FCC filings expose Apple’s ‘network adapter’ that runs iOS

Any time a company creates a radio frequency product (such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi), it must be approved by regulatory bodies such as the FCC. Interestingly, new FCC filings this week reveal Apple’s mysterious new “network adapter” running iOS.

The product codenamed “A2657” is simply described as “network adapter”. According to documents provided by the FCC, Apple sent a sample of this device to the agency on January 22, 2022. While there are no pictures of the adapter, the documents describe details of its internal hardware.

Apple’s mysterious network adapter has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC antennas, and a USB-C port. Interestingly, the FCC documents also show that the accessory has 32GB of internal storage and 1.5GB of RAM. The second version of the same product has a Lightning port instead of USB-C and only 1GB of RAM.

Based on the docs, the adapter is running firmware “19F47”, which is an early internal version of iOS 15.5. With this in mind, we are assuming that the adapter is powered by an Apple Silicon chip like the Apple Studio Display.

Aside from the fact that the FCC has tested the new accessory connected to MacBook Pros and iMacs, more details about it are unclear as Apple has requested a non-disclosure agreement valid until November 2022.

Sight

Of course, that doesn’t mean Apple’s network adapter will ever see the light of day—at least not for mainstream consumers. Apple has several FCC-registered devices that are for internal use, such as tools used by technicians to repair iPhones and Macs. However, it’s impossible not to try to imagine what this adapter is capable of.

If by any chance this adapter is a new unreleased Apple product, will it be a modern network hub for Mac users or an AirPort replacement? We don’t have answers yet, but I personally would like to see a new version of Apple’s AirPort router.

What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments below.

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