Apple A10

Last updated
Apple A10 Fusion
Apple A10 Fusion APL1W24.jpg
General information
LaunchedSeptember 7, 2016
DiscontinuedMay 10, 2022
Designed by Apple Inc.
Common manufacturer(s)
Product codeAPL1W24
Max. CPU clock rate to 2.34 GHz [2]
Cache
L1 cache Per core: 64 KB instruction + 64 KB data
L2 cache3 MB shared
L3 cache4 MB shared
Architecture and classification
ApplicationMobile
Technology node 16FFC nm
Microarchitecture "Hurricane" and "Zephyr"
Instruction set ARMv8.1-A: A64, A32, T32
Physical specifications
Transistors
  • 3.3 billion
Cores
  • 4 (2× Hurricane + 2× Zephyr)
GPU(s) Custom PowerVR Series 7XT GT7600 Plus (hexa-core, internal name - Apple G9) [3] [4]
Products, models, variants
Variant(s)
History
Predecessor(s) Apple A9
Successor(s) Apple A11

The Apple A10 Fusion is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by TSMC. It first appeared in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus which were introduced on September 7, 2016, [5] [6] and is used in the sixth generation iPad, seventh generation iPad, and seventh generation iPod Touch. The A10 is the first Apple-designed quad-core SoC, with two high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores. Apple states that it has 40% greater CPU performance and 50% greater graphics performance compared to its predecessor, the Apple A9. The Apple T2 chip is based on the A10. [7] On May 10, 2022, the iPod Touch 7th generation was discontinued, ending production of A10 Fusion chips. [8] The latest software updates for the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus including the iPod Touch 7th generation variants systems using this chip are iOS 15.8.2, released on March 5, 2024, as they were discontinued with the release of iOS 16 in 2022, while updates for the iPad (6th & 7th generation) variants systems using this chip are still supported.

Contents

Design

The A10 (internally, T8010) is built on TSMC's 16 nm FinFET process [1] [9] and contains 3.28 billion transistors (including the GPU and caches) on a die size of 125 mm2. [10] It features two Apple-designed 64-bit 2.34 GHz ARMv8-A cores called Hurricane, each with a die size of 4.18 mm2. As the first Apple-produced quad-core SoC, it has two high-performance cores designed for demanding tasks like gaming, while also featuring two energy-efficient Apple-designed 64-bit 1.05 GHz cores codenamed Zephyr at 0.78 mm2 [10] [11] for normal tasks in a configuration similar to the ARM big.LITTLE technology. [12] [13]

Unlike most implementations of big.LITTLE, such as the Snapdragon 820 or Exynos 8890, only one core type can be active at a time, either the high-performance or low-power cores, but not both. [2] [12] Thus, the A10 Fusion appears to software and benchmarks as a dual core chip. Apple claims that the high-performance cores are 40% faster than Apple's previous A9 processor and that the two high-efficiency cores consume 20% of the power of the high performance Hurricane cores; [14] they are used when performing simple tasks, such as checking email. A new performance controller decides in real-time which pair of cores should run for a given task in order to optimize for performance or battery life. The A10 has an L1 cache of 64  KB for data and 64 KB for instructions, an L2 cache of 3  MB [15] shared by both cores, and a 4 MB [15] L3 cache that services the entire SoC.

The new 6-core @ 900 MHz GPU built into the A10 chip is 50% faster while consuming 66% of the power of its A9 predecessor. Further analysis has suggested that Apple has kept the GT7600 used in Apple A9, but replaced portions of the PowerVR based GPU with its own proprietary designs. [3] [16] These changes appear to be using lower half-precision floating-point numbers, allowing for higher-performance and lower power consumption.

Embedded in the A10 is the M10 motion coprocessor. [17] The A10 also includes a new image processor which Apple says has twice the throughput of the prior image processor. [18]

The A10 has video codec encoding support for HEVC and H.264. It has decoding support for HEVC, H.264, MPEG‑4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG. [19]

The A10 is packaged in a new InFO packaging from TSMC which reduces the height of the package. In the same package there are also four LPDDR4 RAM chips integrating 2 GB of RAM in the iPhone 7, the iPad 6th generation, and the iPod touch 7th generation, or 3 GB in the iPhone 7 Plus and the iPad 7th generation.

Products that include the Apple A10 Fusion

Apple A10 SoC on iPhone 7 main logic board. A10 APL1W24 iPhone7 mlb 820-00188-A.jpg
Apple A10 SoC on iPhone 7 main logic board.

