By Chand Bellur
February 22, 2020 at 1:49 p.m. PDT
- Target employees noticed new Apple products with ambiguous model identifiers.
- Prices and other information indicate that these are new Apple products that have yet to be announced.
- Apple is expected to hold a March event to launch new products.
Target Inventory System Includes New Apple Products
First reported by 9-to-5 Mac, Target employees recently noticed new Apple products appearing in an inventory control database. The products have names such as “AirPods Gen X” and “Apple TV Gen X”, the former being priced at $399.
The current AirPods base model costs $159 with the Pro version priced at $249. This seems to indicate that “AirPods Gen X” refers to a new model with superior features and capabilities.
Apple TV, long overdue for a refresh, may be updated with an A12 or A13 processor. This would allow the TV appliance to offer peerless gaming capabilities, providing synergies with Apple Arcade. A more powerful Apple TV can compete with gaming consoles and even some desktop environments.
More evidence in Target’s inventory system seems to indicate a refresh of the iPod touch, as well as new Apple Watch bands.
Target Inventory Control System Misleading
Hints found in Target’s inventory system aren’t the most solid evidence of new products. Their inventory control database still has a record for the AirPower wireless charging mat, which never launched.
A reference to a cancelled product doesn’t mean every other hint is inaccurate. Database engineers rarely delete data. Typically, rows are flagged as active or inactive. Only active records are displayed in queries or views.
Between the new entry for AirPods Gen X and Apple’s predictable March event, there’s enough evidence to suggest that new products are on the way. The anticipated products make sense, particularly updated AirPods and Apple TV. AirPods are wildly successful and Apple Arcade games, running on an A12 or A13 processor, are sure to impress gaming aficionados.