Apple regulatory filings hint at a new iPad possibly coming soon

Apple might have a new iPad in the works, going off documents found this week in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, which contains filings required for devices sold in Russia and other countries. MacRumors reports that the filing doesn’t contain much info apart from the fact that the iPad will run iOS 13. We don’t know what model it’ll be or what features it’ll include. In the past, these filings arrived only days ahead of a formal Apple announcement, meaning this iPad could arrive as soon as this week.

At the same time, the world is in the midst of a pandemic, so Apple might want to wait to release the device at least until people are leaving their houses more and manufacturing has ramped back up in China and elsewhere. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said Apple would launch refreshed iPad Pro models with a triple-lens rear camera system and 3D sensing for augmented reality in the first half of 2020. He also said new iPad Pro, iPad mini, and 10. 2-inch iPad models with Mini-LED backlit displays would be released by the end of 2021.

Again, these plans might be impacted by COVID-19, but this filing does show that Apple has products in the works — and it’s getting all the requisite paperwork in order to globally release them at some point in the future.