New 'Series 4' Apple Watch spotted in Eurasian regulatory filing

Recent filings by the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) strongly suggests Apple is close to revealing the Apple Watch "Series 4," by publishing a batch of model numbers that appear similar to those of existing models of the wearable device.

The EEC filings by Apple, first spotted by Consomac, consists of 14 model numbers, all following the same format of the letter A followed by four numbers. While most correspond to the Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3, six of the model numbers do not relate to any current or previous Apple Watch model at all.

The model numbers in question are: A1975, A1976, A1977, A1978, A2007, and A2008.

It is thought the six model numbers means there will be six models in the Series 4 range, down from the eight models offered under Series 3. It is unknown why, but it could mean the removal of one of the case material options from the roster, which currently consists of aluminum, steel, and ceramic.

It may also signify a change in product mix, with the number of models with and without LTE altered.

The only other main bit of information provided in the three filings is that watchOS 5 will be the operating system running on all devices. Apple is currently expected to ship watchOS 5 this fall alongside iOS 12, tvOS 12, and macOS 10.14 Mojave.

The filings with the EEC are required by any company looking to market devices using encryption in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Though relatively little information can be gleaned from the filings, they do typically serve as an indication that a product will be launching within the next few months.

Current speculation about the Series 4 wearable devices is for it to receive its first redesign since 2015, including a 15-percent bigger display, a potentially larger chassis, and a larger lithium ion battery. New functionality is unknown, but rumors from 2017 pointed to an embedded EKG module and a non-invasive glucose monitor being researched by the company, albeit not necessarily for the incoming hardware.