Production of Apple's next-gen A6 processor begins at TSMC; A6 devices to launch Q2 2012

By on Aug 12, 2011 at 9:01 AM
mobile August 12, 2011

Trial production of Apple’s next-generation A6 mobile processor has begun, Taiwan Economic News reports. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has kicked off a test run of A6 chipsets — which could be 28-nanometer SoCs that feature dual or quad-cores and ARM-based architecture according to earlier reports — and Apple devices carrying the new chips are expected to be released in the second quarter next year at the earliest, according to multiple anonymous industry sources. Reports dating back to June suggested that Apple dumped Samsung following multiple patent disputes, and the company would instead utilize TSMC for production of its next-generation A6 processor. This new Taiwan Economic News report contradicts earlier rumors, however, which claimed that TSMC had begun its trial run of A6 chips last month. This could be a new test run, or earlier reports could have been misguided, of course. Taiwan-based TSMC is the world’s largest contract microchip manufacturer.

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  • http://www.intomobile.com/ Stefan Constantinescu

    Wait, dual core? Not quad core?

    Edit: The source article says nothing about the number of cores in the A6.

    • http://twitter.com/mistercarter7 Mike Gonzalez

      it will outperform Android tablets and phones either way… just like the A5 outperforms Tegra2 by 2x times

      • Anonymous

        Good question, but Apple has evolved into more than just specs and benchmarks. It’s a full featured experience and infrastructure support and connectivity. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s super fanboy talk. But it’s something Apple has over the competition IMO. 

      • http://twitter.com/mistercarter7 Mike Gonzalez

        i know it’s the full ecosystem that simply WORKS 

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T3NRV5OOEQS5Y52QG6WG6SMTEU ML

        Mike, what data do you actually have on this?  In practice, I will say that the ipad 2 isn’t much of an improvement over the first ipad.  Maybe some of this is attributable to the lack of RAM (only 512Mb).  I would say that Honeycomb tablets actually perform better in practice than the ipad 2 as a result.

        Hopefully, apple stops being so cheap when it comes to RAM because while the ipad 2 is a great product, it certainly has a LOT of room for improvement.

      • TB

        ML, what data do actually have on this?  In practice, I will say that the Honeycomb tablets isn’t an improvement over the first ipad, let alone ipad2.  I would say that Honeycomb tablets actually perfrom worse in practice than the ipad2 as a result.

        See what I did there?  If you’re going to question another poster to back up his subject statement with facts, you do the same to your own subjective statement.  Just sayin…

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T3NRV5OOEQS5Y52QG6WG6SMTEU ML

        TB, so let’s just discredit this entire thread based on what you just said. No objective evidence whatsoever.  So all of this is just a waste of time.

        BTW, if someone actually states that “the A5 outperforms Tegra2 by 2x times”, I would call that stating a fact, not making a subjective statement.

    • Anonymous

      I wouldn’t trust this. If you read the source article it mentions neither dual or quad core.

    • http://twitter.com/hawaiiinsomniac hawaiiinsomniac

      dual core or quad core doesn’t mean a more efficient processor.  These are custom which has more integrated chipset…
      No, i’m not an apple fanboy… I own a LG Optimus V…  I’m a broke student.

    • Anonymous

      Perhaps, but Apple has to date used much better graphics chips.  Its not all about how big a motor you have in your car.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the heads up, I’ll start saving now.

  • Anonymous

    Again, if you’re not building a massively SMP device, the value of a a quad core greatly outweighs the power requirements.   Better to make a more efficient dual core (remember, Apple can tune the design to model iOS5 processing profiles… it can optimize the heck out of the pipelines because the OS and the compilers are all coming from the same ‘design’ ) than to hump multiple inefficient cores, that are rarely used.  (remember there is a GPU on this SoC that effectively is a ‘core’ too)  If they can gain the same ‘improvements’ in the a6 as the a5 had over the a4.  (2X CPU, 9X GPU), I think the experience will be adequate for all involved.

  • Anonymous

    Crap! And I thought samsung was in the the drivers seat. Looks like us fandroids just got spanked by apple. I guess that happens when you mess with the big boy on the block. oh well. We still hav higher market share and more activations so android is better than apple.

  • Anonymous

    I predict Q3 and I’m an analyst.

  • Anonymous

    apple will never learn…they are not good at making their own CPUs.

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