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Here's why the iPad Pro's processor is so fast
Whatever you think of Apple's products, there's little doubt that the A9X processor in the iPad Pro is quick -- in a few cases, it rivals the performance you'd get from a laptop. But why is it so quick, especially when Apple tends to shy away from high clock speeds, many-core processors and other conventional performance tricks? Thanks to AnandTech and Chipworks, we now have a good idea. They've torn down the A9X to reveal that the chip is a series of calculated tradeoffs. It only has two CPU cores and doesn't even have Level 3 memory cache to keep the processor humming, but it has a monstrous amount of bandwidth (51GB per second) and a whopping 12 graphics cores. That's twice as many as in the iPhone 6s' A9 chip, folks. To boot, the A9X is larger than Intel's latest quad-core desktop processors -- Apple has the headroom for components that you don't see in many PCs.
Chipworks analysis of iPhone 5s A7 and M7 chips highlights Apple's design evolution
iFixit tore down the iPhone 5s last week and gave us a peek at the innards of Apple's new phone. Chipworks has taken that analysis a step further with a detailed look at the chips that power the device. Starting with the A7, Chipworks has confirmed that the A7 is manufactured by Samsung using the same 28nm High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process the Korean company uses for its new Exynos 5410 processor. It's slightly smaller than the A6 (77 percent the size), but provides the equivalent functionality of the previous-generation chip. The M7 turns out to be an interesting component with a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis electronic compass IC. It's manufactured by NXP and sports a Cortex-M3 microcontroller. The part number for the component (LPC18A1) didn't match any on NXP's website, which leads Chipworks to believe the M7 is likely a custom chip built by NXP to Apple's specifications. Other hardware includes a WiFi module with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS and an integrated FM radio receiver. Rather than go with a newer Broadcom chip that offers 802.11ac, Apple opted use a WiFi module that is similar to the one in the iPhone 5. There's also a Qualcomm 4G LTE modem with a Samsung LTE baseband processor and some Samsung DRAM to store the carrier information. The eight-megapixel camera module has been tentatively identified as a Sony Exmor-RS sensor, but the exact details are not yet known. [Via Electronista and MacRumors]
Apple A6 investigation shows highly customized dual-core, triple-GPU layout
There's been a significant mystery lingering around the A6 processor found in the iPhone 5, even as it became clearer that Apple was veering further than usual from the basic ARM formula. A microscope-level inspection by Chipworks and iFixit is at last identifying the key elements of the 32nm, Samsung-assembled chip and revealing just how far it strays from the beaten path. The examination confirms earlier suspicions of a dual-core design with triple-core graphics -- it's how that design is shaped that makes the difference. Apple chose to lay out the two processor cores by hand rather than let a computer do the work, as most ARM partners do. The procedure is expensive and slow, but also gives the A6 a better-optimized design; it explains why the chip is noticeably faster than much of its competition without needing the brute force approaches of higher clock speeds or extra cores. Some mysteries remain, such as the exact PowerVR graphics that are at work, but it's evident Apple now has the design talent and resources to speed up mobile devices on its own terms rather than wait for off-the-shelf layouts like the Cortex-A15.
Chipworks, iFixit tear down the Galaxy S III for all to see, spot iPhone 4S' camera sensor hanging around
You've picked up the Galaxy S III. You've grabbed the source code. But you probably like the quad-core monster too much to tear it down, which is why Chipworks and iFixit have taken to disassembling the phone for themselves to look for any surprises. We certainly knew to expect the Exynos 4 Quad and 2,100mAh battery, but we now know how Samsung is claiming a boost to speed and image quality for the 8-megapixel camera: it's using the same Sony-made, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that we've seen since the Xperia Arc and which made its biggest splash in the iPhone 4S. Just don't anticipate replacing many components yourself. That 4.8-inch touchscreen is not only permanently attached to the glass but to the phone frame, leaving any face-first accidents a dicey fix. We're expecting a few more discoveries once iFixit gives the Galaxy S III a second scan, but the source will give you everything there is to know right now.
