Next-Generation iPhone to Use A6 System-on-a-Chip?

While a significant number of parts claimed to be for the next-generation iPhone have appeared over the past few months, the component of perhaps the most interest has yet to be seen: the main processor package. Speculation has covered a number of different possibilities including a die-shrunk A5 similar to that introduced in the revised iPad 2 earlier this year, an A5X such as found in the third-generation iPad, or an all-new A6 system-on-a-chip.

Several photos of the device's logic board have leaked in recent weeks but the low quality of the photos or the presence of shielding on the part have left the identities of the chips on the part unknown.

Sonny Dickson, who has been digging up photos of a number of components leaking out of Apple's supply chain, has now posted a partial photo of what certainly appears to be the same logic board part seen in previous photos. In this new photo, an "A6" designation can be seen on the main chip, suggesting that Apple may indeed be rolling out a brand-new chip family with the next-generation iPhone.

iphone 2012 logic board a6
It is difficult to assess the validity of the photo, as the photo could rather easily have been faked and the image's small size and low quality make it impossible to determine the details of smaller text on the chip, but it does offer the first specific photo claim of the chip to be included in the next iPhone.

Update: 9to5Mac has posted the uncropped version of the photo showing the part with and without shielding.

iphone 2012 logic board a6 uncropped
Concerns do remain, however, over the legitimacy of the image.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

ccraig13 Avatar
161 months ago
So when is Audi going to start suing Apple? :D
Score: 81 Votes (Like | Disagree)
troop231 Avatar
161 months ago


GOOOOOD
Score: 67 Votes (Like | Disagree)
karlwig Avatar
161 months ago
New, faster chip, bigger display with higher resolution, new body with less bezel, even thinner than before, yet more solid with back glass switched for metal, 4G LTE, and a new OS to go with it.

This could be the biggest iPhone update ever, and people here will still complain like crazy.

I for one can't wait.
Score: 55 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RubenTheys Avatar
161 months ago
So when is Audi going to start suing Apple? :D

As soon as the A6 is a 2.0 TDI processor.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wkadamsjr Avatar
161 months ago
if iPhone gets a quad-core A6... that is what could pull me away from the Galaxy S III I have been testing out.

You would switch phones over a processor? :confused:
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dokujaryu Avatar
161 months ago
I'm not impressed

Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)