Dual-Core A5X iPad 3 Coming Tomorrow with Multiple LTE and 3G Variants?

[rmwebs]

No quad core = no sale for me unfortunately.

If they release an iPad with only a dual core processor in 2012, the Android trolls will have a field day on this board.

You clearly have no idea how processors work then. More cores does not equal a faster tablet.

 

[Adidas Addict]

Just got this email from HardCandyCases:

 

[MacinDoc]

Does this mean iPhone 5 will be dual core also?

The Internet is going to explode with fanboy tirades in about 24 hours....

Depends on whether it will be based on the A9 quad-core or the A15 dual-core. But by the time the iPhone 5 is released this fall, it likely won't be the A5X in any case.

It seems that LTE chip being used won't have the support for both 3G technologies, the faster GSM and the CDMA. LTE isn't widely available and I think I would want an iPad that would fall back to a faster HSPA+ GSM 3G, plus it would be more compatible worldwide.

Though currently Verizon has more 4G LTE regions, still once you fall outside of the 4G support, then the Verizon iPad would fall back to a slower 3G CDMA network. (Again, it appears that Verizon has faster ping, so loading pages may be not be 3 times faster as the simple speed tests consistantly show)

(Where I live, the only 4G support is Metro PCS, and my iPhone 4S on AT&T's HSPA+ is still 5-10 times faster than any of the 4G Metro PCS phones around here, though I've only tested this several times)

I still don't believe that we will see multiple models based on carrier. This just increases the price and decreases the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

I think it's just marketingterms. They obviously are not going to call it A5S, so they're calling it A5X for that reason. My guess is that the A5X will feature in the iPad 3, and that it is a higher-clocked version of the A5. Also, it will have more memory, presumably 1GB.

Have to agree with you on that one.

 

[Abazigal]

Oh no. The spec boys are going to go nuts with no quad core processor. We'll have to listen to them howl about getting an Acer Samsung Xyboard (but they'll really just get an ipad anyway).

Let them, I am betting a dual-core ipad2 is still gonna run more smoothly than any other quad-core tablet out there.

 

[kiljoy616]

Cool I get to save my money if its not an A6. But I would find it strange if they went A5X for the iPad considering its becoming a big deal gaming product.

 

[iBug2]

Cool I get to save my money if its not an A6. But I would find it strange if they went A5X for the iPad considering its becoming a big deal gaming product.

How many games do you know that use 4 cores? Even on the mac?

 

[kiljoy616]

iPad 2S

That is exactly what it is if this rumor is true.

 

[Glideslope]

Depends on whether it will be based on the A9 quad-core or the A15 dual-core. But by the time the iPhone 5 is released this fall, it likely won't be the A5X in any case.

I still don't believe that we will see multiple models based on carrier. This just increases the price and decreases the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

Have to agree with you on that one.

A15.

 

[spokenblurb]

IMO, we already know what the PCB looks like for the iPhone, iPad, AppleTV, and all the other Apple kit thanks to iFixit. The PCB's don't indicate which version they are for. We may see A5X now, but when iFixit tears it down it may show something else entirely.

The article itself sounds like regurgitated guesswork that I made on another day.

A5X, is most likely the A5 with either double ram, double GPU or some other improvement that justifies the change in screen size. Just from a logical point of view, when you have 4 times the number of pixels, you need 4 times the amount of memory. To do a properly setup double-buffer OpenGL display context you need a minimum of 25,165,824 bytes which is up from 6,291,456 bytes needed by the iPad's screen. Then you have to consider higher resolution screen assets. Let's assume that a iPad2 game remastered as a iPad2HD game simply increases the resolution linearly. That means the art assets increase by 4 times without considering compression. So it makes more sense to either quadruple the RAM to sustain the same performance expectations, or to double the RAM and halve the performance expectations. The 25MB frame buffer is the minimum required to use the full resolution at full frame rate. But I think we're hardpressed to put 2GB of RAM in that small of space for now.

LTE, I haven't actually checked what VZ and AT&T use, but I figure the first generation LTE networks likely don't overlap enough to have seamless coverage. Voice isn't used on the iPad (though it could be) but I refer you to how LTE is an all-IP network: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GPP_Long_Term_Evolution

This means that the circuit switched voice used on the 2G networks can't hand over to LTE. So if you start a voice call in 2G, and enter LTE space, you are in fact staying on the 2G network. When you end that call, your phone can then seek out a LTE network for data, but if you decide to place a call, it has to fall back to the 3G network if the LTE network has no voice provisioning. Current LTE devices operate in this CSFB mode, which is why each device needs to support it's own 2G network still. As LTE coverage also isn't yet seamless, 2/2.5/3/3.5G network fallback is required, as Verizon would probably cry bloody murder if they had to pay one cent to AT&T for roaming.

The thing i worry about, regardless if its duel or quad is will it perform better than the iPad2,retina display is nice but the existing apps need to run equal to if not better with retina display otherwise its kind of a downgrade in performance, so this thing needs to be plenty powerful, one to compensate for the display, two to increase performance from the last ipad, can you imagine someone with a ipad2 running apps and things smoothly then here comes ipad3 retina stuttering and chugging along there would be a riot of the nerdiest kind

 

[kiljoy616]

How many games do you know that use 4 cores? Even on the mac?

Don't bring the lame games that are been made for the xbox bloatware and ported over to the pc as your reference.

