AppleInsider Staff
An iPad carrying the never-before-seen "iPad3,6" designation was reportedly discovered by an app developer in his app analytics log, with the purported device running what looks to be an ARMv7 processor, the same architecture used in Apple's A6 SoC.
As noted by MacRumors, the unique "iPad3,6" designation points to a new version of the current 9.7-inch iPad, which carries the "iPad3,1," "iPad3,2" and "iPad3,3" naming scheme for existing iterations of the device, and not the much-rumored "iPad mini."
While mere speculation, the unknown device could be a slightly tweaked third-generation iPad with Lightning connector support, possibly meant to bring parity to the full-sized tablet's charging system and Apple's recently-released iPhone 5 and upcoming iPod products.
In August, a separate report found a pair of iPads in a developer's access logs bearing the "iPad2,5" and "iPad2,6," designations thought to be the identifiers of Apple's rumored 7.85-inch "iPad mini."
While not entirely out of the realm of possibility, the iPad mini is not expected to use an A6-based chip and is thought to instead leverage a variant of Apple's A5 series found in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. The small form factor tablet is widely believed to carry a non-Retina display, meaning it won't require the same processing power as the third-generation iPad, which itself uses a modified A5 chip.
Apple is expected to debut the 7.85-inch iPad sometime this October, however there has been little information regarding an updated third-generation iPad.
Amber Neely
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Chip Loder
64 Comments
Nice. Can't wait to see it.
I wonder if the iPad Mini will have the cell unit built in for AT&T and Verizon? NVM. I saw an older post showing a sim tray. Still one can't be sure until you see the real thing. But given the iPhone 5 posts before its release I would say the iPad mini will have the cell unit built in.
The plot thickens.
I was bracing myself to expect an A5 chip, which is still extremely fast. I will be pleasantly surprised if this sports an A6 variant.
Perhaps the iPad mini with an A6 and and iPad 4 later this year with an A7. I can see the iPhone and iPad mini using the same chipsets and the iPad using a generation above chip each year.
I'm holding out for the A8. /smile I hope Audi are OK with all this! Soli did predict the mini might well have the A6.