Apple's iOS 4.3 code contains evidence of A5 processor on iPhone 5
Within hours of the official release of iOS 4.3, developers have found further evidence that Apple plans to use its dual-core A5 processor in the next-generation iPhone.
Developers have found references to the A5 processor in a kernel file for a device codenamed N94AP, widely assumed to be the iPhone 5, within the code for iOS 4.3, as reported by iClarified.
iOS developer Filippo Bigarella posted to Twitter the below screenshot of his findings, along with the declaration, "Here?s the proof, iPhone 5 will run on the S5L8940 (A5 dual core processor) too!"
According to the report, the A5 chip is referred to as S5L8940 in the iOS 4.3 code and, as expected, is also listed as the processor for the Wi-Fi, GSM and CDMA versions of the iPad 2.
Apple released iOS 4.3 on Wednesday, ahead of Friday's iPad 2 launch and two days earlier than originally expected. The software update improves JavaScript performance in the mobile Safari web browser, features third-party support for AirPlay wireless streaming and adds the Personal Hotspot feature first introduced on the Verizon CDMA iPhone 4 in February.
The Cupertino, Calif., iPad maker took the wraps off the new A5 processor last week when it unveiled the faster, thinner and lighter iPad 2. A recent rumor suggested that Apple has turned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to produce the A5 chip, rather than staying with Samsung, its original partner for the A4 processor.
Developers have found references to the A5 processor in a kernel file for a device codenamed N94AP, widely assumed to be the iPhone 5, within the code for iOS 4.3, as reported by iClarified.
iOS developer Filippo Bigarella posted to Twitter the below screenshot of his findings, along with the declaration, "Here?s the proof, iPhone 5 will run on the S5L8940 (A5 dual core processor) too!"
According to the report, the A5 chip is referred to as S5L8940 in the iOS 4.3 code and, as expected, is also listed as the processor for the Wi-Fi, GSM and CDMA versions of the iPad 2.
Apple released iOS 4.3 on Wednesday, ahead of Friday's iPad 2 launch and two days earlier than originally expected. The software update improves JavaScript performance in the mobile Safari web browser, features third-party support for AirPlay wireless streaming and adds the Personal Hotspot feature first introduced on the Verizon CDMA iPhone 4 in February.
The Cupertino, Calif., iPad maker took the wraps off the new A5 processor last week when it unveiled the faster, thinner and lighter iPad 2. A recent rumor suggested that Apple has turned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to produce the A5 chip, rather than staying with Samsung, its original partner for the A4 processor.
Comments
Have they been able to figure out from sifting through iOS 4.3 whether the A5 is actually a Cortex A9, what the GPU is or how much RAM the iPad 2 has?
There are no multi-core A8 processors. It's not in the design. They surely aren't A15's either.
Within hours of the official release of iOS 4.3, developers have found further evidence that Apple plans to use its dual-core A5 processor in the next-generation iPhone....
Hardly a scoop or even unexpected.
I hope they have more in the next phone than just a faster chip or it won't be worth buying. The iPad could use a *lot* more speed and a *lot* more graphics performance, but unless you play those shooter games on the iPhone, there's pretty much nothing that you can do with it that needs more power than the current model.
Phone calls won't be faster, there are no documents worth viewing on the phone that large enough to need any more RAM, nor processor intensive apps of any kind except for the aforementioned games. They need to give the average person a reason to upgrade, and knowing Apple I'm sure they will, but a faster processor isn't going to be it.
Hardly a scoop or even unexpected.
Phone calls won't be faster, there are no documents worth viewing on the phone that large enough to need any more RAM, nor processor intensive apps of any kind except for the aforementioned games. They need to give the average person a reason to upgrade, and knowing Apple I'm sure they will, but a faster processor isn't going to be it.
Good points!
It's like "The Bible Code": if you search for patterns of strings in the Kernel file, you'll supposedly find predictions of future events, but you don't recognize it until the event has happened, because you don't know what to look for. In this case, we know about the A5 being called "S5L8940". This file probably contains prophecies of many exciting future Apple iOS products! If only we knew what to look for...
well, i play a lot of those games, so i need the spec bumps.
Hardly a scoop or even unexpected.
