Sometimes it’s the regulatory filings that hint at the really nifty products en route to the market.
Per French website Consomac, a new Russian-language regulatory filing discovered in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) database pointing towards several unreleased iPhone models that Apple could be launching relatively soon.
The new iPhone model numbers running iOS 11 are listed as A1920, A1921, A1984, A2097, A2098, A2099, A2101, A2103, A2104, A2105 and A2106. None of the numbers correspond to Apple’s existing smartphone lineup.
The filing satisfies Russia’s requirement for companies to register all products featuring encryption and/or cryptographic tools. The filings, as of February 19th, also revealed the existence of two new models of iPad, which proved to be the Wi-Fi and cellular versions of Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad unveiled on March 27. As such, there’s a decent chance the new model numbers identify iPhones tipped for a May or June launch. Several new models of MacBook were also registered with the EEC in May of last year, and those notebooks were announced at WWDC 2017.
Apple is said to be introducing three new flagship iPhone models in 2018. Two will feature OLED displays and measure 5.8 inches and 6.5 inches, respectively. The final model will be a 6.1-inch LCD model that should sell at a lower price point. All three will feature Face ID and edge-to-edge displays, but none are expected to arrive before the usual September timeframe when Apple’s major annual iPhone event typically takes place.
The rumor mill has also suggested that Apple will bring a new entry-level smartphone model to market similar to the iPhone SE that will support wireless charging and be released in time for summer 2018.
Apple has yet to offer a true second-gen iPhone SE since its introduction on March 2016, although it did double the model’s available storage capacities to 64GB and 128GB in March 2017. Apple hasn’t launched an iPhone at WWDC in the last seven years, the last announcement being the iPhone 4 in 2010, so the company may be altering its release date timing yet again.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.