Apple's A6 iPhone 5 SoC Integrates Triple-Core GPU

By Wolfgang Gruener
published

Slowly but surely, there is more information about Apple's A6 SoC trickling down the pipe.

After an analysis and high-resolution diffusion images taken of the A6 die, UBM Insights believes that the chip is being manufactured by Samsung in a 28 nm process. AnandTech further showed an image that suggests that Apple is using three PowerVR SGX 543MP3 GPU cores at 266 MHz. There was no information whether the ARM cores are based on ARM's Cortex-A15 or the previous Cortex-A9. However, Apple promised twice the performance of the preceding A5, which is a hint that the switch to the A15 has been made.

UBM Insights said that the A6 die has an area size of 95.04 mm2, down from 162.54 mm2 of the Apple A5X, and down from 122.21 mm2 of the A5.

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Wolfgang Gruener
28 Comments Comment from the forums
  • kensingtron
    I'm getting (http://donkey-products.com/shop/en/alle/i-woody-my-first-smartphone) just thinking about this.
    Reply
  • kensingtron
    I'm getting just thinking about this.
    Reply
  • kensingtron
    Edit fail, link fail... Please delete my comments
    Reply
  • darkchazz
    The only thing I like about apple's iOS products is that they include some of the fastest GPUs available.
    Meanwhile, android manufacturers continue to use those crappy tegra chips and snapdragons.

    I got a nexus 7 and the tegra 3 performance is not as good as it was marketed to be.
    My next android device will not have anything slower than the mali400 in the exynos quad SoC.
    Reply
  • falchard
    In what world does a 3 core GPU at 250mhz better then 12 500mhz stream processors? The main problem with android devices is the android OS. The hardware is top notch, but poorly used by the OS. Qualcom's SnapDragons have better gpu power behind them then Tegra.
    Reply
  • halcyon
    While I know the iPhone 5 has slick hardware I'm really liking the performance and flexibility and screen of the SGS3. I wish it used aluminium instead of plastic but its still great kit. As beautiful as the iPhone's screen is the SGS3's is sweet too.
    Reply
  • teh_chem
    darkchazzThe only thing I like about apple's iOS products is that they include some of the fastest GPUs available.Meanwhile, android manufacturers continue to use those crappy tegra chips and snapdragons.I got a nexus 7 and the tegra 3 performance is not as good as it was marketed to be.My next android device will not have anything slower than the mali400 in the exynos quad SoC.That's because Tegra was/is an over-hyped over-marketed platform. It's okay, but what it has in core-count it lacks in deployment (or rather, it lacks in the ability to do what you'd expect from the raw specs and hype from it).
    Reply
  • braitBR
    It's been proved before that it's not A15 nor A9, but a custom design by Apple which has a lower power consumption than the A15.
    Reply
  • teh_chem
    falchardIn what world does a 3 core GPU at 250mhz better then 12 500mhz stream processors? The main problem with android devices is the android OS. The hardware is top notch, but poorly used by the OS. Qualcom's SnapDragons have better gpu power behind them then Tegra.To be fair, core count and core speed don't matter--just like in desktop graphics cards. But I agree spot-on, it's the poor implementation of a hardware platform that ruins it.

    The thing I love about android is also the thing I hate--its openness of hardware platforms/diversity. Unless you're using one of the few big handset makers (and as such, pay the premium for the device), you're mostly SOL when it comes to your device playing well with others...
    Reply
  • SoiledBottom
    Dear Wolfgang Gruener

    I am so happy your ok.

    I saw Jane McEntegart doing Apple articles and thought you mite be Ill.

    Luv your take on Apple articles...they always make me laugh.

    Soiled :)
    Reply