Whether it is the diminutive iPod Nano or the iMac, whether it is the iPad with all its features or a desktop PC, all of Apple’s products come backed up by great technology. For instance, the Mac Pro runs on Quad Core Xeon processors from Intel and users can decide between a 12, 6 or 4 core. Apple’s iPhone 4S comes with the A5 chip that consists of not 1, but 2 cores, promising graphics that are seven times faster and performance that is two times more powerful than anything before it. The iPad used Apple’s custom-made A5 chip as well that promises more power with less energy consumption. We are now hearing that the new iPad, the iPad3, will be better and faster because the company has upgraded the A5 processor to a quad-core processor, the A6.
The A6 picks up where the A5 left off. But we will see a big difference in the manufacturer choice. Apple is said to be going with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (tsmc) to make its latest generation of processors. If you remember, Samsung produced the A5 but Apple and Samsung have been battling it out in courts with Apple emerging triumphant a few weeks ago. Needless to say, this is a business partnership that has come to an end. The end product remains to be seen but what we know of tsmc is that it is considered to be a green company, which will help in Apple’s staying in the good books of environment watchdogs. Apart from that it employs the fast yield ramp system for better time employability and since it is known for its excellence in product creation-Apple would not compromise on this-, we can expect the chips to be excellent.
In fact, what the A6 will probably harness is tsmc’s manufacturing process that harnesses a 28-nanometer system. This is less than the 40 nanometers that Samsung used for the A5 which translates into the circuitry on the A6 actually shrinking, making it smaller in size but faster in performance, all the while maintaining battery performance and longevity. This is especially important seeing how the new iPad has Retina Display for much better clarity and graphics interface. The new chip will have to be able to handle face recognition, image stability and color options, among other things, well.
Dual core processors mean better performance any way because on a simple level, the presence of two cores means more memory and more efficient performance because the cores work almost independently from one another. At the same time, the performance doesn’t drain your battery life. The A6 should not be a departure from this. But the A6 is not an innovation seeing how quad-core processors are being manufactured by leading companies like Qualcomm, Nvidia and Texas Instruments. In fact Qualcomm is firmly established as a name to be reckoned with in the quad core market.
We think the A6 will also feature in the next wave of phones that Apple is due to release. If that were the case, then Apple will take on other mobile phone manufacturers that already use quad-core like its arch rival Samsung, LG and HTC to name just a few.
Speaking of Samsung, in July we heard rumors that the quad core A6 processor from Apple is inspired from the Exynos 4 quad core processor from Samsung. It is a legitimate wonder if Samsung will allow Apple to go ahead with the design if this rumor is actually true.
The A5 changed things for the better for game developers and the A6 can be expected to do the same. In fact, the quad core processors promise a superlative graphics-processing unit, which translates to a superlative experience for gamers.
So there’s a lot to look forward to with the launch of both the iPad and the iPhone. Apple has a reputation of constantly upgrading on its previous versions and when it comes to an already brilliant processor like A5, the A6 will be something worth waiting for.
This is a guest post by Dazzle Rogers of workwelltogether.com, a site that offers savings and current information on comcast bundle deals, as well as Comcast.com services.
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