EEC Filing Confirms Five Mysterious New iPads Are Coming Soon
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A recent regulatory filing suggests that a new slate of iPads could be coming sooner than expected this year.
Apple registered a total of five unreleased iPad models with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) on Wednesday, as first spotted by Indian blog MySmartPrice. All of the iPads are listed as running iPadOS software version 13. The model numbers include:
- A2068
- A2197
- A2198
- A2228
- A2230
It isn’t clear what specific upcoming iPads those model numbers are associated with, but there are some pending refreshes in Apple’s tablet lineup.
2019 iPad Pro Lineup
For example, Apple is largely expected to release new iPad Pro models this year or early next. Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted back in May that two new iPad Pro models would enter mass production in the fourth quarter of 2019 or the first quarter of 2020.
Those iPad Pros could sport improved antenna technology for better connectivity.
Based on the fact that the last iPad Pros were released in October 2018, there’s a good chance that Apple will follow a similar release timeline for its pro tablets this year.
10.2-inch iPad
Apple is also rumored to be on the verge of dropping a successor to its entry-level 9.7-inch iPad. The new lower-cost iPad could have a 10.2-inch display, according to a March 2019 tweet by CoinX.
While it isn’t clear where CoinX gets his or her information, the leaker has an impressive track record of sourcing accurate information.
The 9.7-inch iPad was released back in March 2018, so Apple is a bit behind on its entry-level release schedule. It’s possible that the company could debut a new 10.2-inch iPad sometime over the summer. That may be more likely than a release alongside new iPad Pros.
Besides a larger display, it isn’t clear what new features the 10.2-inch could have. It’s probably safe to expect a faster processor and other incremental upgrades, however.
EEC filings
In any case, we do know that new iPads are coming thanks to the EEC filings. Apple is required to register any new devices with encryption sold in Russia and other countries with the EEC, and similar filings have foreshadowed iPad releases in the past.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
