The A16 Bionic chip

Mac transition to Apple silicon
Apple silicon ARM architecture family Universal 2 binary Rosetta 2 Developer Transition Kit
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Apple silicon is a series of system on a chip (SoC) and system in a package (SiP) processors designed by Apple Inc., mainly using the ARM architecture. They are the basis of most new Mac computers as well as all iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Watch devices and of products such as AirPods, AirTag and HomePod.

Apple announced its plan to switch Mac computers from Intel processors to Apple silicon at WWDC 2020 on June 22, 2020.^[1][2] The first Macs built with the Apple M1 processor were unveiled on November 10, 2020. As of January 2023, all newer Mac models are built with Apple silicon; only the older model Mac Pro still uses Xeon processors.^[3]

Apple fully controls the integration of Apple silicon chips with the company's hardware and software products. Johny Srouji is in charge of Apple's silicon design.^[4] Manufacturing of the chips is outsourced to semiconductor contract manufacturers such as Samsung and TSMC.

A series

The "A" series is a family of SoCs used in the iPhone, certain iPad models, and the Apple TV. "A" series chips were also used in the discontinued iPod Touch line and the original HomePod. They integrate one or more ARM-based processing cores (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), cache memory and other electronics necessary to provide mobile computing functions within a single physical package.^[5]

Apple A4

The Apple A4 is a PoP SoC manufactured by Samsung, the first SoC Apple designed in-house.^[6] It combines an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU – also used in Samsung's S5PC110A01 SoC^[7][8] – and a PowerVR SGX 535 graphics processor (GPU),^[9][10][11] all built on Samsung's 45-nanometer silicon chip fabrication process.^[12][13] The design emphasizes power efficiency.^[14] The A4 commercially debuted in 2010, in Apple's iPad tablet,^[9] and was later used in the iPhone 4 smartphone,^[15] the fourth-generation iPod Touch, and the 2nd-generation Apple TV.^[16]

The Cortex-A8 core used in the A4, dubbed "Hummingbird", is thought to use performance improvements developed by Samsung in collaboration with chip designer Intrinsity, which was subsequently acquired by Apple^[17][18] It can run at far higher clock rates than other Cortex-A8 designs yet remains fully compatible with the design provided by ARM.^[19] The A4 runs at different speeds in different products: 1 GHz in the first iPads,^[20] 800 MHz in the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod Touch, and an undisclosed speed in the 2nd-generation Apple TV.

The A4's SGX535 GPU could theoretically push 35 million polygons per second and 500 million pixels per second, although real-world performance may be considerably less.^[21] Other performance improvements include additional L2 cache.

The A4 processor package does not contain RAM, but supports PoP installation. The 1st-generation iPad, fourth-generation iPod Touch,^[22] and the 2nd-generation Apple TV^[23] have an A4 mounted with two low-power 128 MB DDR SDRAM chips (totaling 256 MB), while the iPhone 4 has two 256 MB packages for a total of 512 MB.^[24][25][26] The RAM is connected to the processor using ARM's 64-bit-wide AMBA 3 AXI bus. To give the iPad high graphics bandwidth, the width of the RAM data bus is double that used in previous ARM11- and ARM9-based Apple devices.^[27]

Apple A5

The Apple A5 is an SoC manufactured by Samsung^[28] that replaced the A4. The chip commercially debuted with the release of Apple's iPad 2 tablet in March 2011,^[29] followed by its release in the iPhone 4S smartphone later that year. Compared to the A4, the A5 CPU "can do twice the work" and the GPU has "up to nine times the graphics performance",^[30] according to Apple.

The A5 contains a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU^[31] with ARM's advanced SIMD extension, marketed as NEON, and a dual core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU. This GPU can push between 70 and 80 million polygons/second and has a pixel fill rate of 2 billion pixels/second. The iPad 2's technical specifications page says the A5 is clocked at 1 GHz,^[32] though it can adjust its frequency to save battery life.^[31][33] The clock speed of the unit used in the iPhone 4S is 800 MHz. Like the A4, the A5 process size is 45 nm.^[34]

An updated 32 nm version of the A5 processor was used in the 3rd-generation Apple TV, the fifth-generation iPod Touch, the iPad Mini, and the new version of iPad 2 (version iPad2,4).^[35] The chip in the Apple TV has one core locked.^[36][37] Markings on the square package indicate that it is named APL2498, and in software, the chip is called S5L8942. The 32 nm variant of the A5 provides around 15% better battery life during web browsing, 30% better when playing 3D games and about 20% better battery life during video playback.^[38]

