Xcode confirms Apple Watch S5 CPU is the same as S4, 10.2-inch iPad has 3GB RAM

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Apple Watch edited February 2020
Dives into Xcode by developers are shedding some light into the hardware in the Apple Watch Series 5, and the new 10.2-inch iPad.




Developer Steve Troughton-Smith has discovered that Apple's own Xcode is revealing some details of hardware on some new Apple releases. Specifically, while the Apple Watch Series 5 has known to have 32GB of storage, the CPU in the device associated with that storage is identical to that of the Series 4 Apple Watch.

According to Xcode, Apple Watch Series 5 has the same generation CPU/GPU as the Apple Watch Series 4; I guess the only changes are a gyro and 32GB of NAND? The plus side of that is that we won't have to worry about watchOS being slower on the Series 4 than on a brand new model

-- Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith)


A follow-up to Troughton-Smith's Tweet by another user says that the device has not just the same CPU, but the same battery as the Series 4 of corresponding size as well.

Apple launched an updated version of the Apple Watch on September 10. The Apple Watch Series 5 adds an always-on display. The screen intelligently dims until you raise your wrist or tap on the screen. An ultra-low power display driver, plus newly optimized watch faces contribute to Apple's claims of the Watch retaining an "all-day" 18-hour battery life.

Furthermore, the seventh-generation iPad has more RAM than the previous generations. In addition to the larger screen, the new iPad has 3GB of application RAM, versus the 2GB that was in the sixth generation.

3GB of RAM on the 10.2" iPad https://t.co/KeFSV7pT5p

-- Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith)


During the same September 10 event, Apple also launched the new 10.2-inch iPad, which is meant to take the spot of the existing entry-level model. Apple says it's twice as fast as the previous model, and it contains a new 10.2-inch Retina display.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,241member
    I fully expect this. They've made huge leaps the past few years, and there's only so much you can improve upon. The current Watch hardware is stellar already.
    macguimagman1979netroxDeelronlolliverGeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 46
    schlackschlack Posts: 720member
    A little disappointing, but then again, Apple made no speed improvement claims in their presentation, so I had no expectations of improved performance when I ordered mine.
    SoundJudgmentmagman1979Deelronnetmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 46
    cornchipcornchip Posts: 1,948member

    clearly innovation at Apple is dead. Fire Timmy /s
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 46
    The_Martini_CatThe_Martini_Cat Posts: 485member
    What about Bluetooth 5? and WiFi6?
    SoundJudgmentchemengin1watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 46
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    32 GB storage? Amazing!
    SoundJudgmentgregoriusmmagman1979netroxDeelronwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 46
    bonobobbonobob Posts: 382member
    AppleInsider said:

    During the same September 10 event, Apple also launched the new 10.2-inch iPad, which is meant to take the spot of the existing entry-level model. Apple says it's twice as fast as the previous model, and it contains a new 10.2-inch Retina display. It's also the first non-Pro iPad to feature Apple's Smart Connector.
    I doubt that.  The new device has the same A10 processor as the old one.  Not even the graphics, since the GPU is on the A10 chip as well.
    philotechracerhomie3chemengin1lollivernetmage
  • Reply 7 of 46
    normangnormang Posts: 118member
    I find it odd that just wandering through Apple's software suite you can make determinations about the hardware of a device in question.  The S5 may not have any significant enhancements over the S4, but it cannot be the same chip for various reasons, the difference in display, and not all the power savings can come from the display either IMHO
    edited September 2019 SoundJudgmentrandominternetpersonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 46
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    bonobob said:
    AppleInsider said:

