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Anandtech: Apple iPhone 5 features 1GB of RAM, A6 is a custom SoC
Unsurprisingly, Apple left us in the dark regarding some specifics of the iPhone 5 upon its release. Thankfully, the good folks over at Anandtech have done a bit of digging into those numbers you see bordering Apple's Apple A6 SoC, definitively figuring out that Cupertino's latest phone packs in a total 1GB of Samsung-sourced memory. The site clocks the DRAM inside at 1,066Mhz, noting that it's comprised of "two 512MB dies in a dual-channel LPDDR2 package with 32 bits per channel." Further, Anandtech lists the speed of the iPhone 5's memory at 8,528MB/sec -- an ample 33 percent boost over the 6,400MB/sec rating for the RAM in the iPhone 4S, but well below the 12,800 MB/sec needed to drive the new iPad's bandwidth-hungry screen resolution. Beyond that, the site believes that the A6 is Apple's first truly in-house creation, as it's using math units too new to be found in a ARM Cortex-A9 architecture (like the A5 or A5X) but reportedly isn't a match for the soon-to-be-released Cortex-A15. If true, the implication is significant -- it suggests Apple is taking the more aggressive path of a chip designer like Qualcomm and custom-tailoring large parts of its processor designs to get the speed it wants on a more exacting schedule. That's a quick summation of the details; hit up the source links below if you want the explanation in full geek speak. Jon Fingas contributed to this post.
iPhone 5: the rumor roundup
We're on the cusp of Apple's sixth iPhone launch, and there's very different expectations than there were last year. The 2011 rumor cycle left more than a few people burned: the later-than-usual October launch and repeated claims of a heavily-remade design led some to a disappointment when the iPhone 4S arrived, even though the final product had a slew of camera, speed and voice command upgrades. This year, the rumors have been grounded well before there was an event date in our hands. There have been fewer instances of wild rumors. Instead, it's been based more around pragmatism, using either tangible leaks or sources that have a solid track record. Think of the perennial leaks from the Wall Street Journal or the increasingly well-established sourcing from iMore and The Loop. Whether you're conspiracy-minded or not, it's been hard to ignore the sheer number of claims that have tamped down expectations rather than inflated them. It's as though there's a collective fear we'll see a repeat of the 2011 hysteria and deal with fans (or detractors) complaining about missing features that were never promised in the first place. Where last summer was full of uncertainty, this year there's a mounting consensus as to what we'll see, how we'll get it, and when. Tracking everything that's been mentioned may be a handful, however. With that in mind, we'll dive in and gauge what's likely to emerge from behind Apple's curtain on September 12th -- as well as what we can rule out from the get-go.
An in-depth look at the iPad as a gaming device
Writing for GamesIndustry International, Richard Leadbetter discusses the iPad as a gaming device and goes into great details about Apple's choice of internal components. Apple's strategy with the new iPad seems to be to accommodate the Retina screen whatever the cost: CPU, batteries and RAM have all required costly upgrades to power the 2048 x 1536 display. He concludes that "It's no longer a case of whether Apple will bring its own brand of gaming to the home, it's a matter of when and how."
Apple might top Intel in mobile processor shipments by year-end
Watch out, Intel. That Apple-shaped company in your rear-view mirror is closer than you think, and according to In-Stat, could pass you in terms of mobile processor shipments by the end of 2012. What's really amazing is that Apple wasn't even in the mobile processor business until 2007. In 2011, Apple shipped 176 million processors in its iPad and iPhone devices. Intel, which manufactures mobile processors for laptops and other devices, shipped 181 million. In-Stat believes that if the unprecedented demand for Apple's mobile products continues, the company will soon be the number-one manufacturer of mobile processors. That's not far-fetched, considering that earlier this week Apple CEO Tim Cook said that it's fairly likely that the tablet market -- which Apple owns -- would surpass the total market for PCs in the near future. Jim McGregor of InStat notes that things could get worse for Intel if Apple decides to use its own ARM-based processors in the popular MacBook Air and other devices. Analysts say that this currently isn't too likely due to technical and performance issues, but if it could reduce total system component costs for Apple's "traditional" computers, it might be worth the company's time and effort to overcome those issues. Intel's not taking the market threat lightly, hence the recent push to use more of its mobile processor line in the so-called "Ultrabooks," which are aimed directly at competing with the slender and light MacBook Air. [via The Loop]
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.
