New renderings of the rumored iPad Pro 2021 hint at a possible design direction for Apple's next tablet.

Pigtou, with the help of David at @xleaks, has released the following images and video purportedly based on leaked CAD files of a smaller 11-inch version of Apple's next premium tablet. This concept iPad Pro looks a lot like the iPad Pro, but with only minor changes that could have major consequences.

The main change from the previous generation is more holes in the part of the chassis where the quad speaker system fires. The current iPad Pro has 17 holes drilled on either side of the USB-C port on the bottom, while this rendering has 15 on one side and 20 on the other. This is a small design tweak, but may indicate a larger change regarding components and their placement within the iPad.

We also know from previous leaks that the larger 12.9-inch model may have smaller bezels around the display. Pigtou, however, does not mention it for the 11" version.

The tablet's shape is unchanged from the previous generation. The dimensions are also the same: 247.6 mm high, 178.5 mm wide, and 5.9 mm thick, and if the height of the square camera bump is included, the thickness is 7.7 mm. This is good news because it means that all current accessories for the iPad Pro, including the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil 2, will fit in without modification.

Other returning elements include a USB-C port, a rear Smart Connector to power accessories, and dual rear cameras with LiDAR sensors.

We expect Face ID to return as well, although Apple may add the Touch ID sensor with the new power button on the new iPad Air as another unlock method.

It remains to be seen what kind of chip the new iPad Pro will have. iPad Pros typically use a high-powered version of Apple's latest mobile chipset, so some improved version, the silicon found in the iPad Air and iPhone 12 series It is highly likely that the A14 chip will be installed. If so, the iPad Pro could be the first in the iPad series to support 5G.

However, Pigtou speculates that it could be the same M1 chip found in the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini. If Apple wants to focus on the iPad Pro as a full-fledged laptop replacement, it would certainly offer a lot of power. Furthermore, we know that iOS apps will run on the M1 chip because it shares architecture with Apple's A-series chips.

In Pigtou's view, the new iPad Pro will be released in May-June 2021, which would be around Apple's WWDC conference.

This is later than the 2020 iPad Pro released last March, although that version was released without an announcement event. Perhaps Apple wants to spotlight the new tablet alongside the latest versions of iOS and macOS at the WWDC keynote.