Blurry photo claims to show A6 CPU in Apple's next iPhone
A new photo of questionable quality purports to show a new system on a chip for Apple's next iPhone labeled "A6."
The latest alleged part leak was posted online on Wednesday by Sonny Dickson, with a picture claiming to show the logic board of the new iPhone with a processor named A6. If accurate, the naming suggests that the new processor would be a generational upgrade from the A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S, as well as the A5X chip with upgraded graphics that Apple included in the third-generation iPad.
While the image posted Thursday shows a logic board that matches up with previous photos posted online, the quality of the image itself is so low that the picture could easily have been faked. Official details on Apple's next iPhone are not expected to be revealed until the company's anticipated media event on Sept. 12.
In previous years, Apple introduced its next-generation custom chips in the company's latest iPad model. The A4 first debuted in the first-generation iPad in 2010 before coming to the iPhone 4, while the A5 was introduced in the iPad 2 in 2011 before it showed up in the iPhone 4S.
This year, however, the new iPad with Retina display did not pack in a new A6 processor, with the A5X instead serving as a modest upgrade with improved graphics capabilities to drive the new high-resolution screen.
One report in early July claimed that Apple's sixth-generation iPhone, commonly referred to in the media as the "iPhone 5," will feature a quad-core ARM processor based on Samsung's Exynox 4 architecture. Other details, including clock speed or graphics processing capabilities, were not mentioned.
The A5 chip in the iPhone 4S is a dual-core processor clocked at 800 megahertz. In the iPad 2, the A5 runs slightly faster at 1 gigahertz, thanks to a larger form factor with a bigger battery.
As for the A5X chip, it's based on Samsung's 45-nanometer low-power architecture, also found in the A5 CPU in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.
The latest alleged part leak was posted online on Wednesday by Sonny Dickson, with a picture claiming to show the logic board of the new iPhone with a processor named A6. If accurate, the naming suggests that the new processor would be a generational upgrade from the A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S, as well as the A5X chip with upgraded graphics that Apple included in the third-generation iPad.
While the image posted Thursday shows a logic board that matches up with previous photos posted online, the quality of the image itself is so low that the picture could easily have been faked. Official details on Apple's next iPhone are not expected to be revealed until the company's anticipated media event on Sept. 12.
In previous years, Apple introduced its next-generation custom chips in the company's latest iPad model. The A4 first debuted in the first-generation iPad in 2010 before coming to the iPhone 4, while the A5 was introduced in the iPad 2 in 2011 before it showed up in the iPhone 4S.
This year, however, the new iPad with Retina display did not pack in a new A6 processor, with the A5X instead serving as a modest upgrade with improved graphics capabilities to drive the new high-resolution screen.
One report in early July claimed that Apple's sixth-generation iPhone, commonly referred to in the media as the "iPhone 5," will feature a quad-core ARM processor based on Samsung's Exynox 4 architecture. Other details, including clock speed or graphics processing capabilities, were not mentioned.
The A5 chip in the iPhone 4S is a dual-core processor clocked at 800 megahertz. In the iPad 2, the A5 runs slightly faster at 1 gigahertz, thanks to a larger form factor with a bigger battery.
As for the A5X chip, it's based on Samsung's 45-nanometer low-power architecture, also found in the A5 CPU in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2.
Comments
It looks Photoshopped: as in a photograph of a Photoshopped image displayed on a computer screen.
Authenticity score: -2
I had to make sure it said AppleInsider in the URL and not Digitimes....
Just cause the URL is Appleinsider it could still be from Digitimes
I bet it will be an A6 regardless of this photo's authenticity, as well as in the ipad Mini
It's a picture of an image on a computer screen. I don't buy it.
I DO buy that image of the uncut, unchipped iPhone motherboards, though. Except I've never seen what they're really like so that could be entirely fake.
Originally Posted by bmxdmb134
I bet it will be an A6 regardless of this photo's authenticity, as well as in the ipad Mini
Bet the iPhone nano (with no apps or data) has it, too.
Is so dark. Just doesn't look right.
Whatever the hell is inside the next iPhone, its pretty much a guarantee it will run like oiled butter.
Guess we will have to wait for the next video segment from our double downed asian leakster to confirm this. Hewwo youtube.......
Even with an A6 processor will the know-it-all tech jackasses be impressed? They're always looking for some awesome features that they think are necessary to make a device worthy of their expectations. They believe consumers think like they do and are easily impressed by a few specs. If the A6 processor runs at 1 GHz, the tech-heads will be crying that all the Android smartphones run at 1.5 GHz and above. So far, rumors have talked about an NFC chip and now an A6. If either of these rumors are false, the tech-heads will be oh, so disappointed and that Apple is cheating consumers out of the latest and greatest features. I just hope Apple puts out a product that average consumers enjoy using, no matter what the Android vendors are doing. If Apple can sell 50 million new iPhones in a financial quarter that should be more than good enough. I hope the production goes smoothly and high demand can be met.
Originally Posted by Constable Odo
Even with an A6 processor will the know-it-all tech jackasses be impressed?