I hope they have more in the next phone than just a faster chip or it won't be worth buying. The iPad could use a *lot* more speed and a *lot* more graphics performance, but unless you play those shooter games on the iPhone, there's pretty much nothing that you can do with it that needs more power than the current model.
Phone calls won't be faster, there are no documents worth viewing on the phone that large enough to need any more RAM, nor processor intensive apps of any kind except for the aforementioned games. They need to give the average person a reason to upgrade, and knowing Apple I'm sure they will, but a faster processor isn't going to be it.
Funny, I hit PDFs and web content that could certainly use a dual core CPU on my phone. Even on my iPhone 4 I hit lots of content that becomes almost so slow as to drive me to get up, walk across the room to my desktop! Isn't that insane? (I'm being funny and serious at the same time).
I hope they have more in the next phone than just a faster chip or it won't be worth buying. The iPad could use a *lot* more speed and a *lot* more graphics performance, but unless you play those shooter games on the iPhone, there's pretty much nothing that you can do with it that needs more power than the current model.
Rumor is NFC electronic payment will be put into the next iPhone. Yay for roving scammers with portable receivers!
Other than that, and perhaps an improved camera system (and a dedicated camera button), the next iPhone is likely to be pretty much evolutionary on the hardware side, with the major changes occurring in software. With that in mind, here's an interesting idea that I thought of: Think they'll call the next iPhone the iPhone 4G? Yes, I know that Apple isn't satisfied with LTE chip size or power efficiency, yet, but AT&T is calling HSPA+ "4G". So if Apple believes that
1) NFC won't generally take off in the consumer spectrum between now and mid-2012
2) a vast majority of those buying iPhones for the NFC are business customers (AT&T is the most common business account supplier), and
3) the average Verizon iPhone customer won't care about improved cameras or NFC, at least more than the VZ network,
then the "iPhone 4G" could be an AT&T exclusive, with a GSM-only baseband (saving CDMA royalty fees, and potentially battery life). A simultaneous annual Verizon-AT&T release schedule could begin with an LTE version in mid-2012.
Hardly a scoop or even unexpected.
This is true.
I hope they have more in the next phone than just a faster chip or it won't be worth buying. The iPad could use a *lot* more speed and a *lot* more graphics performance,
Careful there, everytime I call the iPad a dog I get jumped on by people who declare the iPad suitably perfect. In fact it was pretty obvious that the iPad needed more CPU power with in minutes of picking one up. IPad 1's puny RAM allotment doesn't help either.
but unless you play those shooter games on the iPhone, there's pretty much nothing that you can do with it that needs more power than the current model.
Well no, it depends upon what you do with it. IPhone can slow to a crawl handling PDFs. Likewise for CAD viewers and other programs handling large documents.
Speaking of which, having PDFs and CAD drawings in your pocket can be extremely useful. It is by no means a replacement for an iPad or Mac OS/X system
Phone calls won't be faster, there are no documents worth viewing on the phone that large enough to need any more RAM, nor processor intensive apps of any kind except for the aforementioned games.
I have to disagree, there are many non game ape that need better performance, some are even supplied by Apple.
They need to give the average person a reason to upgrade, and knowing Apple I'm sure they will, but a faster processor isn't going to be it.
Actually that is the only thing I care about, well 4g would be nice too.
Hmmm......I'm not sure where we all made the agreement that everyone's opinion had to revolve around your opinion.
Careful there, everytime I call the iPad a dog I get jumped on by people who declare the iPad suitably perfect. In fact it was pretty obvious that the iPad needed more CPU power with in minutes of picking one up. IPad 1's puny RAM allotment doesn't help either.
Have they been able to figure out from sifting through iOS 4.3 whether the A5 is actually a Cortex A9, what the GPU is or how much RAM the iPad 2 has?
These are much more interesting questions. Seriously, why did these people bother going to all this effort to "confirm" something that's blatantly obvious?
there are no documents worth viewing on the phone that large enough to need any more RAM, nor processor intensive apps of any kind except for the aforementioned games. They need to give the average person a reason to upgrade, and knowing Apple I'm sure they will, but a faster processor isn't going to be it.
This is totally incorrect. Web browsing is still much faster on a full-blown x86 machine, even over WiFi.