Apple A12

Last updated

Apple A12 Bionic
Apple A12.jpg
General information
LaunchedSeptember 12, 2018;5 years ago (2018-09-12)
DiscontinuedOctober 18, 2022;16 months ago (2022-10-18)
Designed by Apple Inc.
Common manufacturer(s)
Product codeAPL1W81 [2]
Max. CPU clock rate to 2.49 [3]  GHz
Cache
L1 cache 128 KB instruction, 128 KB data
L2 cache8 MB
Architecture and classification
ApplicationMobile
Technology node 7 nm [4] [5] (N7) [6]
Microarchitecture "Vortex" and "Tempest"
Instruction set A64 – ARMv8.3-A
Physical specifications
Transistors
  • 6.9 billion
Cores
GPU(s) Apple-designed 4 core "Apple G11P" [4] [7]
Products, models, variants
Variant(s)
  • Apple S4/S5 SiP (cut-down version that utilizes high efficiency cores from A12
    Apple A12X/A12Z (more advanced version of A12 in iPad Pro and Developer Transition Kit
History
Predecessor(s) Apple A11
Successor(s) Apple A13

The Apple A12 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. [8] It first appeared in the iPhone XS and XS Max, iPhone XR, iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Mini (5th generation), 8th generation iPad and Apple TV 4K (2nd generation). [8] [5] 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. [8] [7] It is the first mass-market system on a chip to be built using the 7 nm process. [9]

Contents

Design

The Apple A12 SoC features an Apple-designed 64-bit ARMv8.3-A six-core CPU, with two high-performance cores called Vortex, running at 2.49 GHz, and four energy-efficient cores called Tempest. [4] [5] The Vortex cores are a 7-wide decode out-of-order superscalar design, while the Tempest cores are a 3-wide decode out-of-order superscalar design. Like the A11's Mistral cores, the Tempest cores are based on Apple's Swift cores from the Apple A6. [10]

The A12 also integrates an Apple-designed four-core graphics processing unit (GPU) with 50% faster graphics performance than the A11. [4] [8] The A12 includes dedicated neural network hardware that Apple calls a "Next-generation Neural Engine." [11] This neural network hardware has eight cores [7] and can perform up to 5 trillion 8-bit operations per second. [4] [5] Unlike the A11's Neural Engine, third-party apps can access the A12's Neural Engine. [12]

The A12 is manufactured by TSMC [1] using a 7 nm [5] FinFET process, the first to ship in a consumer product, [4] [1] containing 6.9 billion transistors. [1] The die size of the A12 is 83.27 mm2, 5% smaller than the A11. [13] It is manufactured in a package on package (PoP) together with 4 GiB of LPDDR4X memory in the iPhone XS [2] and XS Max [13] and 3 GB of LPDDR4X memory in the iPhone XR, the iPad Air (2019), the 5th generation iPad mini, and the iPad (2020). [14] The ARMv8.3 instruction set it supports brings a significant security improvement in the form of pointer authentication, which mitigates exploitation techniques such as those involving memory corruption, Jump-Oriented-Programming, and Return-Oriented-Programming. [15]

The A12 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. [16]

Die Block Comparison (mm²) [17]
SoCA12 (7 nm)A11 (10 nm)
Total Die83.2787.66
Big Core2.072.68
Small Core0.430.53
CPU Complex (incl. cores)11.9014.48
GPU Core3.234.43
GPU Total14.8815.28
NPU5.791.83

Products that include the Apple A12 Bionic

See also

Related Research Articles

In semiconductor manufacturing, the "7 nm" process is a marketing term for the MOSFET technology node following the "10 nm" node, defined by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. It is based on FinFET technology, a type of multi-gate MOSFET technology.

<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.

The Apple A7 is a 64-bit system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. It first appeared in the iPhone 5S, which was announced on September 10, 2013, and the iPad Air and iPad Mini 2, which were both announced on October 22, 2013. 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. It is the first 64-bit SoC to ship in a consumer smartphone or tablet computer. On March 21, 2017, the iPad mini 2 was discontinued, ending production of A7 chips. The latest software update for systems using this chip was iOS 12.5.7, released on January 23, 2023, as they were discontinued with the release of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 in 2019.

<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).

This is a comparison of ARM instruction set architecture application processor cores designed by ARM Holdings and 3rd parties. It does not include ARM Cortex-R, ARM Cortex-M, or legacy ARM cores.

