Apple and Samsung might not be best frenemies forever

By Ed Sutherland on Oct 15, 2012

Apple is quickly cutting its ties to Samsung, moving from a bizarre frenemy relationship to a “one-dimensional” acquaintance. The iPhone 5′s A6 chip marked the first time the Cupertino, Calif. company did all the designing and the South Korean rival simply manufactured the silicon.

The relationship between the two companies is “about to become one-dimensional,” writes The Korea Time, citing a Samsung source. For some time, Apple and Samsung have been technology’s odd couple, one day suing each other and the next cooperating to design and build chips for the iPhone… Read More

 

The iPhone 5′s A6 processor can dynamically vary its clock speed for performance

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 27, 2012

The A6 chip which debuted on the iPhone 5 earlier this month can do some pretty clever tricks, stemming from a heavily customized ARMv7 design. Benchmark data suggests that the A6 can dynamically overclock itself to up to 1.3GHz and downclock to just 500MHz, depending on workload.

This is nothing new in chip design, of course (just ask Nvidia or Qualcomm). But given that Apple designs its chips in-house based on ARM and Imagination Technologies blueprints, it shows just how far along Cupertino is versus companies that use off-the-shelf chips which are not as power or performance-efficient as the A6… Read More

 

Samsung-made A6 chip has dual ARM CPU cores, 3 PowerVR GPU cores, 1GB RAM

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 25, 2012

Apple claims the iPhone 5 is twice as fast as the iPhone 4S (which is no slouch) in terms of processing and graphics power, thanks to the in-house designed A6 chip. You could even say that the A6 pushes the iPhone 5 ahead of competing smartphones, at least in Javascript and Geekbench tests.

The A6 is clearly a beast of a chip, not just in terms of sheer power but also in delivering the world’s first phone powered by ARM’s Cortex-A15 CPU platform, completely customized to Apple’s needs. In addition to two CPU cores, the first diffusion image by UBM TechInsights has also showed three GPUs.

And now, repair wizards iFixit teamed up with chip experts Chipworks who put the A6 silicon under a sophisticated microscope. Here’s what we could glean from so-called “floorplans”… Read More

 

New A6 chip confirmed to have three GPU cores

By Cody Lee on Sep 22, 2012

The iPhone 5 launched yesterday, and first impressions seem to be in line with the early reviews: the thing is fast. As most of you know, Apple custom-built an all-new processor for the handset called the A6.

Now that the phone is available, we expect to learn more about the new chip as teardown experts continue to rip the device apart. In fact, a new tidbit has already surfaced: the A6 has triple-core graphics… Read More

 

iPhone 5 finishes first in SunSpider Javascript performance test

By Cody Lee on Sep 19, 2012

The iPhone 5, sporting Apple’s custom A6 processor, is really turning some heads in the tech world. Last week it beat out the competition in Geekbench tests, and early reviews say the handset is extremely fast.

And the accolades don’t stop there. The first SunSpider Javascript benchmark, which measures Javascript performance, for the iPhone 5 was published last night. And again, Apple’s smartphone swept the field… Read More

 

iPhone 5 rules competitive landscape in first Geekbench tests

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 16, 2012

Following a detailed analysis by AnandTech which exposed the A6 chip inside the iPhone 5 as bein comprised of custom ARMv7 design rather than stock Cortex-A15 cores, someone has posted an iPhone 5 benchmark on Geekbench.

Now, the handset will hit store shelves on Friday so there’s no way to verify the authenticity of this poster (and Geekbench scores could be easily faked). If you believe the results though, the iPhone 5,2 hardware has a Geekbench score of 1601.

The test also shows an ARMv7 processor design with two cores clocked at 1.02GHz each, with 32KB of L1 instruction/data cache, 1MB of L2 cache and 1GB of RAM (Samsung’s print ad has helped reveal that tidbit)… Read More

 

iPhone 5 found to have 1GB of RAM, custom processor

By Cody Lee on Sep 16, 2012

As usual, Apple didn’t give us many details regarding the internals of the iPhone 5 outside of what it lists on the handset’s Features page. We know it has an A6 processor, but that’s about it.

Luckily, some smart folks have done some digging and have uncovered some interesting information about Apple’s new smartphone. For instance, they’ve confirmed it has 1GB of RAM… Read More

 

Apple could be close to shifting CPU orders away from Samsung

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 14, 2012

The iPhone 5 comes with a brand new Apple-designed A6 chip for a twofold jump in CPU/GPU performance. In fact, the iPhone 5 could easily be the first ARM Cortex-A15 smartphone on the market. The A6 is likely manufactured on Samsung’s 32-nanometer process, but probably not for long as Apple has been looking to take its chip contract elsewhere.

There ain’t many places to go: Intel sucks at power management and Samsung is #2 chip vendor in the world. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), however, is the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry and Apple could be closer than previously thought to shifting production contracts away from Samsung and towards TSMC.

Can you say “stock plunge”? Read More

 

A concise iPhone 5 hardware overview

By Jeff Benjamin on Sep 12, 2012

We’ve already brought you a truck load of coverage from today’s iPhone 5 event, so how about a concise wrap-up of the iPhone 5′s hardware features as a night cap?

What do you think? Are you satisfied with Apple’s hardware offerings for the iPhone 5?