iPad A5X CPU vs ASUS Transformer Prime Tegra 3 CPU benchmarks
The first third-generation iPads are in the hands of the tech geeks, and the benchmarks are flying. Back on March 8, TUAW reported that NVIDIA was not happy with Apple's claim that the A5X system-on-a-chip that powers the new iPad would put the NVIDIA Tegra 3 to shame. Australian tech blogger Ritchie has put the claim to the test by doing a side-by-side video comparison of the new iPad and the Tegra 3-powered ASUS Transformer Prime. The results, while not as dramatic as Apple's claims of 4 times the graphics processing power of the Tegra 3, do show conclusively that the two-core four-graphic-core A5X trounces the quad-core, 12-graphic-core Tegra 3. As our very own Chris Rawson noted at the time of the post on March 8, "Prediction: Once NVIDIA runs A5X benchmarks and finds out it trounces the Tegra 3, we hear nothing more from them about it." We're waiting, NVIDIA... Check out the results for yourself in Ritchie's video, embedded for your viewing pleasure below.
New iPad inventory shipments spotted at Best Buy, backroom eye-candy until Friday
If you somehow haven't heard, Apple's new iPad officially goes on sale this Friday. As such, it's not surprising to find out that at least one US Best Buy location has already received its stock of the Retina display-loaded slates. Thanks to an anonymous tipster, we've received photos showing short-stacks of the pads just waiting to be given new homes. If you'll recall, Apple's online store has already sold out of its arrival day shipment stock for home delivery, with newer orders now set to go out on the 19th. That said, if you haven't reserved one and have to it come March 16th, you'll likely have another option for a retail camping adventure aside from your local Apple, AT&T and Verizon stores.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Apple's March 7th event roundup: the new iPad, Apple TV refresh and everything else
Weren't able to keep up with all the news from the unveiling of Apple's new iPad today? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Whether you're looking for more info about its Retina Display and LTE-connectivity, the refreshed Apple TV or related bits, we've listed links to our coverage of everything "new and noteworthy" after the break. Happy perusing! Oh, and be sure to check back to our the archive of our liveblog and pre- and post-event broadcasts for a few extra doses of "amazing."
Apple new iPad hands-on (update: video!)
Here she is -- the iPad HD! Er, new iPad. Breaking away from the numerical tracking system used before (and still used in the iPhone range), Apple has decided to highlight the most major change in its newest slate by simply dubbing it "new." By and large, the new guy is the same as the old guy (Home button included), but with a few nice amenities that could very well convince OG iPad owners to upgrade. Upon touching the HD variant, it's not the overall form factor that grabs us -- it's the screen. Given that we're unashamed Pixel Density Enthusiasts 'round these parts, seeing a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution display in the same area as the prior 'Pads is stunning. Nearly two months ago to the day, ASUS wowed our entire CES trailer with a reported 1,920 x 1,200 display on the TF700T; this, however, is something that really needs to be ogled to truly appreciate. In fact, the first viewing conjured up familiar feelings -- ones that came to light when placing the iPhone 4 beside the iPhone 3G for the first time. Unsurprisingly, Apple has managed to produce something that's truly beautiful to look at, and while we've yet to see the full potential of having this many pixels on a 9.7-inch slate, we're guessing a cadre of game developers are already hard at work in order to remedy that. Beyond being dazzling from a density standpoint, colors are sharp and accurate, and viewing angles are predictably ridiculous; even taking a peek from an extreme side angle gives way to a fairly solid image with next to no washout. %Gallery-150077% For more coverage of Apple's iPad event, visit our hub!
