Next-gen iPad, iPhone GPU Already Being Licensed

[Phillip Swanson]

Imagination Technologies has already started licensing its new PowerVR Series6 mobile graphics processing unit to six "key partners."

The new GPU, codenamed "Rogue," developed by Imagination Technologies has already been licensed by Texas Instruments, MediaTek, and ST-Ericsson. The remaining three partners have yet to be announced.

The new GPU apparently offers "best-in-class GFLOPS per mm2 and per mW for all APIs." This chips predecessor is the same one found in the current iPad 2 which Apple claims to boost the graphics power of the A5 processor by 9 times. And as benchmarks have proven IT's GPU's allow the iPad to trounce similarly powerful tablets like the Motorola Xoom in graphics benchmarks.

While it is nice to know this powerful GPU will likely power the next generation of iPad's and future iPhones, don't expect to see it in the upcoming iPhone revision. The technology is still a ways out from reaching Apple products. However, developers need not worry much about the updated GPUs messing with their applications, as the "Rouge" processors will be fully compatible with older GPU generations "ensuring a smooth migration path for developers upgrading applications optimized for Series5."

Source: Imagination Technologies

[d1g1tald3ath]

mmm... Yummy! hope to not have to wait 2gens for it on the next iphone

[Jahooba]

"While it is nice to know this powerful GPU will likely power the next generation of iPad's and future iPhones, don't expect to see it in the upcoming iPhone revision. The technology is still a ways out from reaching Apple products."

Does this make sense to anyone?

edit: oh, wait I see. So this is for the next-next generation of iDevices.

[zoso10]

This is really what I've been waiting for. This will allow for retina displays on the iPad!!!!!!!