According to reports from expert ARM security analyst (Longhorn), Apple is already working on their next-generation mobile chip. Following Apple’s general naming scheme, the upcoming chip will be called Apple A13. The new chip is codenamed “Lightning”, and Apple is already hard-at-work developing it.
The upcoming Apple Lightning chip is going to be built on a 7nm process node, which should give it a straight performance bump over the existing Apple A12 chipset. Other than that, the A13 chip will be getting Apple’s general treatment of tweaks and optimizations on both hardware and software levels, which will further enhance its performance. Analysts predict that the A13 will be at least 10% faster than the Apple A12 chip.
Taiwan Semiconductors, or TSMC for short, is going to be exclusively manufacturing the Apple Lightning chip. It will be based on 7nm process node, 5nm is still a pretty far-fetched thought. Thanks to the 7nm EUV process node, the Lightning chip will be decently faster than it’s predecessor while consuming up to 10% less power. This will improve battery life too!
The Apple A13 chip also allegedly features hardware tracing, according to Longhorn’s dig in the Apple SEP DOS. With hardware tracing, the A13 chip can be a whole lot faster than its predecessors, thanks to fast and precise performance analysis.
Other reports also suggest that a custom version of the Apple A13 chip is also in development, which is specifically catered for Apple MacBooks and possibly the iPad. We don’t know for sure if Apple is ready to ditch Intel CPUs in their MacBook lineup, however, we can never say no to a more refined A13 chip in the upcoming iPad.
With Apple trying their best to conquer the smartphone market or at least the high-end segment, developments like this are pushing other manufacturers to give their best as well. This healthy competition is great for the consumer and the whole smartphone market in general. Beating desktop-grade chips, the Apple A12 chip is already a beast in itself. We can safely say that if executed right, the Apple A13 chipset is going to be a powerhouse.
