Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Learn more.
What is Center Stage? Apple’s front camera tech explained
In This Article
Apple recently unveiled the newest addition to its premium Air tablet line with theiPad Air 5. One of the most exciting features coming to the line this year is Center Stage.
Center Stage is a camera feature we first heard about at theiPad Prolaunch in spring 2021. While it began as a Pro-exclusive, the feature has since trickled down to Apple’s other iPad ranges, including theiPad, theiPad Miniand, more recently, the iPad Air.
But, what exactly is Center Stage and what benefit does it bring to your video calls?
What is Center Stage?
Center Stage – or Centre Stage, if you’re visiting Apple’s UK website – is a video calling feature found across Apple’s current iPad line-up along with the newStudio Display.
The feature uses machine learning to automatically adjust the angle of the ultra-wide front-facing camera on your device to ensure you stay in frame during video calls.
This essentially means that you can move around and bring more people into and out of frame without worrying about adjusting the angle manually to ensure none of your heads get chopped off in the call.
The feature works with FaceTime, along with a number of third-party apps, such as Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Skype.
You can see Center Stage in action about 50 seconds into the video below:
Of course, this feature isn’t unique to Apple. Amazon launched a similar feature on theEcho Show 10back in February 2021 that allows the display to do essentially the same thing, panning and zooming to keep you in frame without you having to adjust the screen yourself.
Which iPads come with Center Stage?
Every iPad released since Center Stage first became available in spring 2021 supports the handy video calling feature. Apple also added the tech to the Studio Display.
See below for a complete list of all the iPads that currently support Center Stage:
You might like…
Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