Our top ten wishes for the next-generation iPad
The minute the announcement about the third-generation iPad rollout next Wednesday hit the TUAW newsroom, just about everyone was throwing out ideas about what they'd like to see in the new model. Here are our top ten wishes for what we want to see in whatever is announced on March 7: 1. Retina Display There's not enough detail in the picture on the invitation (above) to really discern whether or not the new device will have a Retina display, but it's one of the most likely new features to appear. There have been leaked photos of an alleged display part for the next-generation iPad that show a doubling in pixel density, so we expect to see a new and much enhanced display. 2. Improved Processor To power those extra pixels, iPad: TNG is going to need more horsepower under the hood. So far we have two possibilities: a faster version of the dual-core Apple A5 (rumored to be the A5X -- see below) and a quad-core processor called the A6. Since these systems-on-a-chip also contain the system RAM, we may finally see a doubling of RAM to a full 1 GB ... or at least that's what we're hoping. 3. One Unit, Mulitple Carriers Right now, Apple has to sell two different versions of the iPad 2 -- one for GSM carriers and the other for CDMA carriers like Verizon. As with the iPhone 4S, we'd expect to see the next-generation iPad come with the capability of running on all networks. I think this is a no-brainer for the new iPad, as it reduces Apple's iPad SKUs by three. 4. 4G LTE There's a lot of debate here at TUAW about whether or not iPad: TNG will come with 4G LTE built in. On the plus side, Apple could compete with the plethora of Android tablets that are equipped with 4G LTE. On the other hand, 4G LTE still isn't widespread in most countries and battery life for LTE devices is still an issue, so would Apple be willing to sacrifice battery life in order to notch a competitive edge on the proverbial belt? We don't think so. 5. Better Cameras This is one wish that I personally don't care about, since I don't take photos with my iPad or use it all that much for video calls. But once again, the technology is available and Apple already has the 8 MP rear-facing camera in the iPhone 4S. My personal opinion is that this is a no-brainer, and that the next-generation iPad will have an 8 MP rear-facing camera as well as a front-facing HD (1280 x 720 pixel, AKA 720p) camera for FaceTime. After all, the new Macs are using 720p FaceTime HD, and we all know that Apple doesn't care how much bandwidth we're using... A front-facing HD camera would be a nice boost form the current VGA model in the existing iPads. 6. Siri Another point of contention amongst the TUAW bloggers is whether or not Siri will make it to the new iPad. Those of us who use Siri a lot think it's a natural for the new device, while others don't think it has a place on a larger device. I'd personally love to use Siri's excellent voice dictation capabilities for writing texts, notes, and reminders on the iPad. Should Siri find a place to live on the new iPad, the device will most likely get the dual noise-cancelling microphone setup that is used to feed the brains of Siri with high-quality voice input. 7. Stereo Speakers While the existing monaural speaker of the first and second generation iPads is "pretty good," especially when compared to (according to Dave Caolo) the Nook Color, a set of good stereo speakers on the bottom of the device would be a welcome addition. Since a lot more people may be using their iPads to watch movies on that Retina display, why not add better sound quality? 8. "Button-free" Design Another debate that has been raging through the newsroom is whether Apple will discard the current physical home button for a "virtual" button that's just an extension of the touch-sensitive display. My personal opinion is that they wouldn't do this -- people have become accustomed to feeling for the home button with their fingers, and unless Apple can provide a haptic display of some sort, they won't tamper with success. Then again, maybe that's what Apple is hinting with that "And touch" comment on the invitation. 9. More Storage The current iPad comes in 16, 32, and 64 GB flavors. While this might just be a requirement for some of our bloggers, there seems to be a difference of opinion on whether or not a 128 GB edition should be added. For those who like to watch a lot of video on their iPads, 128 GB would be a welcome addition. Some of the bloggers think that Apple won't expand storage since they want price points to remain fairly static and the Retina display will cost more than the existing display; others think that Apple will add a 128 GB model and just charge more for the luxury of more storage. 10. "Smarter" Covers The Smart Cover was introduced with the iPad 2 and provides a way to turn the display on and off without reaching for the power or home button. Several of our bloggers want to see a newer version of the Smart Cover. How could it be improved? How about getting rid of the sharp edges? Another idea was to build a solar clock and calculator "with big buttons" into the cover so one could check the time and do taxes without having to fire up the ol' iPad. That's our list of the most wished-for items for the next-generation iPad. What would you like to see? Leave your comments below.
iPad 3 logic board with 'A5X' chip purportedly snapped by Mr. Not-so-Blurrycam
Well, if it looks real, sounds real and is halfway logical, we probably should distrust it all the more. Yes, it's the time when all the rumors, photoshops and general hysteria around Apple's next slab reaches its apex. The photo above was grabbed by the steady hand of sas126, a blurrycam snapper in name only, and posted to Chinese site Weiphone, purporting to be the logic board for the iPad 3. The big news (if true) is the "A5X" silicon, suggesting we'll see an incremental enhancement rather than the wholesale revolutions evident in the A4 and A5 chips that accompanied its predecessors. The SoC (with the Apple logo, to the right of the two Hynix memory modules) carries a date-stamp of 1146, suggesting it was produced in the 46th week of last year. Of course, now that we're getting so close to the actual event, whatever Tim Cook whips out on stage will never match whatever we'd conjured up on our own hearts: so try to dampen down that rampant excitement because we've still got 17 days left to wait.