See also

Related Research Articles

PowerVR is a division of Imagination Technologies that develops hardware and software for 2D and 3D rendering, and for video encoding, decoding, associated image processing and DirectX, OpenGL ES, OpenVG, and OpenCL acceleration. PowerVR also develops AI accelerators called Neural Network Accelerator (NNA).

iOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. and was first released as iPhone OS in June 2007, coinciding with the launch of the first generation iPhone. iPhone OS was renamed iOS following the release of the iPad, starting with iOS 4. With iOS 13, Apple began offering a separate operating system, iPadOS, for the iPad. iOS is also the foundation of the newer audioOS and tvOS, and shares some of its code with macOS. New iOS versions are released every year alongside new iPhone models. From its launch in 2007 until 2010, this occurred in June or July, since then, new major versions are released in September or October. Since the launch of the iPhone in June 2007, there have been 17 major releases of iOS. The current major version of iOS is iOS 17, released on September 18, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A4</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A4 is a 32-bit package on package (PoP) system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by Samsung. It was the first SoC Apple designed in-house. The first product to feature the A4 was the first-generation iPad, followed by the iPhone 4, fourth-generation iPod Touch, and second-generation Apple TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A5</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A5 is a 32-bit system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by Samsung. The first product Apple featured an A5 in was the iPad 2. Apple claimed during their media event on March 2, 2011, that the ARM Cortex-A9 central processing unit (CPU) in the A5 is up to two times faster than the CPU in the Apple A4, and the PowerVR SGX543MP2 graphics processing unit (GPU) in the A5 is up to nine times faster than the GPU in the A4. Apple also claimed that the A5 uses the same amount of power as the A4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple silicon</span> System-on-chip processors designed by Apple Inc.

Apple silicon refers to 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 Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, AirPods, AirTag, HomePod, and Apple Vision Pro devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A5X</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A5X is a 32-bit system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by Samsung. Apple used it only in the third-generation iPad. The A5X is a high-performance variant of the Apple A5. Apple claimed during their media event on March 7, 2012 that the quad-core PowerVR SGX543MP4 graphics processing unit (GPU) in the A5X is two times faster than the GPU in the A5, as the A5X GPU contains two more cores than the dual-core version GPU in the A5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A6</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A6 is a 32-bit package on package (PoP) system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. that was introduced on September 12, 2012, at the launch of the iPhone 5. Apple states that it is up to twice as fast and has up to twice the graphics power compared with its predecessor, the Apple A5. Software updates for devices using this chip ceased in 2019, with the release of iOS 10.3.4 on the iPhone 5 as it was discontinued with the release of iOS 11 in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple motion coprocessors</span> Series of motion coprocessors by Apple

The Apple M-series coprocessors are motion coprocessors used by Apple Inc. in their mobile devices. First released in 2013, their function is to collect sensor data from integrated accelerometers, gyroscopes and compasses and offload the collecting and processing of sensor data from the main central processing unit (CPU).

iPod Touch (5th generation) 5th version of iPod Touch by Apple Inc.

The fifth generation iPod Touch was unveiled at Apple's media event alongside the iPhone 5 on September 12, 2012, and was released on October 11, 2012. A mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-based user interface, it succeeded the 4th-generation iPod Touch. It is compatible with up to iOS 9.3.5, which was released on August 25, 2016.

The Apple A8 is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. It first appeared in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which were introduced on September 9, 2014. Apple states that it has 25% more CPU performance and 50% more graphics performance while drawing only 50% of the power of its predecessor, the Apple A7. The latest software updates for the 1.1GHz and 1.4GHz variants systems using this chip are iOS 12.5.7, released on January 23, 2023 as they were discontinued with the release of iOS 13 in 2019, and 1.5 GHz variant for the iPad Mini 4 is iPadOS 15.8.2, released on March 5, 2024 as it was discontinued with the release of iPadOS 16 in 2022, while updates for the 1.5 GHz variant continue for Apple TV HD. The A8 chip was discontinued on October 18, 2022, following the discontinuation of the Apple TV HD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A8X</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A8X is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by TSMC. It first appeared in the iPad Air 2 and only is used in the iPad Air 2, which was announced on October 16, 2014. It is a variant of the A8 inside the iPhone 6 family of smartphones and Apple states that it has 40% more CPU performance and 2.5 times the graphics performance of its predecessor, the Apple A7. The latest software update for the iPad Air 2 using this chip is iPadOS 15.8.2, released on March 5, 2024, as it was discontinued with the release of iPadOS 16 in 2022 due to hardware limitations of the A8X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A9</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A9 is a 64-bit ARM-based system-on-chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. Manufactured for Apple by both TSMC and Samsung, it first appeared in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus which were introduced on September 9, 2015. Apple states that it has 70% more CPU performance and 90% more graphics performance compared to its predecessor, the Apple A8. On September 12, 2018, the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus along with the first-generation iPhone SE was discontinued, ending production of A9 chips. The latest software updates for the iPhone 6S & 6S Plus including the iPhone SE 1st generation variants systems using this chip are iOS 15.8.2, released on March 5, 2024, as they were discontinued with the release of iOS 16 in 2022, and for the iPad 5th generation using this chip was iPadOS 16.7.6, also released on March 5, 2024, as it was discontinued with the release of iPadOS 17 in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A9X</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A9X is a 64-bit ARM architecture-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. It first appeared in the iPad Pro, which was announced on September 9, 2015 and was released on November 11, 2015. The A9X has the M9 motion coprocessor embedded in it, something not seen in previous chip generations. It is a variant of the A9 and Apple claims that it has 80% more CPU performance and twice the GPU performance of its predecessor, the A8X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A10X</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A10X Fusion is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by TSMC. It first appeared in the 10.5" iPad Pro and the second-generation 12.9" iPad Pro which were both announced on June 5, 2017. The A10X 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A11</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A11 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by TSMC. It first appeared in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and iPhone X which were introduced on September 12, 2017. Apple states that the two high-performance cores are 25% faster than the Apple A10's and the four high-efficiency cores are up to 70% faster than the two corresponding cores in the A10. The A11 Bionic chip was discontinued on April 15, 2020, following the discontinuation of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. The latest software update for the iPhone 8 & 8 Plus and iPhone X using this chip was iOS 16.7.6, released on March 5, 2024, as they were discontinued with the release of iOS 17 in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A12</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A12 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. It first appeared in the iPhone XS and XS Max, iPhone XR, iPad Air, iPad Mini, 8th generation iPad and Apple TV 4K. Apple states that the two high-performance cores are 15% faster and 50% more energy-efficient than the Apple A11's, and the four high-efficiency cores use 50% less power than the A11's. It is the first mass-market system on a chip to be built using the 7 nm process.

