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Apple iPhone 5s's A7 SoC built by Samsung, M7 processor comes from NXP
Rumors swirled ahead of the iPhone 5s' launch that the silicon inside it would come from a source other than Samsung. Despite signing a deal with TSMC to manufacture future SoC's, Chipworks has confirmed that the A7 powering the new flagship iPhone comes from a familiar place: Samsung's fabrication facilities. Yet, while Apple couldn't cut the tie that binds it to its greatest rival for the main brain of the phone, it did manage to source the secondary M7 chip from NXP. Again, Chipworks discovered the M7's origin, and while we'd love to send you straight there for the nitty gritty now, it appears the site is currently down -- so, iFixit's secondary reporting of Chipworks' work will have to do... for now.
Apple asks developers to submit 64-Bit apps for iPhone 5s
Apple has posted a note on its Developer website asking developers to begin submitting apps optimized for the iPhone 5s' 64-bit A7 processor. From the note, titled "Submitting 64-bit apps": You can submit 64-bit apps for iOS 7 today that take advantage of the power of iPhone 5s. Xcode can build your app with both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries included so it works across all devices running iOS 7. If you wish to continue to support iOS 6 then you will need to build for 32-bit only. Next month we will be making changes that will allow you to create a single app binary that supports 32-bit on iOS 6, as well as 32-bit and 64-bit on iOS 7. As Apple states, developers who wish to support any iOS below version 7 must keep their apps 32-bit. However, the company will allow developers to release one build, supporting 32-bit chips on iOS 6 and 64-bit chips on iOS 7, starting in October. The 64-bit chip in the iPhone 5s is the first 64-bit chip in a mobile device and Apple says it is twice as fast as the 32-bit A6 chip found in the iPhone 5 -- and a whopping 40 times faster than the chip found in the original iPhone.
Daily Update for September 10, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple unveils A7 chip, brings 64-bit processing to the iPhone 5s
Apple has just laid claim to a world first: 64-bit processing inside a real, ready-for-sale smartphone. The new A7 processor will power the iPhone 5s with a "desktop-class architecture" consisting of over 1 billion transistors. That's twice as many transistors as were squeezed into the A6 and, for the sake of context, it's not a million miles away from the 1.4 billion transistors found in a current Intel Ivy Bridge desktop-class PC chip. In other words, while ARM's own 64-bit mobile chip design, the Cortex-A57, is still being developed by chip- and phone-makers, Apple's in-house team has pipped them all to the post. Largely as a result of the extra transistors and 64-bit architecture, the A7 is claimed to be twice as fast as its predecessor, both in terms of CPU and graphics performance. Speaking of graphics, Apple also promises that its newly added support for the OpenGL ES 3.0 standard will enable "breakthroughs in performance" for visually intensive games such as Infinity Blade III. And it won't just be games that benefit -- iOS 7 will be 64-bit too, naturally, and Apple's own built-in apps will be "re-engineered" to exploit this next-gen processing capability. (The A7 and iPhone 5s will also be backwards compatible with existing 32-bit apps.) Finally, it's interesting note that the iPhone 5s has a secondary processor, the Apple M7, which is tailored for processing motion and other sensory inputs and is presumably designed for unburdening the main chip and allowing the iPhone 5s to work as a fitness tracker and accomplish other sensory-based tasks without excessive battery drain. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
Apple allegedly working with Samsung again on chips for 2015 devices
Samsung has been exclusively making chips for Apple's iOS devices since the first iPhone started shipping in 2007 -- we don't need to tell you that makes for an odd relationship. Several months ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple would switch to TSMC for next year's iOS portfolio, but now there's some strange news coming out of Korea. According to a local publication, Apple's 2015 iOS devices will use Samsung's 14 nanometer FinFET technology, starting with the iPhone 7 (not the 6S?). Why would Apple switch to TSMC for just one year and then go back to Samsung? Is Apple planning to rely on both TSMC and Samsung for different product lines? Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until Chipworks breaks out its microscopes to find out what's really going on.
