Meet the Engine That Runs the iPhone 5, Apple’s Own A6 SoC


By: Kuljit Grewal  |   September 20th, 2012   |   Apple, iOS, News, Smartphones

Apple has been using U.S. based firm ARM Holdings’ processors since its original smartphone device; however their latest and likely greatest iteration of the iconic iPhone device has something a little more personal under the hood.

 

According to AnandTech, the all new iPhone A6 SoC (System on a Chip) is the first one whose core arrangement is based purely on Apple’s designs. All previous ARM processors were full licensed versions from the company itself. It has been known for sometime that Apple has had the sights set on creating their own CPU, however past reports regarding the matter have stated that the company has been having issues doing so successfully.

 

These reports have likely been put to bed thanks to the A6, which is based off of the ARMv7. The CPU is stated to provide marked improvements in battery life as well as processing speeds that were twice as fast as any previous versions of the phone. The latter is a bold statement, nothing new for a company trying to build hype for a product. The only way to separate hyperbole from fact would be to test and compare various Apple device processors.

 

The performance of the A6 was put to test and compared to the A5 and A5X CPUs that power Apple’s current iPhone 4S and new iPad models respectively. In benchmark testing conducted by Geekbench, the A5 scored 641, bested by the A5X which tallied a score of 794. Incredibly, the benchmark score given to the new A6 processor topped out at 1,601 making it far more powerful than anything Apple has offered before.

 

The above is music to the ears of millions of aspiring iPhone 5 owners as well as Apple’s various stakeholders. An improved and more powerful product in concert with a highly anticipated iOS update will make the iPhone 5 a sure fire hit, with sales estimates already at 10 million for the first 3 weeks (TQ was on it). As always, we will keep you up to speed with the latest news concerning Apple and their products.

 

SOURCE: AnandTech and CNet

PHOTO: Redmond Pie

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