Apple’s new “Network Adapter” for iOS was discovered in Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filings. Codenamed “A2657”, the unreleased “Network Adapter” was sent to the FCC for testing on January 22, 2022, because all products with Bluetooth or WiFi (radio frequency) have to be approved by the authority.
A network adapter is a computer’s hardware component that is used for communication with another computer over a local area network or a wired/wireless network. Presumably, Apple is developing two versions of a mysterious “Network Adapter” for internal use or upcoming device.
Apple developing two versions of its new “Network Adapter”- USB-C and Lightning
As the tech giant has requested an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) until November 2022, more details of its mysterious device are concealed. However, the filing does mention that the device will feature two Gigabit Ethernet ports, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C port, and NFC antennas.
The document describes that the “device is intended to be connected to a host computer and receive its power through a USA-A port during normal use. More interestingly, the new “Network Adapter” has two versions:
- 32GB and 1.5GB of RAM with a USB-C port
- 32GB and 1GB of RAM with a Lightning port
FCC tested the new adapter connected to a MacBook Pro and iMac that ran on “19F47” firmware, an early version of iOS 15.5. Based on the details it can be assumed that the adapter runs on an Apple Silicon chip.
If Apple decides to announce this product, this would not be the first time that it releases a networking accessory. Apple’s previous popular networking products included the AirPort and AirPort Express WiFi router and base station, respectively. The company discontinued the product line-up in 2018 and started selling Wi-Fi routers from other companies in the Apple Store.
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