Apple using custom ARM core for A6 to balance performance/watt

Apple may finally be reaping the benefits of its acquisitions of chip designers PA Semi and Intrinsity with the iPhone 5, according to sources speaking to AnandTech. The A6 processor that powers Apple's newest iPhone is using neither rehashed Cortex A9 cores, nor the upcoming Cortex A15, but an original design based on ARM's armv7s architecture. Along with the move to a 32nm process and the power efficient design that PA Semi and Intrinsity engineers are known for, Apple's bespoke design appears to deliver double the performance of the A5 used in the iPhone 4S, at about the same, or even slightly less, power draw.

The iPhone 5 doesn't ship until this Friday, September 21, and it will be some time before ChipWorks can do its usual die shot analysis of the A6 silicon itself. However, sources for AnandTech have confirmed that the A6 uses a custom ARM architecture core design. The news is important, because it shows that Apple has managed to move away from using Samsung's processor designs for its mobile devices. It also proves that Apple is willing and able to design mobile processors to best suit the needs of its devices.