A report by French website Consomac indicates Apple could be soon releasing new iPhone models, possibly a new model to replace the long-in-the-tooth iPhone SE. The indication comes in a new Russian-language regulatory filing in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) database on Tuesday.
We have indeed discovered that the Eurasian Economic Union has just authorized the sale on the Armenian, Belorussian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Russian soil of a whole slew of new smartphone heads. Equipped with iOS 11, they carry the model numbers A1920, A1921, A1984, A2097, A2098, A2099, A2101, A2103, A2104, A2105 and A2106. None of these numbers correspond to an existing model.
The filing is required by Russia for any product that contain encryption and/or cryptographic tools. Such filings in the past have revealed new Apple products. A February 19 filing by Apple revealed that two new models of the iPad were on the way. Apple unveiled Wi-Fi and cellular data versions of a new 9.7-inch iPad on March 27.
This indicated that the new iPhone models could debut as soon as early summer. Apple is widely expected to debut three new flagship iPhone models this year, but none of those are expected to make an appearance until September.
The new model numbers are possibly connected to a new entry-level smartphone that Apple is also believed to be developing. The device is said to be similar to the current iPhone SE model, which hasn’t received a refresh (other than a storage increase), since it debuted in March 2016. The new handset is widely expected to support wireless charging and to debut this summer.
