New Apple Watch Series 4 spied in regulator database, but two models appear to be missing
Six new versions of the Apple Watch have appeared in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, all but confirming that the new wearables are just weeks away from going on sale.
Similar to the FCC in the US, the EEC is a regulatory database through which devices must pass before they can be sold in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
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But, while this is normal behavior for the Apple Watch, given new models are usually revealed in September, the numbers suggest this year's range will be smaller. While there are currently eight different models of the Apple Watch Series 3, the database shows just six for the new model, expected to be called the Series 4.
The filings, discovered by Consomac, give each new watch a model number and state that they all run watchOS 5, Apple's upcoming smartwatch software which is currently in beta testing. Filings with the EEC database have previously unearthed the iPhone 7, Watch Series 2 and AirPods before they were officially announced by Apple itself.
There is not enough detail in the filings to understand which two models of Apple Watch are being dropped from the range. Apple currently sells eight - three cellular options and one GPS-only model, all in two different sizes. Cutting this down to six suggests Apple could be dropping the GPS-only models to offer cellular across the board, or it might be cutting the expensive ceramic-bodied Watch Edition.
Retiring the Edition would not come as a surprise. The model first launched as an incredibly expensive gold version of the original Watch, costing up to $20,000. Apple dropped the gold models for the Series 2, replacing them with the ceramic case still sold today for a (slightly) more reasonable $1,349; the cheapest Watch starts at $329.
Renowned and often accurate Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the Watch Series 4 will boast larger screens than its predecessors, but the 38mm and 42mm case size options will remain the same, meaning smaller bezels around the bigger displays.
As has become annual tradition, Apple is expected to reveal the Watch Series 4 alongside new iPhones at a media event in September, likely on the 10th or 11th. It was claimed this week that pre-orders will open for the new iPhone on September 14.
