Every year Apple releases a phone that has a faster processor and better graphics than any of its predecessors, and that’s exactly what we expect from next year’s iPhone 8. Rumors say that the A11 chip inside the upcoming iPhone will be built on 10nm process technology, which would make the chip even faster and more energy-efficient than the class-leading A10 Fusion in the iPhone 7. As for the GPU in the iPhone 8, a new report indicates that Imagination Technologies may soon release a new PowerVR GPU that will go into the 2017 iPhones.
According to PCWorld, Imagination will release the Series8XT family of GPUs in the near future, probably in late February at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The company has used the event to unveil other GPU architectures in the past.
Imagination didn’t mention any other details about the Series8XT family, so it’s not clear when it’ll be available or what other novel features it’ll have to offer. However, Imagination’s senior director of business operations for PowerVR said the high-end 8XT architecture is a “technology generator,” and it will include many new GPU features developed by the company.
Apple usually doesn’t mention what kind of GPU powers graphics in its iPhones, but it has used PowerVR GPUs in every iPhone to date. Apple also happens to have a minority stake in Imagination.
The iPhone 7 GPU is based on the PowerVR GT7600 architecture, a detail that was recently revealed by the Linley Group. The GT7600 is the fastest GPU currently available in mobile devices when operating at peak speed, according to the analyst firm. At the same time, PCWorld notes that the iPhone 7’s GPU can overheat if it runs at peak speeds for an extended period.
The Series8XT is expected to be even faster and more energy-efficient than the iPhone 7’s GPU.
