A mysterious Apple device passed through the FCC recently, with the confusion surrounding it due to its features and specifications not lining up with any known Apple product lines.
In the FCC filings, where the mystery Apple product is listed with model number A1844, it can be seen that it is a wireless device that features Bluetooth and NFC functionality.
The filings also show that the mysterious device is a low-powered one, drawing between 100 mA and 700 mA and between 5.5 V and 13.2 V. In addition, images of the device reveal only a pair of torx screws at its bottom plate, with the device said to be featuring color-coded cables. Such cables, however, does not seem like something that Apple would do for one of its products, so perhaps they would only be used for internal testing processes.
Wi-Fi tests, meanwhile, were not done for the device, which implies that it either has no Wi-Fi functionality or it uses an already existing design.
As with previous FCC filings, Apple made sure that it leaked the bare minimum of details regarding the unannounced device, with the company's usual request to maintain confidentiality that removed the documents that showed more revealing information.
What could the unannounced Apple device be?
Next-Generation Apple TV
Many news outlets are speculating that the device is the next Apple TV, as hinted by the positioning of the torx screws and the dimensions of its case.
There are many upgrades that Apple can do for a fifth-generation Apple TV, including adding support for 4K and HDR
However, the power rating of the device is different compared with that of the current Apple TV, which is rated at 920 mA and 12 V.
Amazon Echo Competitor
Apple was recently reported to be preparing a competitor against the Amazon Echo, with the company's product to be powered by digital personal assistant Siri. It was said that Apple thought of integrating the system into the Apple TV, but the company decided to make it a stand-alone device. Could this be the mysterious device that passed through the FCC?
Device For Internal Use
However, the filing revealed that the device includes specific regulatory text at its back, including a wiring guide, which is not typical of Apple devices.
Along with the color-coded cables, the mysterious Apple device could be something that is intended for internal use such as the iBeacon hardware that the company has implemented in its retails stores. The iBeacon technology, which was announced in 2013 and passed through the FCC in 2014, allows iOS devices to communicate through Bluetooth LE to transmitters for the delivery of information to the user's apps and services.
The inclusion of NFC technology, which has only been used so far by Apple for its Apple Pay system, hints that the device can be a point-of-sale terminal.
