Speculation is mounting about the rumored A7 processor in the iPhone 5S. Upshot: it's faster, of course. August 25, 2013 3:06 PM PDT The iPhone 5's main logic board. (Credit: iFixit) A tweet from a Fox News reporter claims new Apple silicon rumored to land in the iPhone 5S is "very fast" while an Apple-centric blog says it will be 64-bit -- echoing a previous rumor. Clayton Morris tweeted Sunday that Apple's next-generation A7 chip (the A6 currently powers the iPhone 5 and iPad 4) "is running at about 31% faster than A6. I'm hearing it's very fast." Then 9to5Mac, which cited the tweet, added a bit of flavor, claiming that some A7 prototypes are 64-bit. Related stories iPhone 5S release dates, specs keep pouring in Is this the iPhone 5C being tested? The 64-bit A7 speculation first popped up about ten days ago from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. If accurate, this is significant, as Apple's previous A series processors and other ARM chips from other suppliers, like Qualcomm, are 32-bit. Generally, 64-bit chips can address more memory and, thus, can be better at running more demanding software. 9to5Mac speculates that a 64-bit Apple chip will be more adept at handling "animations, transparencies, and other iOS 7 graphical effects." And it wouldn't be surprising to see similar silicon land in the iPad 5. The iPad 4, for example, uses a high-performance version of the A6 (used in the iPhone 5) called the A6X.
Speculation is mounting about the rumored A7 processor in the iPhone 5S. Upshot: it's faster, of course.
The iPhone 5's main logic board.
(Credit: iFixit)
A tweet from a Fox News reporter claims new Apple silicon rumored to land in the iPhone 5S is "very fast" while an Apple-centric blog says it will be 64-bit -- echoing a previous rumor.
Clayton Morris tweeted Sunday that Apple's next-generation A7 chip (the A6 currently powers the iPhone 5 and iPad 4) "is running at about 31% faster than A6. I'm hearing it's very fast."
Then 9to5Mac, which cited the tweet, added a bit of flavor, claiming that some A7 prototypes are 64-bit.
The 64-bit A7 speculation first popped up about ten days ago from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
If accurate, this is significant, as Apple's previous A series processors and other ARM chips from other suppliers, like Qualcomm, are 32-bit.
Generally, 64-bit chips can address more memory and, thus, can be better at running more demanding software. 9to5Mac speculates that a 64-bit Apple chip will be more adept at handling "animations, transparencies, and other iOS 7 graphical effects."
And it wouldn't be surprising to see similar silicon land in the iPad 5. The iPad 4, for example, uses a high-performance version of the A6 (used in the iPhone 5) called the A6X.