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 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 A10</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

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, 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. On May 10, 2022, the iPod Touch 7th generation was discontinued, ending production of A10 Fusion chips. 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 variants systems using this chip are still supported.

<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.

iPhone XS 2018 twelfth-generation high-end smartphone produced by Apple Inc.

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are smartphones designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the twelfth-generation flagships of the iPhone, succeeding the iPhone X. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the devices alongside a lower-end model, the iPhone XR, on September 12, 2018, at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. Pre-orders began on September 14, 2018, and the devices went on sale on September 21.

iPhone XR 2018 twelfth-generation smartphone produced by Apple Inc.

The iPhone XR is a smartphone designed and manufactured by Apple Inc. It is part of the twelfth generation of the iPhone, alongside the higher-end iPhone XS/XS Max models. Pre-orders began on October 19, 2018, with the official release on October 26, 2018. The iPhone XR was the least expensive device in Apple's twelfth generation of iPhones, which also includes the iPhone XS and XS Max, and was therefore considered an "affordable flagship" or "budget flagship" phone at its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A12X</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A12X Bionic is a 64-bit system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. It first appeared in the iPad Pro, announced on October 30, 2018. The A12X is an 8-core variant of the A12 and Apple states that it has 35 percent faster single-core CPU performance and 90 percent faster overall CPU performance than its predecessor, the Apple A10X. The Apple A12Z Bionic is an updated version of the A12X, adding an additional GPU core, and was unveiled on March 18, 2020, as part of the iPad Pro.

iPad Mini (5th generation) Tablet computer made by Apple since 2019

The fifth-generation iPad Mini is a tablet computer in the iPad Mini line, designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. Announced in a press release along with the third-generation iPad Air on March 18, 2019 and released the same day, It was revealed at the Apple March 2019 Event. Its predecessor, the iPad Mini 4, was discontinued on the same day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A13</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A13 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. It appears in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro/Pro Max, the 9th generation iPad, the iPhone SE and the Studio Display. Apple states that the two high performance cores are 20% faster with 30% lower power consumption than the Apple A12's, and the four high efficiency cores are 20% faster with 30% lower power consumption than the A12's.

iPhone SE (2nd generation) 13th-generation smartphone produced by Apple Inc.

The second-generation iPhone SE is a smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It is part of the 13th generation of the iPhone, alongside the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro/Pro Max models. Apple announced the second-generation iPhone SE on April 15, 2020, coinciding with the discontinuation of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. The iPhone SE succeeded the smaller and lighter first-generation iPhone SE. Pre-orders began on April 17, 2020, and the phone was subsequently released on April 24, 2020. It was released with a starting price of US$399, and positioned as a budget phone.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple A16</span> System on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

The Apple A16 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. and manufactured by TSMC. It is used in iPhones 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, and 15 and 15 Plus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Summers, Nick (September 12, 2018). "Apple's A12 Bionic is the first 7-nanometer smartphone chip". Engadget . Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "iPhone XS and XS Max Teardown". iFixit. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  3. ↑ "iPhone XS Benchmarks - Geekbench Browser". Geekbench. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smith, Ryan (September 12, 2018). "Apple Announces the 2018 iPhones: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, & iPhone XR". AnandTech . Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bring the best and biggest displays to iPhone" (Press release). Apple. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  6. ↑ "The Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max Review: Performance, Battery, & Camera Elevated".
  7. 1 2 3 4 "A12 Bionic". Apple. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Apple introduces iPhone XR" (Press release). Apple. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ Shankland, Stephen. "Apple's A12 Bionic CPU for the new iPhone XS is ahead of the industry moving to 7nm chip manufacturing tech". CNET. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  10. ↑ Frumusanu, Andrei. "The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets". AnandTech . Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  11. ↑ "iPhone XS - Technical Specification". Apple Inc. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  12. ↑ Frumusanu, Andrei (October 5, 2018). "The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets". AnandTech . Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Yang, Daniel; Wegner, Stacy (September 21, 2018). "Apple iPhone Xs Max Teardown". TechInsights. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  14. ↑ "iPhone XR Teardown". iFixit. October 26, 2018. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  15. ↑ Levin, Jonathan (September 15, 2018). "iPhone Xs, Xr... And, one more thing..." NewOSXBook.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  16. ↑ "iPhone XS - Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  17. ↑ Frumusanu, Andrei. "The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets". AnandTech . Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
Preceded by Apple A12 Bionic
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