Picture Shows Next Generation iPad With A5X Not A6 Processor

[Phillip Swanson]

A picture of Apple’s next generation iPad logic board has surfaced and the system-on-a-chip pictured isn’t the A6 processor largely assumed to power the iPad 3.

The chip has A5X printed on it instead of A6, and if the picture is indicative of the actual production iPad 3, Apple’s latest iPad will be powered by a modified A5 processor currently found in the iPad 2. The logic board indicates the chip was manufactured in Nov. 2011, and has 16GB of flash memory courtesy of Hynix.

Rumors earlier this month claimed Apple would forgo a quad-core A6 processor in favor of a dual-core model with improved graphics capabilities. These rumors may have had the dual core aspect right, but got the name of the chip itself wrong.

Also, there is the possibility that Apple reveals two versions of the iPad on March 7th, one with a full-fledged A6 processor called the iPad 3, and an iPad 2 with a Retina Display which would need the faster A5X processor to power the improved display.

But, again this is all speculation. Apple is expected to answer all our questions March 7. Please don't announce an iPad 2S Apple. For all that is good and pure in the world, please don't announce an iPad 2S.

Source: Apple Insider [via WeiPhone]

[brbortscheller]

I think a slightly smaller, cheaper iPad would be nice, but would take forever for developers to convert their apps. Unless it automatically sizes them down and still supports Retina capabilities... You never know with Apple...

[amoamare]

iPad 2S hahaha

[Mrteacup]

iPad 2S hahaha

iPad 2x more likely lets hope it eventually gets to ip90x xd

[teej1410]

iPad 2S hahaha

If apple is really going to add an S after every other device, as a joke they should add another S after the first S when the next device comes out.. iPhone 4SS

[Maverick00]

Man, if there isn't an iPad 3 (or whatever name it may be) with a quad core processor that is at least two times faster than the A5, I'm going to quite disappointed in Apple

[Jahooba]

Apple's all about squeezing as much profit as possible through the life of their components. The A5 is relatively new.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was just an iPad 2S, with the iPad 3 coming next year with a quad core processor.

[sunhillcopper]

if the A5X can power a retina display, drive HD movies and everything else smoothly then why not. A more powerrful processor is extra cost and possibly extra power meaning less battery life. Will wait to see what features it has before I get decide for sure.

[s0ulp1xel]

iPad 2S hahaha

lol

[rkswat]

Man, if there isn't an iPad 3 (or whatever name it may be) with a quad core processor that is at least two times faster than the A5, I'm going to quite disappointed in Apple

Of coure if they did come out with a fancy quad core and it's not up to snuff with battery power you'll whine like a ***** about that.
Who's to say the processor they will put in it (who's to say it's not a quad?) won't be twice as fast as the a5? All of you babies make me laugh "waaaaaa if apple doesn't give me what I want then I'm gonna hold my breath until I turn blue!"

People are starving and being killed around the world and you and those like you belly ache about a freakin iPad. Perspective maybe?

[EddieLeonard]

it would not take any time at all for devs to convert their apps to the lower screen SIZE. if they do release one, it would have the same pixel count as the existing ipad2, but compressed into a smaller size. because of this, it will mean all that devs have to do is update their apps to retina quality, and boom, both ipad 2, ipad 2s and ipad 3 support.

(of course, thats only if there is a ipad 2/s/ with a smaller screen, this would also be the best option for apple making a smaller screen size since will be cheaper)

[*T*]

The only thing we can garner from this post is that apple didn't use the number 6. Everything else is just speculation

[iSteed]

I just hope it all works well. Hopefully the high res display stuff is true

[PaterB]

hahaha. ipad 3 / ipad 2s / ipad 2ass. whatever it is called.
the next ipad will not have retina! will not have a better camera! totally same design!
and it changes everything. Again!!
Everybody lets queue together! =)

[politicalslug]

I'm not the least bit surprised by this. Supposedly this new iPad will be on shelves in less than two months and yet Apple magically has access to a quad-core reference design that no one is selling? Apple's chips are derivatives of those sold by the manufacturer of that chip. A4 was based on Samsung's Hummingbird and A5 was based on Samsung's Exynos. What then would this SoC be based on? The only quad-core SoC on the market is the Tegra3 and I'm more likely to win a seat in the senate than Apple is to deploy an Nvidia designed ARM solution.

Besides, it's the Retina display that's going to be the key feature here. Double the RAM and bump the GPU and there's no need for the extra cores.

[Zokunei]

The "S" is supposed to stand for speed. If they just did a Retina Display it would be the iPad 2 R (or HD)

[Colby21]

if the A5X can power a retina display, drive HD movies and everything else smoothly then why not. A more powerrful processor is extra cost and possibly extra power meaning less battery life. Will wait to see what features it has before I get decide for sure.

It won't be extra power. You'll just have 4 cores doing the same, 1ghz, maybe 1.2 gig, as the A5 dual core. It'll be more efficient, because you have 4 cores working in tandem instead of 2 or 1. Think of each core as a lane on a highway and all this traffic flowing through. The 1 lane with 100 cars is going to be soooo slow compared to the 4 lane highway with 100 cars. The workload is the same, it's just more efficient and the battery actually benefits from this.

[unison999]

Apple's all about squeezing as much profit as possible through the life of their components. The A5 is relatively new.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was just an iPad 2S, with the iPad 3 coming next year with a quad core processor.

uhh no Apple is all about the bottom line and keep customers buying.
They can put A5x in the next iPad and plenty of people will buy it.
Leave a little something to upgrade for the next iPad, the same people will "upgrade" again.
Apple is like the drug dealer, they get you on the comeback.
So no way they will give you a cure (complete package), they will only give you a taste.

[manickbarry]

uhh no Apple is all about the bottom line and keep customers buying.
They can put A5x in the next iPad and plenty of people will buy it.
Leave a little something to upgrade for the next iPad, the same people will "upgrade" again.
Apple is like the drug dealer, they get you on the comeback.
So no way they will give you a cure (complete package), they will only give you a taste.

Could not have put it better my self, Apple know exactly what there doing and fair play to them