In March 2013, Apple released an updated version of the 3rd-generation Apple TV (Rev A, model A1469) containing a smaller, single-core version of the A5 processor. Unlike the other A5 variants, this version of the A5 is not a PoP, having no stacked RAM. The chip is very small, just 6.1×6.2 mm, but as the decrease in size is not due to a decrease in feature size (it is still on a 32 nm fabrication process), this indicates that this A5 revision is of a new design.^[39] Markings tell that it is named APL7498, and in software, the chip is called S5L8947.^[40][41]

Apple A5X

The Apple A5X is an SoC announced on March 7, 2012, at the launch of the third-generation iPad. It is a high-performance variant of the Apple A5; Apple claims it has twice the graphics performance of the A5.^[42] It was superseded in the fourth-generation iPad by the Apple A6X processor.

The A5X has a quad-core graphics unit (PowerVR SGX543MP4) instead of the previous dual-core as well as a quad-channel memory controller that provides a memory bandwidth of 12.8 GB/s, roughly three times more than in the A5. The added graphics cores and extra memory channels add up to a very large die size of 165 mm²,^[43] for example twice the size of Nvidia Tegra 3.^[44] This is mainly due to the large PowerVR SGX543MP4 GPU. The clock frequency of the dual ARM Cortex-A9 cores have been shown to operate at the same 1 GHz frequency as in A5.^[45] The RAM in A5X is separate from the main CPU package.^[46]

Apple A6

The Apple A6 is a PoP SoC introduced on September 12, 2012, at the launch of the iPhone 5, then a year later was inherited by its minor successor the iPhone 5C. Apple states that it is up to twice as fast and has up to twice the graphics power compared to its predecessor the Apple A5.^[47] It is 22% smaller and draws less power than the 45 nm A5.^[48]

The A6 is said to use a 1.3 GHz^[49] custom^[50] Apple-designed ARMv7 based dual-core CPU, called Swift,^[51] rather than a licensed CPU from ARM like in previous designs, and an integrated 266 MHz triple-core PowerVR SGX 543MP3^[52] graphics processing unit (GPU). The Swift core in the A6 uses a new tweaked instruction set, ARMv7s, featuring some elements of the ARM Cortex-A15 such as support for the Advanced SIMD v2, and VFPv4.^[50] The A6 is manufactured by Samsung on a high-κ metal gate (HKMG) 32 nm process.^[53]

Apple A6X

Apple A6X is an SoC introduced at the launch of the fourth-generation iPad on October 23, 2012. It is a high-performance variant of the Apple A6. Apple claims the A6X has twice the CPU performance and up to twice the graphics performance of its predecessor, the Apple A5X.^[54]

Like the A6, this SoC continues to use the dual-core Swift CPU, but it has a new quad core GPU, quad channel memory and slightly higher 1.4 GHz CPU clock rate.^[55] It uses an integrated quad-core PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics processing unit (GPU) running at 300 MHz and a quad-channel memory subsystem.^[55][56] Compared to the A6 the A6X is 30% larger, but it continues to be manufactured by Samsung on a high-κ metal gate (HKMG) 32 nm process.^[56]

Apple A7

The Apple A7 is a 64-bit PoP SoC whose first appearance was in the iPhone 5S, which was introduced on September 10, 2013. The chip would also be used in the iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3. Apple states that it is up to twice as fast and has up to twice the graphics power compared to its predecessor the Apple A6.^[57] The Apple A7 chip is the first 64-bit chip to be used in a smartphone and later a tablet computer.^[58]

The A7 features an Apple-designed 1.3^[59]–1.4^[60] GHz 64-bit^[61] ARMv8-A^[62][63] dual-core CPU,^[59] called Cyclone,^[62] and an integrated PowerVR G6430 GPU in a four cluster configuration.^[64] The ARMv8-A architecture doubles the number of registers of the A7 compared to the A6.^[65] It now has 31 general-purpose registers that are each 64-bits wide and 32 floating-point/NEON registers that are each 128-bits wide.^[61] The A7 is manufactured by Samsung on a high-κ metal gate (HKMG) 28 nm process^[66] and the chip includes over 1 billion transistors on a die 102 mm² in size.^[59]

Apple A8

The Apple A8 is a 64-bit PoP SoC manufactured by TSMC. Its first appearance was in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which were introduced on September 9, 2014.^[67] A year later it would drive the iPad Mini 4. Apple states that it has 25% more CPU performance and 50% more graphics performance while drawing only 50% of the power compared to its predecessor, the Apple A7.^[68] On February 9, 2018, Apple released the HomePod, which is powered by an Apple A8 with 1 GB of RAM.^[69]

