Apple Testing A5X Variant in iPhone Prototype Disguised in iPhone 4/4S Body?

[WhoDaKat]

They mean nothing? Really? Are you also advocating that we go back to a single-core processor since the iPhone 4 also had a "fluid" and "pleasant to use" system?

I'm not saying specs are everything, and I'm not saying Android is more fluid than iOS. But as iOS and the apps for it continue to evolve, they will demand higher processing power, and the A5 chipset is going to be a year and a half old when the iPhone is released.

I'm pretty sure you answered your own question.

I concur with the original poster, that the number of cores means nothing. At the same time though, that is not a desire to move backwards. The original iPhone was fluid, but as you say the software it runs is advancing so moving backwards would not keep the iPhone "fluid". My point and I believe the original posters point was that they don't sit around and go how do we make this thing with 100 cores? They say, does it work? Great, by the way, how many cores did it need?

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I was looking forward to the A6 SoC

Would it make you feel better if they called the A5X variant the A6? I mean, what would be the difference as long as it runs appropriately for the device?

 

[cmChimera]

I'm really more excited to see what iOS 6 is like. I'll be excited for a slightly bigger screen, but only if my battery life doesn't take a substantial hit for it.

 

[Glideslope]

Quad-core CPUs mean nothing. The entire system has to be fluid and pleasant to use, which most top-of-the-line Android phones still fail to achieve.

Very true. Battery life will be interesting for the new phone. I'll wager it influences design quite a bit.

I wonder what is going on with the A6? Theoretically, one could test many new components with an A5X, and be fine a with different chip.

There is definitely something up with the A6. Power consumption, heat, design,
being developed for "Other" products?

 

[Raftysworld]

I'm not allowed to call you an idiot on this forum, but... I'm pretty sure you answered your own question.

I concur with the original poster, that the number of cores means nothing. At the same time though, that is not a desire to move backwards. The original iPhone was fluid, but as you say the software it runs is advancing so moving backwards would not keep the iPhone "fluid". My point and I believe the original posters point was that they don't sit around and go how do we make this thing with 100 cores? They say, does it work? Great, by the way, how many cores did it need?

So dual-core was a step forward that we don't want to step back from, but quad-core is unnecessary right now? How awfully convenient.

But, I never once argued that the next iPhone should have a quad core processor. Not once. I just said it is disappointing that it would be using essentially the same processor from 1 and 1/2 years ago. The Cortex A15, a dual-core chip, would be a BIG step up without having to move to quad core, for instance.

 

[fruitycups]

So.. I am guessing that the screen size will not increase.

The prototype obviously has the same screen size, given that it uses the 4s casing.

the developers are going to get hurt if the screen size increases.

the current screen size is perfect.

 

[bdkennedy1]

If the phone is disguised in a 4S body, then it debunks the stories about it having a 4" screen.

 

[bushido]

there better be a redesign ... iPhone 4 users will be able to upgrade and there needs to be a OBVS reason to upgrade, not everyone is looking at the specs. i already have the iPhone 4 and 4S. i dont need the same phone 3 times ^^

i wish they would tweak the OS UI but that will probably never happen

 

[Shuri]

Quad-core CPUs mean nothing. The entire system has to be fluid and pleasant to use, which most top-of-the-line Android phones still fail to achieve.

But I don't get how the Quad Core Gfx in the A5X would help the iPhone. They're not going to bump up the ppi. So why would it be necessary? Maybe for a bigger screen in order to keep at least 300 ppi, but I don't believe in that.And as you said: For example the Asus Transformer Prime Tablet has got a quad core CPU, but it's still slower than the iPad.

Samsung HTC and others use the specs to impress dumb people ("WOW it has 2 GB RAM, it must be a hell of a smartphone" :roll eyes

 

[Teste]

I wouldn't be surprised if the next iPhone turns out to be the same format as the 4. I would be disappointed, but not surprised. I wish Apple would return to the format of the iPhone 3, it's better than trying to hold a brick.

I don't think we will see any big innovation any time soon. The removal of numbers (new iPad instead of iPad 3) is probably to hide how Apple upcoming releases would be the iPhone 4GS, then the iPad 2SX, then iPhone 4GSX, and so on. Apple is still the best at what they do, IMO, but innovating appears to not be their thing anymore.

