Apple iPad 3 Doesn't Feature A6 chip: 28nm Die-Shrink A5X Inside

There are a lot of rumors floating on the Internet about the upcoming iPad 3 (3D?) tablet, which is expected to launch in March. One of most common rumors was about the chip that will power the device, i.e. the "logical step" called A6, an alleged quad-core SOC with updated graphics.


Alleged iPad 3 motherboard features A5X SOC, rather than widely expected A6. TSMC conversion gone conventional?

In a picture that is spreading around the Internet like wildfire, it seems that Apple's transition from Samsung to TSMC went the conservative way, with Apple selecting to do a die-shrink of the already well-known A5 SOC chip.
While enthusiasts may be disappointed in the decision, 28nm process enables higher clocks and lower power consumption at the same time, which means the 28nm A5X should give you longer battery life from one, and power the high-resolution screen on the other side.

We're also not certain did Apple select to build the dual-controller (dual-channel) memory controller, since the single-channel LPDDR2 or DDR3L memory is too slow for the high definition requirements…

Given the annual semiconductor cycle, this chip is expected to power both the iPad 3(3D) and the iPhone 5.

In any case, all will be known in a few weeks from now.