Apple submitted a mysterious Bluetooth and NFC device for FCC approval

By Christian de Looper Published February 13, 2017

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple filed an unnamed wireless device with the Federal Communications Commission, marking the third time in recent memory that the company has done so. In fact, the model number for the mysterious device sits in at A1845, right in between the A1844 and A1846 model numbers spotted in an earlier filing.

So what is the unnamed device? Well, good question. The Cupertino, California-based company requested confidentiality for most of the documents in the filing, meaning that pretty much all we know is that a device exists. We do also know that the device has Bluetooth LE and NFC — but that is it. The model numbers included don’t allude to any other Apple devices already on offer.

When the first filing was found, some speculated that it could relate to a new Apple TV — but the wiring guide included with the filing suggests that may not be the case. As MacRumors notes, it is perhaps more likely that the device is for internal use only, like iBeacon, which is used by Apple to communicate with OS devices. That, however, does not explain why it would want to keep the new product secretive.

It’s likely it will remain a mystery what the new device is until it is released and if it is for internal use we may never actually discover what Apple is putting together here. Still, we can dream — perhaps it is a Siri-enabled smart speaker. Or, could it be a new Wi-Fi router? Who knows, it could also represent a new attempt at entering the smart home world.

To see the mysterious listing for yourself, head over to the FCC website — although don’t expect to find out much about what could be an interesting new product.

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Christian de Looper

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Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

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