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iPhone 6s with TSMC chip shown to run cooler, offer better battery performance than Samsung A9 processor models [Videos]

tsmc-vs-samsung-iphone-6s

We’ve heard and read a lot about Apple going with two different manufacturers for the A9 chip in its iPhone 6s. Some models ship with a processor made by TSMC while others come with a Samsung-made component. While you’d expect that Apple would ensure both are built to offer comparable performance, it appears that may not be the case. It’s already been revealed by Chipworks that the Sammy model is 10% smaller, but if a couple of videos recently published are anything to go by, you might be better off with a TSMC model…


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Intel’s upcoming Skylake processors will simultaneously support three 4K monitors at 60Hz

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After a pair of leaks revealed most of the details about Intel’s upcoming Skylake processor lineup, the company today itself has teased a few of the features of the upcoming processors. While Intel says launch details will be revealed in a couple of weeks, some information was teased during an Intel Developer Forum presentation today, including details about support for 4K displays.


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iPhone 6S to double LTE speeds, run more efficiently with new Qualcomm chip

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9to5Mac_6S3

One of the main upgrades to the next iPhone’s internals will be a redesigned wireless system featuring a new Qualcomm-made LTE chip, as revealed by images of a prototype iPhone 6S logic board shared by a source. As shown in the image below, the new device will include Qualcomm’s MDM9635M chip, also known as the ‘9X35’ Gobi modem platform. This new chip promises significant performance improvements over the “9X25” chip found inside of the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, capable of delivering up to twice the theoretical LTE download speeds…


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Bloomberg: Samsung to produce Apple’s A9 chip for next-gen iPhone

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Bloomberg reports that Samsung has signed on to provide A9 chips to Apple for the next-generation iPhone. Apple moved to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in 2013 for its processors, looking to reduce its reliance on Samsung, who is a major competitor in the smartphone space and a legal foe. With that said, it was reported last September that Samsung was still supplying 40 percent of the A8 chips found in the iPhone 6 despite Apple’s attempt to part ways.


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Apple chip partner ARM debuts 16nm Cortex-A72 with better speed, power consumption

ARM A72

ARM, the British processor designer responsible for the core chip technology found inside many of Apple’s past iOS devices, today announced the Cortex-A72 — its latest mobile CPU design, designed to run at up to 2.5GHz and improve the processing power of next-generation smartphones. Combined with an enhanced graphics chip such as ARM’s Mali-T880, the new CPU promises to enable upcoming phones to offer “console-class gaming performance,” up to 120fps 4K video capture, and natural language user interfaces.
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4.7-inch iPhone 6 LCD bracket shown in new photo?

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A new photo posted to Apple.Club.tw shows off what is claimed to be the LCD and home button bracket for the upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 6. We’ve already gotten a look at several parts of the unannounced smartphone in recent leaks, from the sapphire crystal glass to the front of the shell in both black and white. Yesterday we got a look at the back casing for this device as well.

It’s difficult to tell if this part actually belongs to the iPhone 6. It is possible this is a frame for the upcoming Amazon Fire Phone which has a similar structure and camera components on all four corners. The frame also appears less round and thicker than the previously leaked iPhone 6 frames.

These aren’t the first such leaks in recent months. We’ve seen other photos of the front and back of the 4.7-inch phone from last month. The part shown in this new photo seems to fit with those components.


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Fitbit app taps into iPhone 5s M7 motion processor for new MobileTrack feature

Fitbit-app-01The Fitbit iPhone app received a notable update today that brings basic tracking features directly to the iPhone 5s without the need of one of FitBit’s tracking watches. The new “MobileTracker” feature, which takes advantage of Apple’s new M7 motion co-processor, provides some of FitBit’s basic activity tracking features right on the device. The new feature, due to the new M7 motion co-processor, is currently only available on the iPhone 5s. The company is yet to make an official announcement, but with CES right around the corner we’d expect to hear more about the update soon.

As noted by the Fitbit employee in the tweet below, the update will allow iPhone 5s users to try basic features of the app before investing in the hardware.

