It’s the regulatory applications that sometimes tell you when the really cool stuff is coming.
Apple has obtained permission to sell two new iPads in several Eurasian countries, suggesting that the company is planning to announce them in the near future.
Per Consomac, the Eurasian Economic Commission, which oversees Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, this week approved “A1893” and “A1954” models. Those model numbers don’t correspond to any existing iPads or current Apple products.
Apple has also been granted permission to bring assorted iPad and iPhone “samples” into the region. These units feature “CC” and “AA” prefixes in front of their model numbers and represents the first time Apple has won EEC permission for samples.
The upcoming iPad models could represent a significant step forward and code strings in the iOS 11.3 betas currently refer to a “Modern” model. Before the announcement of the iPhone X, pre-release iOS 11 code referenced a “Modern” iPhone.
It’s rumored that the new iPads could feature Face ID and edge-to-edge displays, abandoning Touch ID and even the relatively modest bezels of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. The products are likely to use LCD instead of OLED, however, given the cost of OLED and the difficulty of mass production.
It’s also thought that these units could be the 10.5 and 12.9-inch iPad Pros.
As of now, it’s unknown when Apple will update its 9.7-inch “budget” iPad.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Consomac