 

Apple’s new A6 chip runs two ARM Cortex A15 cores, quad-core GPU

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 12, 2012

Surprisingly enough, the iPhone 5 comes with Apple’s in-house A6 chip (labeled “S5L8950X”) rather than a souped up version of the A5X chip, as previously thought. Apple’s Tech Specs page for the iPhone 5 doesn’t even mention the A6 (a norm for Cupertino). The Compare iPhones page names the chip, however without divulging an iota about its architectural underpinnings.

Likewise, Apple executives at today’s presser shied away from going into the technicalities like core counts and clock speeds and would only mention a twofold jump in CPU and GPU performance. It would nonetheless appear Apple has beaten the likes of Samsung and Texas Instruments in delivering the world’s first phone powered by ARM’s Cortex A15 CPU platform… Read More

 

iPhone 5 features A6 processor with 2X faster CPU and 2x graphics

By Jeff Benjamin on Sep 12, 2012

As expected, the iPhone 5 will be mated with a new A6 processor featuring 2X faster CPU and 2x graphics, when compared to the A5 processor featured in the iPhone 4S.

On top of the performance increases, the processor 22% smaller for more energy efficiency. Read More

 

Image of claimed next-gen iPhone logic board shows A6 processor

By Cody Lee on Aug 30, 2012

Over the past few months, we’ve seen just about enough next-gen iPhone parts to… build a next-gen iPhone. We’ve seen fronts and backs, and batteries, and charging ports — pretty much everything except the processor. Until today.

A new image has surfaced this morning of what is said to be the logic board of Apple’s sixth-generation handset. And, if legitimate, it confirms that the smartphone will house the long-rumored quad-core A6 processor… Read More

 

Rumor: next iPhone to feature quad-core processor

By Cody Lee on Jul 5, 2012

The iPhone is widely expected to get a major upgrade this fall. Not only is the handset’s current form factor more than two years old, but the competition is really heating up with handsets like Samsung’s Galaxy S III.

Some of the upcoming smartphone’s rumored features include a larger, 4-inch display, a redesigned casing, and LTE compatibility. But what about the processor? According to a new report, it’s going to be quad-core… Read More

 

Report: TSMC has a “good chance” of winning Apple’s chip biz in 2014

By Christian Zibreg on May 2, 2012

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has long been rumored to become an alternative supplier for Apple-designed processors powering iOS devices. However, yield issues and manufacturing difficulties with the foundry’s 20-nanometer process pushed back those plans.

Meanwhile, Samsung continues to make the Ax-series of processors for the latest iPhone and iPad. Per chatter from Asian supply chain, TSMC is working hard to ramp up 20-nanometer production “ahead of schedule”, apparently in a bid to win over Apple’s chip business from Samsung by 2014… Read More

 

iOS 5.1 Hints at New iDevices With Quad Core Processors

By Cody Lee on Jan 6, 2012

With an iPad 3 announcement expected sometime within the next two months, we’ve seen an increase in gossip surrounding the tablet. Will it feature better cameras, a retina display, a faster processor, or all three?

Well it seems that evidence of the latter has just been uncovered in the latest version of iOS. The folks over at 9to5Mac are reporting that they’ve uncovered A6 quad-core processor references in the beta release of iOS 5.1… Read More

 

Rumor: Apple Preparing $299 iPad With A6 Processor

By Alex Heath on Jan 3, 2012

Taiwanese publication Digitimes is reporting again today that Apple is planning two iPad models, with the low-end version starting at only $299. Both iPads will reportedly boast the new A6 processor and will be differentiated by their screen resolutions.

Sources from Apple’s supply chain have claimed that there will be two versions of the new iPad, one targeting the high-end segment and the other the mid-range. Digitimes Research believe the two new iPad models will both be equipped the A6 processor with high-end model coming with a high resolution panel (2048×1536) and the mid-tier model featuring the same grade of panel as iPad 2 (1024×768).

In my opinion, it makes more sense for Apple to drop the price of the current iPad 2 to $299 and introduce the next-generation model at $499. The idea of Apple releasing two new iPads at once seems a little ridiculous.

 

Apple Sticks With Samsung for A6 Chip Production

By Sebastien Page on Oct 17, 2011

Despite the ongoing legal battles going on around the world between Apple and Samsung, it seems that the firm from Cupertino has decided to stick with the Korean electronics giant for the production of its upcoming A6 chip.

According to Korea Times’ informers, the chip will be manufactured in Samsung’s plant in Texas… Read More

 

Apple Working With Quad-Core Processors for Next-Generation iDevices?

By Cody Lee on Sep 23, 2011

Even with all of the confusion surrounding Apple’s iPhone announcement this year, there are two things we know for certain. The device is going to include a faster processor (presumably the A5 found in the iPad 2), and a better camera.

While we don’t know much about the camera just yet, we do have a pretty good idea of what the A5 is capable of. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Apple tout the next iPhone as the fastest in the industry. And they’re already working on making it faster…. Read More

 

Will Apple Drop Samsung for A6 Production in 2012?

By Guest Author on Jun 27, 2011

After a number of recent squabbles with Samsung, it seems Apple may be looking to distance itself from the company and move production of its ‘A6′ ARM processor to another chipmaker.

In a report published today, Ars Technica cites “numerous sources in the semiconductor industry” who claim Apple is likely to approach Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to build the next-generation of its mobile processor in 2012 as the company aims to step away from its current partnerships with Samsung… Read More