The A8 features an Apple-designed 1.4^[70] GHz 64-bit^[71] ARMv8-A^[71] dual-core CPU, and an integrated custom PowerVR GX6450 GPU in a four cluster configuration.^[70] The GPU features custom shader cores and compiler.^[72] The A8 is manufactured on a 20 nm process^[73] by TSMC,^[74] which replaced Samsung as the manufacturer of Apple's mobile device processors. It contains 2 billion transistors. Despite that being double the number of transistors compared to the A7, its physical size has been reduced by 13% to 89 mm² (consistent with a shrink only, not known to be a new microarchitecture).^[75]

Apple A8X

The Apple A8X is a 64-bit SoC introduced at the launch of the iPad Air 2 on October 16, 2014.^[76] It is a high performance variant of the Apple A8. Apple states that it has 40% more CPU performance and 2.5 times the graphics performance of its predecessor, the Apple A7.^[76][77]

Unlike the A8, this SoC uses a triple-core CPU, a new octa-core GPU, dual channel memory and slightly higher 1.5 GHz CPU clock rate.^[78] It uses an integrated custom octa-core PowerVR GXA6850 graphics processing unit (GPU) running at 450 MHz and a dual-channel memory subsystem.^[78] It is manufactured by TSMC on their 20 nm fabrication process, and consists of 3 billion transistors.

Apple A9

The Apple A9 is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which were introduced on September 9, 2015.^[79] Apple states that it has 70% more CPU performance and 90% more graphics performance compared to its predecessor, the Apple A8.^[79] It is dual sourced, a first for an Apple SoC; it is manufactured by Samsung on their 14 nm FinFET LPE process and by TSMC on their 16 nm FinFET process. It was subsequently included in the first-generation iPhone SE, and the iPad (5th generation). The Apple A9 was the last CPU that Apple manufactured through a contract with Samsung, as all A-series chips after are manufactured by TSMC.

Apple A9X

The Apple A9X is a 64-bit SoC that was announced on September 9, 2015, and released on November 11, 2015, and first appeared in the iPad Pro.^[80] It offers 80% more CPU performance and two times the GPU performance of its predecessor, the Apple A8X. It is manufactured by TSMC using a 16 nm FinFET process.^[81]

Apple A10 Fusion

The Apple A10 Fusion is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which were introduced on September 7, 2016.^[82] The A10 is also featured in the sixth-generation iPad, seventh-generation iPad and seventh-generation iPod Touch.^[83] It has a new ARM big.LITTLE quad core design with two high performance cores, and two smaller highly efficient cores. It is 40% faster than the A9, with 50% faster graphics. It is manufactured by TSMC on their 16 nm FinFET process.

Apple A10X Fusion

The Apple A10X Fusion is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the 10.5" iPad Pro and the second generation of the 12.9" iPad Pro, which were both announced on June 5, 2017.^[84] It is a variant of the A10 and Apple claims that it has 30 percent faster CPU performance and 40 percent faster GPU performance than its predecessor, the A9X.^[84] On September 12, 2017, Apple announced that the Apple TV 4K would be powered by an A10X chip. It is made by TSMC on their 10 nm FinFET process.^[85]

Apple A11 Bionic

The Apple A11 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC^[86] that first appeared in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, which were introduced on September 12, 2017.^[86] It has two high-performance cores, which are 25% faster than the A10 Fusion, four high-efficiency cores, which are 70% faster than the energy-efficient cores in the A10, and for the first time an Apple-designed three-core GPU with 30% faster graphics performance than the A10.^[86][87] It is also the first A-series chip to feature Apple's "Neural Engine," which enhances artificial intelligence and machine learning processes.^[88]

Apple A12 Bionic

The Apple A12 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, which were introduced on September 12, 2018. It is also used in the third-generation iPad Air, fifth-generation iPad Mini, and the eighth-generation iPad. It has two high-performance cores, which are 15% faster than the A11 Bionic, and four high-efficiency cores, which have 50% lower power usage than the energy-efficient cores in the A11 Bionic.^[89] The A12 is manufactured by TSMC^[90] using a 7 nm^[91] FinFET process, the first to ship in a smartphone.^[92][90] It is also used in the 6th generation Apple TV.

Apple A12X Bionic

The Apple A12X Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the 11.0" iPad Pro and the third generation of the 12.9" iPad Pro, which were both announced on October 30, 2018.^[93] It offers 35% faster single-core and 90% faster multi-core CPU performance than its predecessor, the A10X. It has four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. The A12X is manufactured by TSMC using a 7 nm FinFET process.

Apple A12Z Bionic