If they bring out quad core I say within a few months there will be games taking advantage of every bit of the power. This is what makes the iPad superior to everything else out there. We don't have to wait till MS bloatware finally catches up before we get games that use all 4 cores to get more done.

I for one want the A6 because I am sure its going to be used by a lot of the new gaming companies that have appeared since Apple started to allow games. I see the iPad becoming one incredible and better design console box if given at least one gig of memory and the specs of the A6.

 

[yeah]

This SUCKS! So, if I buy for AT&T in USA I won't be able to switch to Verizon, I won't be able to use it on 3G, and I won't be able to use it at all overseas? WTF!

Talk about FRAGMENTED!

Umm, you can't use an AT&T iPad on Verizon since AT&T is GSM and Verizon is CDMA.

 

[Rogifan]

Just curious, what is the real world application of quad core on the iPad right now? Why is it so important the new iPad has it? The impression I get is it's more about impressing fandroids or tech bloggers than anything else. There may be Android tablets that out spec iPad, but are there any that outperform iPad or overall provide a better user experience?

 

[dugbug]

Don't bring the lame games that are been made for the xbox bloatware and ported over to the pc as your reference

xbox bloatware

 

[cacophony555]

Number of cores is like number of megapixels: It's an easy to understand metric to judge capability, primarily targeted at those that don't know any better.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

So why have two separate versions ? That doesn't make sense.

As I'm sure others have already said.. To prevent competition from arising. The last thing the carriers want is to give the users the ability to switch at will considering iPad data plans are just pay as you go. If they have you locked in with a specific model then the average Joe can leave, but will have no other options.

----------

How many games do you know that use 4 cores? Even on the mac?

Any demanding game written in this decade.

 

[sekazi]

I just cannot see there being multiple models again. It just creates extra production costs and confusion. Now I can see a separate international model but not here by the provider.

I will be very disappointed if I am forced to choose Verizon and AT&T because I have areas that work and dont work for each one and I would like to be able to swap sims.

 

[nickn]

Please have enough RAM for RAW photo editing. That would be awesome to show off on a retina display iPad.

So your going to import your photos onto a computer, then sync them to the iPad, modify them, and then have to sync everything back to the computer? Sounds like a great waste of time. Also have do you ever auctally edited raw photos before? Simply viewing a raw file brings my C2D machine to a halt. I would hate to have to sit around for even longer while my far slower iPad does the work.

 

[Navdakilla]

Uh oh.. No quad core is going to be hated on but the android/spec boys. My buddy just got the transformer prime and all he talks about is quad core, meanwhile he keeps getting glitches, and some programs don't even work properly.. All I do is sit there and laugh

 

[PCClone]

Yea, this is pure BS!
The only reason is so Apple can make more $$$


I sure hope this rumor proves false!

how does this help them more more money?

 

[Yumunum]

It'd be kinda sad if all we got was things we've already discussed... I hope Apple has at least one small feature we haven't already thought of, speculated on, or predicted.

 

[Born Again]

It'd be kinda sad if all we got was things we've already discussed... I hope Apple has at least one small feature we haven't already thought of, speculated on, or predicted.

Lol then you shouldn't be visiting this awesome site

 

[b166er]

for me personally, I don't care much about LTE. 99% of the time I'm using my iPad I am in my house on wifi.

Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great if it has LTE, I know a lot of people are looking forward to it. I'm more excited to eventually get an LTE iPhone though. I'm sure I'll be less excited when the 4G/LTE data plans are revealed.

I'm excited to see what the next iPad has to offer, but so far the rumors don't have me eager to upgrade my iPad 2. I'd love retina, but it's not quite enough for me to spend the money for that alone. If there is a really great "one last thing" I may change my mind, but for now I think I will just bank the money until the next iPhone comes out.

 

[spokenblurb]

So your going to import your photos onto a computer, then sync them to the iPad, modify them, and then have to sync everything back to the computer? Sounds like a great waste of time. Also have do you ever auctally edited raw photos before? Simply viewing a raw file brings my C2D machine to a halt. I would hate to have to sit around for even longer while my far slower iPad does the work.

well the camera connection kit allows you to import directly to ipad you modify then u can transfer directly to computer with various apps i have one that works very well called PhotoSync

 

[longofest]

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Do people not realise that a Double-Core A15 chip is better than a Quad-Core A9? Which is hopefully what Apple will be doing

Highly doubt it will be Cortex A15. Sounds like they're sticking with Cortex A9. Kind of sad to not see 4 cores. RAM/graphics updates were expected, so sticking with 2 cores is just a letdown unless they are able to up the clock speed a bit or do SOMETHING to get a bit more CPU power out of it.

 

[b166er]

So your going to import your photos onto a computer, then sync them to the iPad, modify them, and then have to sync everything back to the computer? Sounds like a great waste of time. Also have do you ever auctally edited raw photos before? Simply viewing a raw file brings my C2D machine to a halt. I would hate to have to sit around for even longer while my far slower iPad does the work.

iCloud kind of fixes that issue with photo stream. You can send any picture on your desktop/laptop to the photo stream through iPhoto and then pick it up to edit on any of your iOS devices. When you save back to the camera roll, the edited photo goes in to the stream as well. Still, raw files would be a problem. But as far as the waste of time, it's actually a great deal quicker and easier to do this stuff now than it was 6 months ago.