Evidence of a new iPad has reportedly surfaced, though it's not the one everyone's been talking about.
According to MacRumors, a developer spotted a device referred to as the "iPad3,6" in his app analytics.
Presumably a tablet, the device sports a processor that targets the ARMv7 architecture currently supporting the iPhone 5's A6 system-on-a-chip.
While it could mean the tablet supports the same chip, which Apple custom constructed for its 4-inch handset, it could also mean the tablet supports a variation of the current SoC.
Not the Mini
Though the iPad Mini has gotten all the press lately, with Apple rumored to be sending out invites for its unveiling soon, the "iPad3,6" doesn't appear to be the 7.85-inch slate.
That device is said to come as an evolutionary step of the iPad 2, which runs a cheaper A5.
The Mini has also evidently showed up as "iPad2,5" as "iPad 2,6" in developer logs.
The "iPad3,6" falls in line with the newest iPad on the market, which has a designation of "iPad3,1," "iPad3,2," and "iPad3,3."
Each number represents different Wi-Fi and cellular models.
According to MacRumors, speculation has circulated that Apple is planning a slightly different iPad 3 that accommodates the company's new Lightning dock connector, among other internal changes.
The "iPad3,6" could also represent next year's iOS tab, hence justifying a processor upgrade to an A6. A hang-up with that theory, however, is that the model would likely fall into an "iPad4,x" categorization.
This developer's report could simply be smoke with no fire, but Apple's a company to keep us guessing, so we won't be surprised if this isn't the last we hear of "iPad3,6."
Via MacRumors
