Apple A10X

Last updated
Apple A10X Fusion
Apple A10X Fusion.jpg
General information
LaunchedJune 13, 2017
DiscontinuedApril 20, 2021
Designed by Apple Inc.
Common manufacturer(s)
Product codeAPL1071 [2]
Max. CPU clock rate to 2.38 GHz [3]
Cache
L1 cache Per core: 64 KB instruction + 64 KB data [4]
L2 cache8 MB shared [4]
Architecture and classification
ApplicationMobile
Technology node 10FF nm [1]
Microarchitecture Hurricane and Zephyr
Instruction set ARMv8.1-A: A64, A32, T32
Physical specifications
Cores
GPU(s) 12 core [5]
Products, models, variants
Variant(s)
History
Predecessor(s) Apple A9X
Successor(s) Apple A12X Bionic

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. [6] 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. [6]

Contents

Design

The A10X features an Apple-designed 64-bit 2.38 GHz [3] ARMv8-A six-core CPU, with three high-performance Hurricane cores and three energy-efficient Zephyr cores. [5] [1] The A10X also integrates a twelve-core graphics processing unit (GPU) [5] which appears to be the same Apple customized Imagination PowerVR cores used in the A10. [7] Embedded in the A10X is the M10 motion coprocessor. [8]

Built on TSMC's 10 nm FinFET process [7] with a die size of 96.4mm2, the A10X is 34% smaller than the A9X and was the smallest iPad SoC upon its release. [1] The A10X is the first TSMC 10nm chip to be used by a consumer device. [1]

The A10X is paired with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory in the second-generation 12.9" iPad Pro [9] and the 10.5" iPad Pro, [2] and 3 GB in the 4K Apple TV. [10]

The A10X has video codec encoding support for H.264. It has decoding support for HEVC, [11] H.264, MPEG-4, and Motion JPEG. [12]

Products that include the Apple A10X

See also

Related Research Articles

In semiconductor fabrication, the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) defines the 10 nm process as the MOSFET technology node following the 14 nm node. 10 nm class denotes chips made using process technologies between 10 and 20 nm.

<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 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).

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 1.5GHz variant for the iPad Mini 4 is iPadOS 15.7.7, released on June 21, 2023 as it was discontinued with the release of iPadOS 16 in 2022, while updates for the 1.5GHz 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 was iPadOS 15.8, released on October 25, 2023, as it was discontinued with the release of iPadOS 16 in 2022 due to hardware limitations of the A8X.

iPad Pro Line of Apple tablet computers (2015–present)

The iPad Pro is a series of tablet computers, positioned as a premium model of Apple's iPad tablet computer. It runs iPadOS, a tablet-optimized version of the iOS operating system.

<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 15.7.9, released on September 12, 2023 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, released on May 18, 2023, 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 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, released on September 11, 2023, 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.

iPad Pro (1st generation) Tablet computer made by Apple (2015–2017)

The first generation of iPad Pro is a line of iPad tablet computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc, first sold in 2015 at a screen size of 12.9 inches. A smaller model, based on the form factor of the iPad Air 2, with a 9.7 inch screen, was announced on March 21, 2016, and released on March 31, 2016, alongside the first-generation iPhone SE.

<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 16.7.4, released on December 19, 2023, 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.

<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 40% lower power consumption than the A12's.

<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 M1</span> Series of systems-on-a-chip designed by Apple Inc.

Apple M1 is a series of ARM-based systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) designed by Apple Inc. as a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) for its Mac desktops and notebooks, and the iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets. The M1 chip initiated Apple's third change to the instruction set architecture used by Macintosh computers, switching from Intel to Apple silicon 14 years after they were switched from PowerPC to Intel, and 26 years after the transition from the original Motorola 68000 series to PowerPC. At the time of introduction in 2020, Apple said that the M1 had the world's fastest CPU core "in low power silicon" and the world's best CPU performance per watt. Its successor, Apple M2, was announced on June 6, 2022, at WWDC.

<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 3 4 5 6 Smith, Ryan (June 29, 2017). "TechInsights Confirms Apple's A10X SoC Is TSMC 10nm FF; 96.4mm2 Die Size". AnandTech. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "iPad Pro 10.5" Teardown". iFixit. June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Cunningham, Andrew (June 12, 2017). "Review: The 10.5-inch iPad Pro is much more "pro" than what it replaces". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "iPad7,4". Geekbench Browser. Primate Labs. June 11, 2017. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Humrick, Matt (June 6, 2017). "Apple Refreshes iPad Pro Lineup: A10X Fusion SoC for 10.5-inch, 12.9-inch Models". AnandTech. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  6. 1 2 "iPad Pro, in 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch models, introduces the world's most advanced display and breakthrough performance" (Press release). Apple. June 5, 2017. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Wei, Andy (June 29, 2017). "10 nm Process Rollout Marching Right Along". TechInsights. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  8. ↑ "iPad Pro Tech Specs". Apple. June 5, 2017. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  9. ↑ "10.5-inch and 12.9-inch 2017 iPad Pro FAQ: Everything you need to know!". iMore. Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  10. ↑ "Apple TV 4K Teardown". iFixit. September 25, 2017. Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  11. ↑ Thomson, Gavin. "Introducing HEIF and HEVC". Apple. pp. Slide 71 of presentation. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "iPad Pro (10.5-inch) - Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
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