
Apple was pretty mum on the technical aspects of the A6 processor, not delving into the architecture, only mentioning it’s smaller size, power efficiency, and increased computing power.
However, new details have emerged that the new A6 chip in the iPhone 5 is based on Arm’s next generation Cortex A15 cores. Apple’s iPhone 5 is the first device to utilize the new technology, beating both TI and Samsung to the punch.
Apple’s older iDevices utilized ARM Cortex 8 and Cortex 9 cores, with the next generation iPad utilizing the same 45nm technology of the A5 with a modified GPU array. The new A6 utilizes Samsung’s 32nm LP HK+MG production process, allowing the dye size to shrink, power efficiency to increase, and computing power to increase as well.
ARM’s calls the A15s “the highest-performance licensable processor the industry has ever seen.” Well until their next processor comes out. Still the A15s will be featured in a bevy of new processors not yet on the market including the Tegra 4, Samsung’s Exynos 5, and TI’s OMAP 5 series processors.
The A6 may only be a dual-core processor, but the combination of a quad-core GPU, and the latest ARM technology make the A6 a formidable beast. But, until the iPhone 5 goes through it’s paces from the teardown experts, no one will know exactly the A6 is made of.
Source: AnandTech
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