A9

Battery life has always been an issue with iPhones, but the dual component sourcing of the iPhone 6s A9 SoC put the whole matter into a new perspective: since early tests published on PrimateLabs' website showed phones with Samsung chips scoring lower than those with TSMC chips, people started wondering which versions they have in...

Apple’s decision to dual-source the A9 SoC in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus has sparked a debate as to whether there is a difference between the two in terms of performance and power consumption. Reports have suggested there is, so Apple has made an atypical move and addressed consumer concerns with a statement (you...

For the first time in nearly two years, Samsung’s profits are up 80%, according to a third-quarter earnings estimate released today by the South Korean manufacturer (via the Wall Street Journal). Samsung said its operating profit for the past quarter rose to about 7.3 trillion Korean won (roughly $6.3 billion), and revenue is up about...

Teardowns of Apple’s new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have revealed A9 chips made by two different manufacturers, one built by TSMC and the other by Samsung. The chip from Samsung is slightly smaller, having been manufactured on a 14-nanometer process. On the other hand, the chip from TSMC is manufactured using a 16-nanometer process....

Apple just won't stop surprising us: Anandtech just revealed that the iPhone 6s has set mobile records for early benchmarks, and now Chipworks says it has found two different A9 application processors manufactured on a 16 nm process. Following its early report on Friday shortly after it dissected iPhone 6s units, Chipworks is back, teasing...

What does every iPhone launch bring? Geek porn, of course! It started with iFixit dissecting both the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and now Chipworks has followed up with their own take on the A9 chip that powers both devices. What they have found is that Apple's new A9 processor (APL0898) measures approximately 8.7 × 10.7 mm, or about...

Files within OS X El Capitan indicate that the upcoming iPad mini 4 will support full split view multitasking, suggesting that its internal specs will be on par with the iPad Air 2. Developer Hamza Sood and 9to5Mac first located an OS X El Capitan resource file from the Safari 9 browser that depicts an...

According to purported images of the next-generation iPhone's rear shell obtained by 9to5Mac, the "iPhone 6s" will likely retain the same exterior design as the iPhone 6. The report that the rear shell is identical to the iPhone 6 on the exterior, including the same thickness and width. However, it includes some minor internal differences....

There was much debate over who the winner of the A9 chip orders was, Samsung or TSMC, but the latest rumours claim the orders will be split between the two. This is despite earlier rumours suggesting Samsung was the clear winner. Why did Apple change its mind? There are two possible answers: 1) Apple is...

Rumours about who will grab the (most) Ax chip orders from Apple have gained traction ever since TSMC came into the picture. Now, four months after the initial release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, contradictory rumours have begun to appear about who is going to win these orders. The latest says: Samsung. According...

Samsung has allegedly begun manufacturing the first set of Apple's A9 processor using a 14 nm FinFET process. The A9 chip is expected to power the next-generation iPhones and iPads. According to ETNews' (via AppleInsider) sources, manufacturing began this week in Samsung's Austin foundry. The move is rather interesting, as the two tech giants have been...

Digitimes reports that, according to Taiwanese sources, Samsung Electronics and Globalfoundries have been contracted by Apple to manufacture the A9 processors using the 14nm process, with mass production due to commence sometime next year. The 14nm products will be rolled out from Samsung's Fab 8 in New York, said the sources, adding that Fab 8...