prefer TouchID on 10-11” iPads. When I need to takes notes and document stuff, I do walk around with the iPad at work. The 12.9”, I leave at my desk and since it’s a solo office, I don’t need to wear a mask there so FaceID works great.
Can’t you adjust the time before the iPad locks screen if you are out and about taking notes and documenting stuff ?
I haven’t tried it, but I read somewhere that the alternate scan could not be used with a mask.
Absolute truth...in landscape which is how an iPad should be used anyway it was wacky and frustrating...bu bye to it
lol why did you start this thread? you seem to be trying to justify an air 4 over the latest pro... the face ID in landscape is a non issue on the 21.
you'll always wonder about the pro, if you get the air 4....
get the newest iPad available, I've been down the same path with the air 4, tried it but then kept telling myself for the extra $190 I get so much more with the pro.
Last edited:
Perhaps this ‘so much more’ isn’t needed by everyone? I’ve never wondered about the Pro as the Air already offers way more than I need. The only time I’ve seen the Air criticised is on this forum where the odd few seem to think everybody should have the same buying criteria as them with no exception. When I upgraded my iPad back in January, I’d only ever bought the basic entry level iPads. The Air was a little more than I’d ever spend at £519. I could have bought a Pro for £230 more but I didn’t need to. Not everybody uses an iPad for productivity and the iPad 8 and Air are very capable devices.
I totally agree. There is no doubt that Pro 11” is technically better than Air 4 in any way, except for the TouchID. However, Air 4 is still a very capable device and should remain so for the next 3-4 years. For people with simple needs and workflows it is great. It is an iPhone 12 of iPads, doing everything very well. ? If you want/need the absolute best from an iPad, go Pro by all means and be happy with your choice. If you just need a modern middle-range iPad - Air 4 is there for you too. At the end of the day it is what makes you happy.
The Air was a better value back in January but now with the M1 11” out, there’s no way I’d settle on the Air unless $200 was a significant amount of money for me. Reason being already spending a massive amount on a tablet to be honest.
No doubt $200 is $200 but the immediate improvements you get even if you don’t plan on fully utilizing some of the extras is enough for me. It’s going to last another year or two in the long run as well.
No doubt $200 is $200 but the immediate improvements you get even if you don’t plan on fully utilizing some of the extras is enough for me. It’s going to last another year or two in the long run as well.
Last edited:
£200 isn’t necessarily a significant amount of money for me in daily life either but when you’re already spending £140 more for the Air, that £200 is now £340 more. What exactly does the Pro offer that I’m not getting from the Air? I see this mentality a lot on these forums and I saw the same comments when the iPhone 12/12 Pro launched. People saying if you pay just £150 more, you get the ‘Pro features’. So what? If someone has already paid £849 for a device, that supposedly little bit extra becomes more significant when you realise you’ve actually paid £1k+ for a device you’re likely not going to use any differently.
This is my major annoyance with advice from some tech enthusiasts and I’m glad I’m not reading a lot of these threads as a novice, otherwise I think I’d fall victim to some very poor advice. You have to buy the device that suits your needs and if the Pro offers those extras that you’ll use, then great. It’s not a necessity for everybody though and that’s the fundamental failure of some in this thread IMO.
This is fine, I see your logic. You prefer to invest into the best possible specs to get the highest resale value in the future. This makes total sense with cars or houses, IMO. However, realistically any tech (iPhones and iPads) are fast ageing consumables and Apple wants them that way, else they would be losing sales. Three years from now both Air 4 and Pro 11 M1 will be worth very little (old screen tech, not enough RAM, not fast enough, etc., etc.) If you keep it in mint condition over these years, you may be lucky to sell it for about a 1/4 of what you had payed for it. Take this example - how much would you be willing to pay for an iPad Pro 10.5” today, knowing you could also get a Pro 11” from 2018, 2020 & 2021? See what I mean? With Pro you are just paying extra for the latest tech, effectively subsidising it for future “non-Pro” products.