Tech blogs 91mobile and MySmartPrice on Tuesday posted a series of allegedly leaked factory CAD images of Apple's upcoming fifth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro.
Rumors suggest Apple plans to announce two new iPad Pro models in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions, and today's images offer perhaps the clearest indication yet that Apple's next-generation iPad Pros will have minimal, if any, external design changes.
According to MySmartPrice, the the fifth-generation 11-inch iPad Pro will be the same thickness, but Apple will "shave off some millimeters from the length and breadth." The device may also exhibit changes to the internal speaker system, by potentially reducing the number of speakers grilles and relocating them.
Previous rumors about the next-generation iPad Pro models indicate no changes to the display size or housing, but A-series chip performance is expected to be "significantly improved."
According to one rumor, the rear cameras are said to protrude less in the new iPad Pro models. Specifically, the camera bump will remain, but the protrusion of the individual camera lenses will not be required.
There is also the suggestion that Apple will release standard iPad Pro 11-inch and 12.9-inch updates, while also making a separate high-end mini-LED 12.9-inch model, which could be about 0.5mm thicker to accommodate the higher spec display.
DigiTimes believes Apple is working on a 5G iPad with mmWave support, which would be positioned as a high-end iPad Pro, and 5G support could be released alongside the new mini-LED display.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that a mini-LED iPad Pro launch is expected in the first half of this year, while DigiTimes also believes a mini-LED iPad Pro will launch in early 2021, as does Korea's ETNews.
