Apple may rotate back panel logo on upcoming iPad model designs to landscape orientation: report

Apple’s iPad could be redesigned with a small cosmetic change that affects the appearance of the back panel of the company’s upcoming tablet models. A product designer at the Cupertino company recently told a publication that the company is considering switching its logo on the back panel to a horizontal orientation, due to the increasing use of the iPad in landscape mode. The latest versions of iPadOS also display the company logo in portrait and landscape mode when starting the device, depending on its orientation.

Apple is considering a landscape-oriented logo

Numerama recently interviewed Apple product designer Molly Anderson, who said (translated from the French) that the Apple logo — currently displayed upright in portrait mode — could eventually be rotated to appear upright when the tablet is used in landscape mode.

“We’re thinking about it. The iPad has long been a product that can be used in portrait mode, but we’re increasingly using it in landscape mode. We can’t say it’s set in stone,” Anderson told the publication (translated from French) during an interview.

While this isn’t an official confirmation from Apple of plans to change the position or orientation of its logo on upcoming iPad models, it’s rare to see an Apple employee make a statement like this, given that the company has vetted all responses.

Other signs that Apple favors landscape mode

It’s also worth noting that all of Apple’s current-generation tablets — except the iPad Mini — now have a front-facing camera located on the longer edge of the device so that it’s flush with the user’s face when in landscape mode. In addition to receiving video calls, users could also attach their iPad to one of the company’s keyboards (or a third-party option) which would also put the tablet in landscape mode.

MacRumors also points out that Apple has started checking the iPad’s orientation before displaying the company logo in landscape or portrait mode when it launches, with iPadOS 14.5, back in 2021. The iPad Mini and standard iPad models are set for a refresh, and it remains to be seen if the company will also change the orientation of its logo on its upcoming tablets.