 

[Gol27]

Why are people surprised? Of course the next iPhones going to have the A5X. It would be stupid for apple to put a quad core in a mobile phone, while the iPad is still duel core. Especially if the rumors of a bigger screen are true.

 

[thekeyring]

I wouldn't be surprised if the next iPhone turns out to be the same format as the 4. I would be disappointed, but not surprised. I wish Apple would return to the format of the iPhone 3, it's better than trying to hold a brick.

*iPhone 3GS

 

[ArmCortexA8]

Hi all

Lets follow this processor lineage to figure out some things.

1. iPad 2 was the first device to use the A5 processor and the rest followed
2. iPhone 4 had A4 Processor
3. iPhone 4S has A5 Processor
4. iPad 3 was upgraded to A5X (intead of A6) - Dual Core CPU with Quad Core GPU.
5. iPhone 5 looks set to have same A5X Processor as iPad 3
6. iPod touch uses A4 processor still.

Ok, notice something here. The iPad 2 was the first device to use the brand new A5 processor, yet the iPad 3 never introduced the A6 which would be logical based on the past. Makes me ponder why the new iPhone wont use an A6 processor, and then the next iPad uses an A6 as well.

 

[Torrijos]

Honestly the number of CPU cores isn't the most important thing in the mobile space right now (poor software parallelism optimisation, even if Apple with GCD is at the forefront).

What worries me is more whether or not we'll go to a new foundry process (28mm or less) and to the new ARM 15 architecture, resulting in less heat and power consumption.

In the same vein it would be great if Apple pioneered the passage to Imagination powerVR series6 "Rogue" for graphics which are supposed to be very scalable (up to desktop discreet GPU), and might offer a better merging of platforms leading to easier software development between mobile and desktop.

 

[dagamer34]

There isn't much space for an A5X in a phone the size of the iPhone, but the fact that it has a heat spreader tells you that it gets rather warm compared to the A5. RAM had to be separately packaged in the new iPad, which makes any iPhone rumor involving the A5X absolutely silly. Plus, there's a 28/32nm die shrink available later this year and it would be dumb not to use it.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5688/apple-ipad-2012-review/12

 

[nfl46]

Regardless, I'm getting the new iPhone. Sell my old one, use the money towards the new one.

 

[nickn]

Quad-core CPUs mean nothing. The entire system has to be fluid and pleasant to use, which most top-of-the-line Android phones still fail to achieve.

.
But, I never once argued that the next iPhone should have a quad core processor. Not once. I just said it is disappointing that it would be using essentially the same processor from 1 and 1/2 years ago. The Cortex A15, a dual-core chip, would be a BIG step up without having to move to quad core, for instance.

Honestly the number of CPU cores isn't the most important thing in the mobile space right now (poor software parallelism optimisation, even if Apple with GCD is at the forefront).

Why do you say that when benchmarks show that some mobile quad core CPU's absolutely murder the A5X? Please look at this in the Asus Transformer Prime.
Overall the Asus CPU was almost 2.5 times faster, and won in 31 unique testing categories. The iPad 3 barely won in 5.

http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/compare/578013/582073

 

[longofest]

I don't understand this. By the time the new iPhone comes out, Apple really should be looking at putting out a Cortex A15 which could give a more wholistic boost to the iPhone while keeping power consumption minimal. The iPhone's A5 already eats a lot of power - adding power-hungry "quad core graphics" to the iPhone seems like a waste of power if that's all you're getting.

 

[thekeyring]

Nice to know they're looking at processors, but I think iOS 6 will be the big iPhone-related thing this year.

As the iPhone 4S (and likely the iPhone 4) will get the sixth-gen iPhone's software (iOS 6), I can't see anything that would make people excited to upgrade.

Thinner, faster, more battery? I'm pretty sure most customers don't think the current iPhone fat or slow, and most can live with the current battery life.

A bigger screen size wouldn't have to make it difficult for developers. They don't have to make three different applications to run on all the MacBook Pro screen sizes. I'm sure it will just depend on how Apple integrate iOS into the new phone.