Nope. Same phone as two years ago. Apple's selling the same phone. Looks the same. Can't be different.
…all the Android smartphones run at 1.5 GHz and above.
Darn it, I was gonna make the "1.5GHz Crapdragon" quip!
I just hope Apple puts out a product that average consumers enjoy using, no matter what the Android vendors are doing. If Apple can sell 50 million new iPhones in a financial quarter that should be more than good enough. I hope the production goes smoothly and high demand can be met.
Couldn't agree more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
One report in early July claimed that Apple's sixth-generation iPhone, commonly referred to in the media as the "iPhone 5," will feature a quad-core ARM processor based on Samsung's Exynox 4 architecture.
This statement is erroneous, the processor architecture is ARM (Cortex A-9). Samsung Exynos is not an architecture, Samsung Exynos is Samsung's implementation of ARM Cortex architecture much like Apple's Ax series of SOCs are an implementation of the ARM architecture. Apple will not use a Samsung designed SOC in their flagship device. I suspect the statement (which in AppleInsider's defense is widely misreported) should be that "Apple's sixth-generation iPhone, commonly referred to in the media as the "iPhone 5," will feature a quad-core ARM processor based on Samsung's Exynos 32 nm process technology." The Samsung Exynos process technology refers to their 32nm CMOS process.
The use of 32 nm CMOS process technology is important though because this dramatically improves efficiency and reduces the footprint of the SOC.
I strongly suspect the Apple A6 SOC to have the following specifications:
Apple A6 SOC (system-on-a-chip) POP (package-on-package) 32 nm (CMOS) process
800 MHz quad-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU with 32 KB L1 cache + 32 KB and 1 MiB L2 cache
1 GB LPDDR2 RAM
200 MHz quad-core PowerVR SGX543MP4 GPU performing at ~28 GFLOPS, ~130M polygons per second supporting DirectX 9, Open GL 2.1, Open CL 1.1
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }Unfortunately, ARM Cortex A-15 processors and PowerVR Series 6 (Rogue) graphics processors are not market ready at this time.
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!! LMAO!! AND TAKE SOME MORE MONEY FOR THE 13" rMBP!!!
Average consumers might not know or care if it is a quad core 1 Ghz or 1.5Ghz and Apple keeps those specs pretty secretive in any case. But what they would find out relatively quickly is if some big news outlet does some benchmarks and the iPhone 5 is significantly slower or faster than competing Android phones like the SIII or HTC One X. Apple have a pretty decent track record at significantly increasing either the CPU, GPU, or both with each new iPhone.
Personally, If I had to guess I would say it is a dual core in the range of 1 to 1.2Ghz. They would only go with a quad core if they saw significant speed gains that warranted the battery loss of two additional cores. They do need to be a little cautious though because they only upgrade about once every 12 months and have to at least match or best android phones in speed for at least half that time. An iPhone 5 that blows away the Galaxy SIII in some real world use benchmarks would especially be nice so close after the lawsuit verdict. Almost like a slap in the face to say, you can't copy our speed.
Originally Posted by gwmac
Average consumers might not know or care if it is a quad core 1 Ghz or 1.5Ghz and Apple keeps those specs pretty secretive in any case.
Personally, If I had to guess I would say it is a dual core in the range of 1 to 1.2Ghz.
Whatever it is, it'll be downclocked from the iPad's version.
You know better than that. There's no point even asking the question. No matter what Apple does, the idiots won't be impressed.
If the new iPhone (which could be named '5', '6', 4LTE, 4GT, or 4SST for all I care) has a processor 5 times faster than the previous one, 4 times the RAM, twice the storage, a better camera, LTE, a battery which lasts twice as long, larger screen, new physical design, and a single baseband which covers every frequency known to man, the whiners will still complain that the 'home' button is 0.001 mm smaller than the old one.
Noone gives a shit. These tech heads have shown that they are utterly irrelevant in the market place, as well as being completely deluded as to what makes a good product for the vast majority of people. The Internet is their only bastion where they can make noise and pretend that their holier than thou opinions matter, and their record of being completely wrong about everything is near 100%. they should just buy components and frame on their fridge, which thy can then jack off to, because when it comes to how the actual product performs this seems utterly irrelevant to them, and care only about meaningless numbers. See the galaxy note 10.1, very well specced, runs like complete shit.
Specs are a means to an end, not an end in itself, the point of which to get the product to perform its functions well. They completely miss this premise, instead focusing on the specs in a vacuum as if this matters. These are the same people who bought $600 videocards every month with their self built liquid cooled PCs, mocking people with laptops or store bought pcs, pretending they're somehow being more productive with the power, and not that their focus on that is actually filling an empty whole in their lives where a social life and human interaction would go. The same people who mocked the original iPhone bc it didn't have a physical keyboard, and a billion ports, predicting that because of this it would fail. The same people who predicted failure for the 4s, which ended up becoming the best selling phone on the planet it selling all previous generations of the iphone combined.
/end rant