iPhone 3.0 holds big hint to new iPhone

Does iPhone 3.0 hold the key to the next generation?
Does iPhone 3.0 hold the key to the next generation?

As usual, developers have been lightning quick to expose the inner workings of the new iPhone firmware, and device IDs hidden inside have highlighted the possibility of interesting new devices.

As the source on BGR points out, each previous iPhone and iPod touch has had a device number:

iPhone First Gen - 0×1290

iPod touch 1G - 0×1291

iPhone 3G - 0×1292

iPod touch 2G - 0×1293

The next generation?

But in the recent firmware, the following IDs have been shown, and there are some interesting product concepts in there:

iPhone2.1 - 0×1294

iProd0.1 - 0×1295

iPod2.2 - 0×1296

iPhone3.1 - 0×1297

iFPGA - 0×1298

iPod3.1 - 0×1299

The iFPGA (FPGA usually stands for Field Programmable Gate Array) likely represents a re-programmable circuit that can be changed through software alone. While this could be used simply for development, it's also possible that it refers to a standalone device, possibly the forthcoming Macbook mini, Apple's supposed netbook.

And don't even get us started on the iProd... we have absolutely no idea what that could be, other than a new tablet device. And even if it was, there's very little chance it would be called that!

It also seems possible that the new iPhone 3.0 software will carry support for two new iPhone models, as 2.1 and 3.1 are also mentioned in the device IDs.

Of course, only Apple can know the real meanings of these IDs, but as experience has shown last year, all the pieces are falling into place to expect a new iPhone launch this summer.

Via The Boy Genius Report

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.