Leaked new mysterious device running Apple’s iOS

When a company in the US wants to create products with radio frequencies (such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), the device must be approved by regulatory agencies like the FCC. And the FCC filing recently revealed a mysterious new “Network Adapter” of Apple runs the iOS operating system originally intended for the iPhone.

Apple submitted a sample of this device to the FCC on January 22, 2022. Although there is no picture of the adapter, the document describes its internal hardware in detail.

Apple’s new network adapter with two Gigabit Ethernet ports, antenna WIFI, Bluetooth and NFC along with a USB-C port. The filing also shows that the accessory has 32 GB of internal memory and 1.5 GB of RAM. The second version of the same product has a Lightning port instead of USB-C and only 1 GB of RAM.

FCC filings show Apple has registered a new network device using the iOS operating system Screen capture

The adapter runs firmware with the code “19F47”, which is the initial internal version of iOS 15.5. It is possible that this adapter is based on an Apple Silicon chip, like the Apple Studio display.

Aside from the FCC testing the new accessory connected to the MacBook Pro and iMac, details are still unknown new product because “apple” has requested a non-disclosure agreement in effect until November 2022.

This content from the FCC does not mean that the device will be available anytime soon. Apple has many devices registered with the FCC that are used internally, such as tools used by technicians to repair iPhones and Macs.

In the event that this adapter is an unreleased Apple product, it could be a modern networking hub for Mac users, or an AirPort replacement.