Apple Spring Loaded Event on April 20: New iPad Pro with mini-LED display, redesigned iMac in iPad Air colours and more expected

Apple could unveil a redesigned iMac and the long-rumoured AirTags at the 'Spring Loaded' Apple event.

Apple event on April 20 has been confirmed. The iPhone 12 maker is expected to unveil new hardware products, including a mini-LED iPad Pro. Rumours also suggest that Apple could unveil a redesigned iMac and the long-rumoured AirTags at the 'Spring Loaded' Apple event. 

The Apple Spring Event invite does not reveal much about the hardware products. However, it is rumoured that Apple will unveil a new iPad Pro at the event. The 2021 iPad Pro will come in two screen sizes - 11-inch and 12.9-inch. Only the 12.9-inch model will come with a mini-LED display, as per reports online.

Mini-LED displays offer better wide colour gamut performance with high contrast and HDR. The new displays would also support local dimming, which will dim the backlight behind the screen’s area that is displaying black, keeping the other parts bright. The use of mini-LEDs will also result in thinner and lighter product designs.

There were reports mentioning Apple suppliers struggling to manufacture the mini-LED display. However, a recent MacRumours report, citing DigiTimes, claimed that Apple supplier Ennostar has substantially improved its yield rates for Mini-LED chips. The supplier is expected to scale up its output for the new iPad Pro starting later this month.

CAD renders of the Apple iPad Pro 11-inch and 12.9-inch models had leaked earlier this year. The two iPad Pro models look quite similar to their predecessors. 

Starting with the 11-inch iPad Pro 2021, the tablet will sport the same design as the iPad Pro 2020. It will have a slate-like form factor and a square-shaped camera setup. The camera module will house a dual-camera setup with space for an additional sensor and the LED flash. Details about the three sensors are unknown but we can expect it to house a 12MP primary camera and a LiDAR sensor alongside the 8MP ultrawide camera. At the front, the 11-inch display will be surrounded by narrow bezels like the iPad Pro 2020. 

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021 will house the Face ID sensors above the display. There is no word on the inclusion of Touch ID inside the power button like the Apple iPad Air 2020. The bigger iPad Pro will also have a quad-speaker system. It will sport a dual-camera setup at the back with the LED flash and LiDAR sensor.

The 2021 iMac is tipped to get a new design this year. It will have narrow bezels, similar to what we see on the iPad Pro. Apple could launch the iMac in a variety of colour options. These colour options would be the same as the 2020 Apple iPad Air. This means that the iMac will come in Silver, Space Grey, Rose Gold, Sky Blue, and Green colour options. Specifications of the 2021 Apple iMac are currently under wraps.

AirTags have been rumoured to launch for a very long time. AirTags is Apple’s version of Bluetooth tags that could be used to track the attached item using your iPhone. There are multiple similar products available from other brands, but Apple’s AirTags are expected to redefine the category using UWB (ultra-wideband) technology found on the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, and the Pro models.

Apple is said to launch the AirPods third-generation with a design similar to the current-generation AirPods Pro. There could be a small stem and replaceable silicone ear-tips. Apple is also said to be working on making battery life better on the third-generation AirPods. There will be no Active Noise Cancellation feature on AirPods 3.