Mysterious Apple device appears in FCC filings — but what is it?

Apple AirPort Express 2012 model
(Image credit: Fletcher6/Wikimedia)

In 2018, Apple officially discontinued its long neglected line of AirPort products, two years after the router division was reportedly disbanded

But is there potentially room for a comeback? An intriguing FCC filing, spotted by 9to5Mac, has got people’s hopes up. 

The listing for a product codenamed A2657 simply describes a “network adapter” and is subject to a non-disclosure agreement until November.  

Nonetheless, a few details are visible right now. It has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB-C port, and antennae for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC. Though it has an integral battery, it apparently is largely intended to be powered via USB-A. 

It features 32GB of internal storage, 1.5GB RAM and runs firmware “19F47”, which 9to5Mac deduces is an early internal version of iOS 15.5. That means it probably has Apple Silicon inside, the site reasons.

A second version is the same, but with a Lightning port instead of USB-C and for some reason this one only has 1GB RAM.

Don’t get your hopes up

It’s tempting to look at the words “Apple network adapter” and get excited about the return of AirPort for MacBooks. Networking tech has come a long way since Apple was last active in that space, and Apple’s recent embrace of privacy gives all kinds of exciting avenues for such a device. 

But a return to networking just doesn’t seem too likely in the greater scheme of things. 

It was, after all, just six years ago that the company was shifting its wireless engineers to other, more profitable, parts of the business, and with the company’s revenue continuing to grow in the intervening time, a return to networking feels like a stretch.

With that in mind, the most likely explanation is also the most dull: this probably isn’t a product that’s set to be commercially available at all. Instead, it’s probably a diagnostic tool intended for Apple technicians repairing iPhones, iPads and Macs, and therefore not intended for public consumption.

If I’m wrong and this is something more exciting, then hopefully we’ll hear more once that NDA expires in November, if not sooner.

TOPICS
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

Read more
A photo of an iPad running Apple Home alongside an Apple HomePod mini and an Apple TV
New Apple TV and HomePod Mini reportedly launching in 2025 with Apple networking chip
A MacBook Air tease by Tim Cook
Apple's Tim Cook just teased 'Something in the Air' ahead of MacBook Air M4 launch
iPad Air M3
iPad Air M3 and iPad 11 surprisingly miss out on Apple's C1 modem
Tim Cook with iPhone in front of Apple logo
Apple February event 2025 — iPhone SE 4, new HomePod and all the new products to expect
MacBook Air vs iPad Pro
Apple MacBook Air M4 and iPad Air upgrades could follow the iPhone SE 4
MacBook Air M4
MacBook Air M4 live updates — the new MacBook is official
Latest in Tech
Columbia Sportswear and Intuitive Machines partnership
Columbia Sportswear’s UV-blocking technology just landed on the moon, and I spoke to the materials scientist who designed it
iPhone 16e review.
What Tom’s Guide tested this week — the iPhone 16e is the most polarizing phone of the year
A split screen photo showing a coffee grinder on one side and a smart watch on the other
What Tom’s Guide tested this week: Sony, OnePlus, Corsair and more
A split screen image showing an instant camera on the left and a Dyson vacuum on the right
What Tom’s Guide tested this week: Expert reviews of Dyson, Insta360 and more
A composite of Soundcore Space One Pro headphones and Sony ZV-1F vlogging camera
What Tom’s Guide tested this week: 5 products that won our expert reviewers’ hearts
A person assembling the LEGO Botanicals Bouquet of Roses Artificial Flowers set
Amazon deal takes 20% off this Lego rose bouquet — and it'll ship for free before Valentine's Day
Latest in News
Sonos logo on a smart speaker
Sonos halts work on rumored super streaming device — what's next?
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Thursday, March 13 (#641)
HomePod with display concept render
Apple HomePod with display now rumored for late 2025 launch
The Apple Watch Series 10 on display at the device's launch in September 2024
Apple Watch sales plummet 19% as smartwatch market declines for first time
Google's Project Astra working on prototype smartglasses in an advertisement
Google just acquired this eye tracking company — hinting at the return of Google glasses
iPhone 17 Air render
iPhone 17 Air could be just 5.5mm thick — but 9.5mm when you throw in the camera bump