After months of betas and rumors, Apple released iOS 7.1 to the public today. The update features a number of improvements, and apparently it also includes support for two new, unannounced tablet models: the iPad4,3 and the iPad 4,6.
Before you get too excited though, the consensus is that these new models likely represent minor hardware revisions for existing iPads, rather than all-new products. It seems the model numbers aren’t very far off from current iPad models…
It’s also possible that these numbers could represent devices headed to new markets. Some carriers, such as China Mobile, use different technology than others, requiring Apple to build separate iPhones/iPads with slightly different internals.
Both of Apple’s tablet lines were updated in fall 2013, with the full-sized iPad getting an ‘Air’ makeover and the mini gaining a Retina display. And we haven’t heard much in terms of 2014 tablet updates, except for the oft-rumored ‘iPad Pro.’
Last year, Apple quietly released a ‘new’ third generation Apple TV with a redesigned A5 chip.