Touch ID
Naturally, the new iPad still only supports Touch ID — Face ID remains the exclusive domain of Apple’s much more expensive iPad Pro models. Interestingly, however, Apple has not upgraded the Touch ID sensor on the new iPad — in fact, if the information Apple has published is accurate, it looks like it may be a downgrade from the sixth-generation model.
According to Apple’s specs, the iPad uses a first-generation Touch ID sensor — the same one found on the iPhone 6 — which will be slightly slower than the second-gen version that’s found in the iPad Air — and every iPhone released since 2015. We’re a bit skeptical about this one, as it could simply be an error in Apple’s published tech specs, but that’s what it says right now. We’ve reached out to Apple for comment and will update this if we here anything back.