Apple is expected to announce new iPad Pro models as early as April, and ahead of time, accessory maker ESR has added a variety of iPad Pro 2021 cases and foils to its online store, which offers some potential design clues.
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While the cases suggest that the new generation iPad Pro will not have significant design changes, ESR informed MacRumors that there will be fewer speaker holes on the new models. This is in line with a report on the Japanese website Mac Otakara, which in January claimed that the number of speaker holes on the new iPad Pro models will be reduced by a third, although the reason for this alleged change is unclear.
A one-third discount would work like this:
- 11-inch iPad Pro: 13 holes on the speaker → 8-9 holes on the speaker
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro: 17 holes on the speaker → 11-12 holes on the speaker
The new iPad Pro models are expected to have four stereo speakers, with two on the top edge and two on the bottom edge.
The new iPad Pro models are expected to be equipped with a faster A14X chip, which is virtually identical to the M1 chip of the latest Macs. Last week, BloombergMark Gurman reported that the new models could also have Thunderbolt support, which is certainly plausible, given that the M1 chip supports Thunderbolt on the Mac. Gurman is also expecting improved cameras and a Mini-LED display on at least the 12.9-inch model.
Mac Otakara reported that the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be about 0.5mm thicker, while the 11-inch model will apparently have the same thickness, further suggesting that a Mini-LED display could be exclusively for the model bigger.
The new iPad Pro is also expected to support 5G with a Qualcomm modem in cellular models.
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As mentioned by the French site iPhoneSoft, ESR has also listed new cases for third-generation AirPods that suggest that Apple’s wireless charging case will be slightly elongated, as previously rumored. The new AirPods are expected to have a design similar to the AirPods Pro, but without active noise cancellation or silicone ear tips to maintain differentiation.