Apple's upcoming iPad Pro is likely to include a horizontal FaceID camera, according to code discovered in iOS 17.4 by writer Steve Moser. The code reads: "When setting up FaceID, the iPad needs to be in landscape orientation with the camera at the top of the screen."
With the 10th generation iPad, Apple moved the front-facing camera to the side of the device so that it can be used in landscape mode instead of portrait mode.
The iPad Pro is currently the only iPad model with FaceID, so the code suggests Apple is moving the front-facing camera from the top of the device to the side. However, Apple may add FaceID to the iPad Air, so it's possible this change will apply to that device as well.
Apple has long positioned the iPad Pro as a Mac replacement, and as a Mac replacement, the iPad Pro is typically used in landscape orientation rather than portrait orientation, so it would make sense to move the camera elsewhere.
There are rumors that Apple will launch new iPad Air and iPad Pro as soon as April.