Apple's A5X processor is big and beautiful
Chipworks posted some polysilicon die photos that compare Apple's A4, A5 and A5X processor. What's most striking to the casual observer is the relative size of each die. As Chipworks notes, the A5X is "big and beautiful" when compared to the A4 and even its close predecessor the A5. You can see the detailed photos with block annotations on Chipworks's website. You can even grab a high-resolution version of the A5X that you can use as a desktop wallpaper.
iPhone 4 noise cancellation chip demoed with comparison video
Last summer, when the folks at iFixit first did a tear down of the iPhone 4, one of the interesting tidbits they revealed was that the iPhone 4 has two mics (which is more than most other cell phones), and that it has a white-labelled (manufacturers details removed upon request from Apple) noise cancellation chip in it. The idea being that ambient noise is identified by the second mic, and processed and cancelled out by the chip -- leaving the person listening to whoever is speaking into the iPhone 4 with much clearer audio. Furthermore, a few months ago, you may have noticed that iFixit -- along side the help of Chipworks -- revealed the unbranded chip to be a low power audio signal processor manufactured by Audience. The same noise cancellation chip found in the Google Nexus One phone. While that in itself may not be all that interesting, we thought you may be interested in the YouTube video iFixit sourced to demonstrate the power of the Audience chip. The video below is a recording of two separate voice mail messages called from the same noisy location, but on two different phones. One is from an unnamed, standard cell phone, the other is from the iPhone 4.
iFixit and Chipworks teardown the iPhone 4's gyroscope
You didn't think the folks at iFixit would simply teardown the iPhone 4 and call it a day, did you? They've now gone the extra mile and done a detailed teardown of the iPhone 4's gyroscope with a little help from Chipworks. That's of course a MEMS (or microelectromechanical system) gyroscope and, according to Chipworks, nearly identical to an off-the-shelf STMicroelectronics L3G4200D gyroscope, which is actually what they used for the teardown. What's more, they also went even further and put another gyroscope (not used in the iPhone 4) under an electron microscope just to illustrate how incredibly complex and minute the structure of MEMS gyroscopes are. Head on past the break for a glimpse of that, and hit up the link below for the complete teardown.
Microsoft Kin Two gets torn apart, reveals Sony image sensor
Sure, we already know most of the Kin Two's main specs, but there's nothing like a proper teardown to find out exactly what makes something tick, and the folks from Chipworks have now kindly ripped one apart so you don't have to. Among the highlights are the expected NVIDIA Tegra APX2600 processor, a slew of chips and memory from the likes of Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Hynix, and Samsung and, perhaps most notably, an image sensor from none other than Sony. That sensor, the IMX046, is one of the smallest in its class with a pixel size of just 1.4 microns and, according to Chipworks, something of a surprise -- they were expecting a sensor from OmniVision. Hit up the links below for the Chipworks' complete blow-by-blow account, as well as some further analysis from the folks at iFixit -- and, no, there isn't a teardown of the Kin One just yet.
Apple's A4 system-on-chip gets decoupled from iPad, investigated with the help of an X-ray
Ever so gently, we're starting to peel away the layers of mystery surrounding the A4 system-on-chip that powers Apple's fancy new slate device. iFixit, helped by reverse engineering firm Chipworks, have gone to the trouble of both dissecting and X-raying the iPad's central processing hub in their quest to lift the veil of ignorance. Their findings confirmed that the A4 is built using a "package on package" method, meaning that the 256MB of Samsung-provided SDRAM is stacked immediately atop the CPU, which is noted as being reductive to both latency and energy use. With a single core processor inside, the iFixit team concluded the iPad had to be running on a Cortex A8 -- which is very much the likeliest choice at this point -- but their assertion that it couldn't be a Cortex A9 MPCore inside is inaccurate, as those chips also come in single-core options. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against Samsung's Hummingbird chip, which was designed by Intrinsity, the same company Apple is being rumored to have recently acquired. Finally, the visual inspection of the iPad's mobo puts a model number to the already known PowerVR GPU, narrowing it down to the SGX 535, while also naming and picturing a number of other exciting components, such as the always popular capacitive touchscreen controller. Hit the source link below for all the lurid images.
Flash memory oddity reveals image of Jesus and / or Gandalf
Now that we've got our own CNC hot-air gun to draw images of Jesus and Mary to our heart's content, we're not so very surprised to see those revered images popping up in odder places, like this here flash memory. Revealed by transmission electron microscopy, the folks at Chipworks found this familiar image of the Messiah on a 4GB Samsung flash memory chip. Dick James explains: "We often get dark fringe lines in the silicon, and in this case it looks like there was some holy influence." However, we're not so sure this is a dead-ringer for Jesus. As some staff at El Reg have pointed out, the dude also bears a striking resemblance to Gandalf, and we're seeing more of a long-haired, bearded Strongbad at play here.
