Leaked Dummy units show iPad Mini 6 with thick bezels and Home button, new iPad Pro models

Rumors suggest that Apple will release updated versions of the iPad mini and iPad Pro models in the first half of this year, possibly as early as this month, and a new leak today has given us a possible preview of what to expect in terms of the overall design of devices and the camera outlook.

Tech leaker and Apple blogger Sonny Dickson this morning shared images on Twitter with dummy versions of the upcoming 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, and a revamped iPad mini 6. Dummies are mostly based on CAD schemes sourced from the Chinese supply chain and are often used to create case makers. help before official reveal.

Perhaps the biggest talking point in the photos is the look of the iPad mini, which appears to have the same overall design as the previous model, complete with Home button and thick bezels on the top and bottom, although Dickson suggests the device is’ somewhat ‘looks like. thicker. ”

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will launch a new iPad mini that can measure between 8.5 and 9 inches, and BloombergSimilarly, Mark Gurman has said that the next iPad mini will have a larger screen. However, whether the larger screen means a larger iPad mini or a reduction in the bezel has remained unclear and it is difficult to determine the exact size of the doll in the images.

Japanese site Mac Otakara has claimed that the iPad mini 6 will have an 8.4-inch display with slimmer bezels and a design similar to the iPad Air 3. But it also claims that the new model will have a Touch ID Home button and a Lightning port. and is therefore not expected to reflect the major design changes seen on the iPad Air and iPad Pro.

That said, Kuo believes Apple is working on a new iPad mini with a mini LED display, which could be the same iPad mini that’s getting bigger and bigger. But again, it’s not clear if that’s the same iPad mini shown in these images.

On the iPad Pro dummies, the new models appear to have the same dual lens camera system with LiDAR scanner. However, the camera bump on the 12.9-inch model seems to stick out less than on the 11-inch model. Rumors suggest that the protrusion of the individual lenses in the camera module will be reduced, but the camera itself is still expected to protrude.

Meanwhile, the reduced-bezel designs seem to mirror current models, apart from the Smart Connector mysteriously missing from the bottom of the 12.9-inch model. Dickson has confirmed MacRumors that the connector doesn’t appear anywhere else on the doll, and it’s hard to know if the omission is intentional or a mistake. Apart from that, it is difficult to find out the exact screen sizes and dimensions of the iPad Pro models from the photos, but no major design changes are expected.

Gurman has said new iPad Pro models will have an updated A14X processor that is “on par” with the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, along with better cameras. A mini LED display will be included with “at least” the larger 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, with the display upgrade providing improved brightness and contrast ratios. This is in line with other rumors we’ve heard, and most of the information suggests that the improved display technology will be limited to the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌.

Apple has also reportedly tested iPad Pros with a Thunderbolt connector that would make them compatible with additional external monitors, hard drives and peripherals, plus it allows for faster data sync speeds, but it’s unclear if the feature will be included in the last 2021- models. . Apple’s Mac machines have been equipped with Thunderbolt technology for years, but the current iPad Pro and iPad Air models have USB-C ports as standard.

We’re still waiting for concrete details from Apple about a potential event in April, but Gurman has claimed the company wants to announce new iPads as early as this month, including new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. Whether they will arrive via a press release or be announced at a digital-only event remains to be seen.