Apple reportedly dropping Samsung and turning to TSMC for A7 chip development
A report from the Korea Times relays that Apple is excluding Samsung from its plans to develop its next-gen A7 processor. While Apple and Samsung compete fiercely in the smartphone market, the two companies also happen to be very important business partners. Apple, of course, currently relies on Samsung to manufacture all of the chips used in its lineup of iOS devices. In turn, Apple's business contributes billions upon billions to Samsung's bottom line each and every year. With Apple currently embroiled in legal disputes with Samsung across the globe, it should come as no surprise that Apple is actively seeking to move its chip business elsewhere. "Apple is sharing confidential data for its next A7 system-on-chip (SoC) with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). TSMC has begun ordering its contractors to supply equipment to produce Apple's next processors using a finer 20-nanometer level processing technology," said an executive at one of Samsung's local partners in Korea by telephone, Wednesday. While reports of Apple shifting away AX chip production from Samsung to TSMC have persisted for quite some time, the latest report appears to have more substance to it. Taiwan's Economic Daily News also reported recently that Apple had yet to place any orders for A7 processors with Samsung. But of particular interest is that the publication also relayed that Samsung's exclusive contract to produce Apple's A-series of chips is slated to expire in June 2013. In short, the door may now be wide open for TSMC to swoop in and take over Apple's chip-production business from Samsung. It therefore stands to reason that Apple's 2014 lineup of iOS devices will likely be Apple's first products to include chips built by TSMC. iDownloadblog adds: Risk production will apparently start this summer and TSMC should be able to churn out the A7 chips in volume in early-2014, in time for a 2014 wave of iPhone, iPad and iPod upgrades. The Apple-designed processor is expected to be fabbed on TSMC's sophisticated 20-nanometer process technology. So does this mean that Apple's relationship with Samsung will effectively come to an end come 2014? Not necessarily. iDownloadblog previously sourced a quote from Korea Investment & Securities researcher Seo Won-seok who anticipates that Samsung will retain approximately 70 percent of Apple's chip business in 2014. Going forward, however, you can bet that Apple will attempt to shift as much of its chip business away from Samsung as possible.
Bowers & Wilkins intros classy A7 and A5 AirPlay speakers, leaves out the 30-pin dock
When it comes to Apple-focused audio wares, Bowers & Wilkins makes some of the of the ritiziest options available. Expanding on its its existing speaker range, the company has introduced a duo of new AirPlay speakers dubbed as the A5 ($500) and A7 ($800). Both HiFi boxes are nearly identical from the outside (aside from the size difference), and feature the same black and silver aesthetic as the MM-1 media speakers. The A7 nets you a duo of 25-watt 1-inch Nautilus "tube-loaded" tweeters" (just like the MM-1s), two 25-watt 3-inch drivers for the mid-range and a 50-watt 6-inch woofer, while the A5 shrinks things by forgoing a woofer and using a smaller speaker array of two 20-watt tweeters and two 20-watt mid-range drivers. The speakers on both units are independently driven, and both systems feature an "audiophile-grade" DAC that'll upscale music streams to a maximum 24-bit / 96kHz sample rate. As you'd expect, the units feature WiFi and Ethernet connectivity and 3.5mm inputs for hooking in sans wireless, but it's worth noting these audio boxes lack 30-pin docks -- at least you still get a remote. Check out the video after the break for a detailed look at both, and the source link below for all the juicy details.