 

[Moonjumper]

I don't care if the name of the processor is A5X or A6, nor do I care if the device is called the iPhone 4GS, 5, 6 or next iPhone. What is more important is a less fragile design. I'm hoping this comes true:

"The actual next-generation iPhone is specifically said to not include the iPhone 4/4S design"

 

[Starship77]

I like the current form factor, except for the glass on the back. That was just a bad idea in my opinion. It looks nice but god help you if you drop it at a height of over a couple of inches. Wish they'd go back to something more sturdy like the previous iPhones.

I love the dual glass design, it's looks MUCH better than the plastic back.

I had an iPhone 4 for a year, dropped it many times on different surfaces, even sidewalks and asphalt. It never cracked any of the glasses. Now I have an iPhone 4S and dropped it a couple of times too. No cracks whatsoever.

I know some people have problems with cracked screens or back, but I wonder what can they be doing different than me, or am I just lucky? I had iPod touches, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S and NEVER had a cracked screen in ANY of them…

And btw, I have never used cases or screen protectors in any of them...

 

[chrmjenkins]

I don't understand this. By the time the new iPhone comes out, Apple really should be looking at putting out a Cortex A15 which could give a more wholistic boost to the iPhone while keeping power consumption minimal. The iPhone's A5 already eats a lot of power - adding power-hungry "quad core graphics" to the iPhone seems like a waste of power if that's all you're getting.

Yes.

I can see them testing an A5X in an iphone, but they will never release an iphone with A5X as-is. By October, 28nm/32nm processes will be mature and Cortex A15 and ImgTec Rogue will both be viable choices for silicon. The A5X is simply too big and takes too much power for it to be able to fit in the current iphone, dissipate an acceptable amount of heat, and have ok battery life with less room for a battery.

There is no way the A5X from the new iPad will be in the next iphone in its current form. I'm about as sure as it can be when it comes to apple product rumors.

 

[pgiguere1]

I find this hard to believe. The point of the A5X was to double the graphics power to compensate for the new iPad's higher resolution.

Now we don't know yet if the new iPhone will have the same resolution or higher, but either way it won't have significantly more pixels like the new iPad did compared to the iPad 2.

The iPhone 4S already has a significant advantage over its current competitor in GPU performance:

I don't know what would be the point of upgrading a GPU that's already miles ahead of the competition yet keep the same CPU that's starting to trail behind. Games are fun, but I'd rather have a boost in CPU processing power, especially if the new iPhone has LTE. I wouldn't want the CPU to be a bottleneck for super-fast web browsing.

That being said, I don't care about the next GPU as much as I care for a new CPU architecture. Going quad-core would be a bad choice. Having dual-core Cortex A15 is the best we can hope for the next iPhone. Such an architecture change would mean a different name for the SoC : A6. People asking for a A6 don't simply want it for the name, it's because they assume the CPU in an "A5X" would be the same, which is understandable given that's what happened with the new iPad. A new GPU would be cool but I don't see how it could be Apple's main focus for the new iPhone.

I'm not saying 9to5Mac lied, it's very probable that Apple is actually testing iPhone prototypes with A5Xs. It's just very unlikely that it will really be included in the final product. If anything, it's just to test an iPhone with 1GB RAM since that's what the actual new SoCs will have as well.

 

[Shuri]

I love the dual glass design, it's looks MUCH better than the plastic back.

I had an iPhone 4 for a year, dropped it many times on different surfaces, even sidewalks and asphalt. It never cracked any of the glasses. Now I have an iPhone 4S and dropped it a couple of times too. No cracks whatsoever.

I know some people have problems with cracked screens or back, but I wonder what can they be doing different than me, or am I just lucky? I had iPod touches, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S and NEVER had a cracked screen in ANY of them…

And btw, I have never used cases or screen protectors in any of them...

Well it's not as fragile as people believe. My Dad dropped his 4S once.. Not a single scratch.

And I drop my 3G like all the time (I guess subliminally I want to get rid of it )... Nothing.

The 4 design looks awesome but I have to admit the 3G design is easier to hold.

 

[auxiliary]

I know people are still holding onto a 3GS because they want the perfect iphone to come out and then upgrade.
2 things, you just buy what ever the latest is and deal with it.
The other is "Apple makes you believe that more is less." They are not going to give you everything you want. They like to give you little bits at a time.

 

[Intarweb]

60fps camera please kthanksbye