The app also receives a number of other new features today including redesigned silent alarms, the ability to a set a custom water goal, and a revamped profile editor, tracker settings, and sign-up screen. A full list of what’s new in version 2.1 of the Fitbit app is below:

What’s New in Version 2.1

The Fitbit app now features MobileTrack which offers basic Fitbit activity tracking directly using your iPhone 5s.
Redesigned Silent Alarms settings. Set, switch, edit, and remove alarms faster than ever.
Set your own custom water goal.
Redesigned profile editor.
Redesigned tracker settings.
Redesigned sign-up and sign-in.
Tap on people in Friend Finder to see their profile.
Swipe on friends on your leaderboard to Cheer, Taunt, or Message.
Tap on tabs to auto-scroll to the top.

[tweet https://twitter.com/barrycburton/status/417710071804489728]

Teardown of new Mac Pro reveals upgradeable CPU

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Following the launch of Apple’s new Mac Pro earlier this month and some early deliveries arriving for customers, Other World Computing today posted a quick teardown of the machine (via MacRumors). We’ll have to wait for a full, in-depth teardown to find out specifics, but several images posted by OWC do reveal what appears to be socketed CPUs. In theory that means owners should be able to perform a DIY upgrade of the Intel Xeon E5 processors shipping with the new base configurations. 
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Apple said to have tested 64-bit ‘A7’ chips for iPhone 5S, 31% speed increases reported

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Screen Shot 2013-08-25 at 11.24.28 AM

As Apple’s iPhone 5S event approaches, some new details about the new device’s internals are emerging. Clayton Morris has claimed on Twitter that the iPhone 5S’s A7 processor is “running at about 31% faster” than the iPhone 5’s A6 chip. The iPhone 5’s A6 chip is dual-core, and it seems like the iPhone 5S will also remain dual-core.

However, there could be a major differentiator: 64-bit. We’ve independently heard claims that some of the iPhone 5S internal prototypes include 64-bit processors.

It’s unclear if 64-bit will make the cut, but it’s been in testing. We’re told that the 64-bit processing will assist the A7 chip in making animations, transparencies, and other iOS 7 graphical effects appear much more smoothly than on existing iOS Devices…


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‘iPhone 5S’, cheaper iPhone to come in multiple new colors, July announcement?

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According to Macotakara, new colors will be one of the more visible features of Apple’s next-generation iPhone models. According to a new report from the Japanese website, Apple’s iPhone 5 successor, already dubbed by some as the “iPhone 5S,” will come in three additional colors on top of the already existing black/slate and white/silver designs found on the iPhone 5.

It seems that it will have gossiped if the 5-color lineup of low-priced edition iPhone is carried out until now, but iPhone 5S may be 3 colors added to 2 colors of iPhone 5 1 color somehow. However, the informed sources did not tell about the kind of detailed color.

The site also claims that Apple’s already-rumored cheaper iPhone will come in five colors, but the report does not specify if this is five colors in addition to the black and white models or including the black and white options. Multiple analyst reports have previously claimed that Apple’s next iPhones will likely come in new colors.


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Intel’s new chips could give future MacBooks 24 hours of battery life (just like current ARM chips)

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Today at the Intel’s Developer Forum, Intel unveiled a new processor that will be able to power a x86 computer for 24 hours/10 days of stand-by time off a single charge. Intel’s new Haswell chip uses a 22-nanometer 3D-transistor architecture that uses 20 times less power than current Sandy Bridge models which are featured in the newest line of Macs. The new chip was demonstrated using solar-power to grab light from a source as small as a light bulb to power the system.  Oh, and the Haswell chips will be faster than current processors.

The new chips will land in 2013, after Intel’s Ivy Bridge in 2012. Recently, Intel revealed that Apple wasn’t entirely pleased with upcoming Intel Chips power usage and were currently investigating other alternatives.  Clearly, Apple’s own ARM AX line which already can provide 24 hour battery life (with PC-sized batteries) is being considered. (via Gizmodo)

It is interesting to note how much the image reminds us of the image below:
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