iOS 7.1 has just launched for Apple’s existing iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch range, but the update’s code seems to point to new versions of the current iPad Air and iPad mini hardware.
A run-through of the supported devices in the latest version of iOS brings the usual assortment of shiny phones, tablets, and media players. But there are two devices that we haven’t seen before.
As pointed out by 9to5Mac, the iPad 4,3 and iPad 4,6, are new to the range. What could they be? An iPad mini 3, perhaps?
We know that Apple is almost certain to launch at least one new iPad model this year, with the possibility of a super-sized 12.9-inch version also somewhere on the horizon. But these devices mentioned in iOS 7.1 represent none of those.
You see, the current versions of the iPad Air are known, in the above codey parlance, as the iPad 4,1 and iPad 4,2. Meanwhile current iPad mini 2 Retina models are known as the iPad 4,4 and the iPad 4,5.
As you can see, the new iPad 4,3 and iPad 4,6 would follow on from these two sequences. This would suggest that Apple is set to quietly slip revised models of the iPad Air and iPar mini 2 out onto the market.
Apple has made such minor hardware revisions in the past without making any official announcements. It’s also possible that these are simply versions that have been tweaked to run better on another country’s mobile network.
Either way, don’t expect any startling new iPad reveals in the immediate future.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
