New iPod touch, new iPad and mystery iOS device details have been spotted lurking in the code of the latest iOS 4.1 beta. With Apple’s annual iPod refresh due next month, the timing is pretty interesting especially with rumours of an iPad mini rattling around the web and renewed talk about an iOS-powered Apple TV. Could that be the mystery iOS device?
Sources who’ve delved into the latest beta of iOS 4.1 claim to have discovered profiles for three new devices nestled within the USB configuration files. All three are tagged as Apple creations.
The first is no real surprise: the new iPod touch which has the code “iPod 4.1”. That suggests a redesigned device rather than a revision to the current iPod touch. Recent rumours have suggested the new iPod touch will pack the same Retina screen as the iPhone 4 and a new look to bring it in line with its design.
The next product reference is to the “iProd 2.1”. That’s an intriguing one. Before the original iPad was launched, configuration files listed it as “iProd 1.1”. That suggests the next generation iPad is already being tested or even that the rumoured iPad Mini could actually be in the works.
The third and final new Apple product is a mystery. It’s listed as “unknownHardware”. The configuration files for the device include an Apple product ID (20547) but the description reads “Unknown – Add device descriptor info for this device”.
With recent rumours that an iOS-enabled Apple TV (potentially but problematically dubbed the iTV) is on the way, it seems a good candidate for the mystery product. But with Apple’s piles of patents, it could be a brand new class of iOS device entirely.
Let us know: what do you think Apple’s mystery iOS device is? Are we set to see the new Apple TV along with the new iPod touch in September? And could a new iPad model arrive in time for Christmas too?
Out TBC | £TBC | Apple (via Apple Insider)