ARM unveils Cortex-A7 processor, 'big.LITTLE' computing
Fancy a glimpse of the future? That little psychedelic beauty on the right is ARM's brand new Cortex-A7 processor. Its spec sheet might not seem so colorful at first glance, because it doesn't really do things any faster than existing high-end smartphone processors. However, this UK-based chip designer isn't known for bumping its gums, so it pays to look a little deeper. For a start, the Cortex-A7 is built using a 28nm process that makes it five times smaller and more efficient than the current-gen Cortex-A8. It's also cheap enough to power sub-$100 handsets, so we could be pulling GSII-like tricks on budget phones within a couple of years. Is that it? Nope, there's more: perhaps the most important feature of the A7 is that it can be combined with much higher-power cores like the Cortex-A15 side-by-side on the same chip. This allows a super-phone or tablet to switch between two totally different processing units depending on how much power is needed at the time. ARM calls this "Big.LITTLE" computing," and a similar concept is already in use on NVIDIA's Tegra 3 (aka Kal-El) SoC, which we'll see imminently in the next Asus Transformer. However, the Tegra 3 uses five identical Cortex-A9 cores, whereas a device that mix-and-matches the A15 and A7 could potentially deliver higher highs and lower lows, giving you speed when you need it and amazing battery life when you don't. How cute is that? Full PR after the break.
Audi starts calling its vehicular broadband plans 'Audi connect,' partners with Alcatel for LTE internet
Audi's had grand designs on the connected car for years now, and is presently looking to upgrade to LTE, but first it's time to address the most important consideration -- marketing the stuff effectively. To that end, Audi's unifying its infotainment initiatives under the brand Audi Connect, so it will be absolutely clear how you can pimp your ride with tech when you walk into an Audi dealership. That is, if you don't already have Audi Connect, because the company claims it's already present in the A8, A7 and A6. Those three automobiles can presently add an optional UMTS modem for online apps, though Audi's also working with Alcatel-Lucent to bring faster LTE connectivity by 2014. Expect a software update sooner than that: this summer, Audi hopes to add live traffic data and voice commands to control a suite of Google services as well. Find more details at our source links.
eLocity A7 tablet finally shipping, $399 still buys you Froyo and Tegra 2
Looking for a bargain bin tablet without the bargain bin stigma? We told you around three months ago to look Stream TV's way, but it seems that the same message could be applied today. For whatever reason, the 7-inch eLocity A7 tablet actually didn't ship in September, but according to a fresh piece of PR, that's being remedied today. The A7 -- complete with Android 2.2 and NVIDIA's Tegra 2 silicon -- has started shipping today to those who placed a pre-order, and it's also found a safe and secure spot on Amazon's website. 'Course, it's listed as "out of stock" for the time being, but as soon as the factory lines start cranking at a decent clip, the $399 slate should make an appearance at Walmart, NewEgg, BJs, Tiger Direct and Micro Center (among other places). Emphasis on should.
StreamTV Elocity A7 tablet packs Tegra 2 and Android 2.2, coming to Amazon for $399 in September
We can't say we'd ever heard of StreamTV, but all the company had to say was "Tegra 2 Android Froyo tablet" to get us to meet up with them in NYC earlier today. The Philadelphia start-up is planning to bring its Elocity A7 -- essentially a re-badged Compal's NAZ-10 -- to an Amazon order page near you, and from what we saw during the hour-long demo it may just be a contender for your stashed away $399. The 7-inch tablet has an extremely responsive 800 x 480 resolution, capacitive touchscreen -- yes, multitouch worked in the browser and photo gallery -- with a front-facing 1.3 megapixel cam on the left bezel. We actually got to make a quick Fring video call to one of the other tablets in the room, though it was rather lagging since we were running over it all 3G. Surrounding the tablet is an SD card slot along with USB and HDMI ports, the latter of which did come very handy for hooking up the tablet to a 22-inch HDTV and watching an extremely smooth 1080p clip. (Thank you 1GHz Tegra II-720 CPU!) Speaking of, we also got to play a racing game, Asphalt 5, on the device, though the accelerometer steering was a bit flaky. Besides that, we've got to say the entire tablet experience was pretty smooth -- you can see for yourself after the break and in the upcoming episode of the Engadget Show -- but the unit we saw was running Android 2.1. The SteamTV's CEO says they'll only be shipping 2.2-running units come October and with a supplemental GetJar app store since it cannot preload Google's Marketplace because of restrictions. He also tells us they'll be including an HDMI cord and wireless keyboard in the box -- all for $399. It all sounds rather promising, but so do all these future Android tablets!