    During the same September 10 event, Apple also launched the new 10.2-inch iPad, which is meant to take the spot of the existing entry-level model. Apple says it's twice as fast as the previous model, and it contains a new 10.2-inch Retina display. It's also the first non-Pro iPad to feature Apple's Smart Connector.
    I doubt that.  The new device has the same A10 processor as the old one.  Not even the graphics, since the GPU is on the A10 chip as well.
    They're welcome to say what they want. We'll see what happens when we get our review unit.
    AppleExposedwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 46
    NemWanNemWan Posts: 118member
    So what would Series 4 battery life be if they implemented always-on display in a software update?
    forgot usernameexceptionhandlerwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 46
    sergiozsergioz Posts: 338member
    Is this why you can't buy Series 4 watch on apple's website?
    caladanianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 46
    davidmalcolmdavidmalcolm Posts: 384member
    Maybe the A10 in the new iPad is a die shrunk version? It seems weird that they'd claim it's faster, I'm guessing maybe it's significantly higher clocked? As far as the S chip in the Watch, I was leaning toward getting a new Watch this year, but I think I'll keep my Series 1 for another year. It's served me well, still gets pretty good battery life for what I use it for, and I'm not going to upgrade on a year without a processor bump. I suspect that they're either saving a big bump for next year, or they might have hit some major limitations in terms of making the watch's processor faster. (Though who knows, maybe they've already got it to a point where they're happy with it and will need somebody to design a really intense watch App to push it past its limits.)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,871member
    NemWan said:
    So what would Series 4 battery life be if they implemented always-on display in a software update?
    Doubtful that they can. An LTPO display is part of the equation, but another article says in addition to the LTPO display it has an "ultra-low power display driver, efficient power management integrated circuit and new ambient light sensor"; presumably these are also required.

    https://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/666267/what-an-ltpo-display/
    NemWangregoriusmwilliamlondonGeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 46
    tnet-primarytnet-primary Posts: 242member
    NemWan said:
    So what would Series 4 battery life be if they implemented always-on display in a software update?
    I have the same question.  If CPU/GPU are the same and the new model has to power double the storage, why can’t Series 4 have “Always On.”  Unless the battery tech has been radically improved in S5, I would imagine it’s possible.  
    williamlondon
  • Reply 14 of 46
    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee Posts: 4,486member
    Doesn't bother me as the S4 was already very fast., Apple is so far ahead in smartwatches they can get away with this for a year.

    I'm also glad that Apple doesn't think the same way regarding the iPhone and keeps on pushing the envelope with their A-Series processors.
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 46
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,523member
    I'm just waiting for the inevitable to happen in a few years when Watch OS 8, or whatever, works just fine on the Series 5 but is suddenly unable to run for technical reasons on the Series 4.....
  • Reply 16 of 46
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,523member
    ttollerton said:
    NemWan said:
    So what would Series 4 battery life be if they implemented always-on display in a software update?
    I have the same question.  If CPU/GPU are the same and the new model has to power double the storage, why can’t Series 4 have “Always On.”  Unless the battery tech has been radically improved in S5, I would imagine it’s possible.  
    As far as I am aware, the screen is identical in the Series 4 vs Series 5. The difference is that the Series 5 has an added chip to make the magic happen.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 46
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,418member
    sergioz said:
    Is this why you can't buy Series 4 watch on apple's website?
    No, Apple did the same with Series 2 when Series 3 came out. 


    StrangeDaysGeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 46
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,871member
    saarek said:
    I'm just waiting for the inevitable to happen in a few years when Watch OS 8, or whatever, works just fine on the Series 5 but is suddenly unable to run for technical reasons on the Series 4.....
    As usual, there will be technical & performance reasons. They do not purposefully piss people off for no reason in order to persuade those pissed off people to buy again, since doing so would be stupid. 
    lolliverwilliamlondonGeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 19 of 46
    zimmiezimmie Posts: 651member
    NemWan said:
    So what would Series 4 battery life be if they implemented always-on display in a software update?
    I have the same question.  If CPU/GPU are the same and the new model has to power double the storage, why can’t Series 4 have “Always On.”  Unless the battery tech has been radically improved in S5, I would imagine it’s possible.  
    Once you write to flash, it retains the data without you looking at it. Meanwhile, Dynamic RAM (DRAM) must be periodically refreshed, or it loses its contents. Thus, the more RAM you have, the more power you must spend refreshing it, but more storage doesn't cost power.
    edited September 2019 caladaniannetmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 20 of 46
    sergiozsergioz Posts: 338member
    netrox said:
    sergioz said:
    Is this why you can't buy Series 4 watch on apple's website?
    No, Apple did the same with Series 2 when Series 3 came out. 


    You're right I forget that.
    GeorgeBMac
Sign In or Register to comment.