Filings indicate that a new Apple iPad and the Apple Watch Series 6 are just weeks away

Apple has filed with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) information related to seven new iPad variants and eight versions of the Apple Watch Series 6. A filing with the EEC often is revealed seven to nine weeks before the registered product is officially introduced. For example, earlier this year we told you that a filing with the EEC for an Apple device was made. We knew that the filing was for a "tablet computer of the Apple brand" and was running iPadOS 13. Sure enough, on March 24th, Apple announced the iPad Pro 2020 with both 11-inch and 12.9-inch variants.

French publication Consomac (via AppleInsider) spotted the new devices. With the iPad, each SKU might represent a Wi-Fi only model, or a Wi-Fi + cellular unit or different configurations based on the amount of storage inside the device. All of the iPad models listed in the filing were running iPadOS 14. So that means the new slates won't be released until Apple drops the updated versions of its operating systems. Last year, Apple released iOS 13 on September 19th, the day before the iPhone 11 line was officially launched. Because of the pandemic, Apple has already said that it will be a few weeks late in releasing the 2020 iPhone 12 series. It isn't clear whether Apple will wait until October to disseminate iOS 14 or whether it will stick with the traditional September release date.

All Apple devices must be listed in the EEC database before they are released. The iPad model numbers that were filed include: A2270, A2072, A2316, A2324, A2325, A2428, and A2429. According to TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the man who knows what soup the Apple cafeteria will be serving on this date in 2025, Apple's next tablet could be a 10.8-inch model and could replace the 10.5-inch iPad Air. The tablet is rumored to be equipped with in-display Touch ID instead of Face ID in order to keep the price down. A USB-C charging port could be employed instead of Apple's proprietary Lightning system, and Kuo expects the tablet to be launched this year. This certainly could be the device that now appears on the EEC database.

The next iPad Air could be powered by the A14 Bionic chipset made using TSMC's cutting-edge 5nm process. The component will also power the iPhone 12 series and will each contain 15 billion transistors. Whether one of the aforementioned model numbers is for a 5G version of the new tablet is not yet known.

Apple also filed the following Apple Watch Series 6 model numbers with the EEC: A229, A2292, A2351, A2352, A2375, A2376, A2355, and A2356. The Apple Watch Series 6 is rumored to feature a larger battery and is expected to include a pulse oximeter. This measures the amount of oxygen in a person's red blood cells. A reading between 95%-100% indicates that enough oxygen is being transported to the extremities. Those with a very low reading but with no outward signs of discomfort could be suffering from "silent hypoxia." Some doctors say that this could be an early warning sign of COVID-19.

One health-related feature that might have surfaced on the Apple Watch Series 6 this year might not be ready in time. A tweet sent by tech analyst @komiya_kj says that the blood pressure technology that Apple is working on for the Apple Watch is not providing very accurate readings at the moment. Apparently, Apple will have to work around the clock in order to have this ready for its Series 6 timepiece. If Apple can't make the necessary adjustments in time, we might have to wait for next year's Series 7 model to see blood pressure readings on the device.

While the new iPad should be unveiled alongside the iPhone 12 series, the next Apple Watch could be introduced at the same time or via a press release.