iPod Touch (7th generation) 7th version of iPod Touch by Apple (2019–2022)

The seventh generation iPod Touch is a discontinued mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-based user interface. It is the successor to the 6th-generation iPod Touch, the first major update to the line since 2015. It was released on May 28, 2019, and discontinued on May 10, 2022. It was the final product in Apple's iPod product line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A14</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A14 Bionic is a 64-bit ARMv8.5-A system on a chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. It appears in the fourth generation iPad Air and tenth generation iPad, as well as iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple states that the central processing unit (CPU) performs up to 40% faster than the A12, while the graphics processing unit (GPU) is up to 30% faster than the A12. It also includes a 16-core neural engine and new machine learning matrix accelerators that perform twice and ten times as fast, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A15</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A15 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. It is used in the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max, iPad Mini, iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and 14 Plus and Apple TV 4K.

References

  1. 1 2 "Apple iPhone 7 Teardown". techinsights.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-16. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  2. 1 2 Cunningham, Andrew (September 13, 2016). "iPhone 7 and 7 Plus review: Great annual upgrades with one major catch". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "iPhone 7 GPU breakdown". Wccftech. December 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-12-05. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  4. ↑ "Mysteries of Apple A10 GPU". PC World. December 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  5. ↑ "Apple Debuts Three Custom Chips - EE Times". EETimes. Archived from the original on 2016-09-08. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  6. ↑ Smith, Ryan. "Apple Announces iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus: A10 Fusion SoC, New Camera, Wide Color Gamut, Preorders Start Sept. 9th". Anandtech. Archived from the original on 2016-09-09. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  7. ↑ "Hackers claim they can now jailbreak Apple's T2 security chip". ZDNET . October 6, 2020. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Apple discontinues iPod touch, ending 20 year run of iconic 'iPod' brand". 9to5Mac . May 10, 2022. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  9. ↑ Smith, Ryan (September 16, 2016). "Early iPhone 7 Teardowns: Intel and Qualcom Modems, TSMC SoC, and 2 to 3 GB of RAM". Anandtech. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Apple A10 Fusion Are Bigger Than the Competition – Apple Designing Bigger Cores for Better Performance?". Oct 22, 2016. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  11. ↑ Ray, Tiernan (October 21, 2016). "Apple's 'A10′ iPhone Chip Smokes the Competition, Says Linley Group". Tech Trader Daily. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016. The Linley Group notes Apple's "A10″ CPU cores, Hurricane and Zephyr, are quite a bit bigger than those of competing mobile chips.
  12. 1 2 "The Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Review". AnandTech. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Apple A10 Fusion". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  14. ↑ Kingsley-Hughes, Adrian (September 8, 2016). "A10 Fusion: The silicon powering Apple's new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: The A10 Fusion doesn't offer as big a jump in performance as last year's A9, but it's still an impressive piece of silicon". Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  15. 1 2 Sims, Gary (2 October 2017). "Why are Apple's chips faster than Qualcomm's? - Gary explains". Android Authority. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  16. ↑ Manion, Wayne (31 October 2016). "Real World Technologies dissects Apple's A10 GPU". TechReport.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "iPhone 7 - Technical Specifications". Apple. September 7, 2016. Archived from the original on September 8, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  18. ↑ Merritt, Rick (September 7, 2016). "Apple Debuts Three Custom Chips". EE Times. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  19. ↑ "iPhone 7 - Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
Preceded by Apple A10 Fusion
2016		Succeeded by
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