Apple A11 is 6 core (2+4)

[jpiniero]

The iOS 11 GM leaked, so there's a bunch of info out about the iPhone 8/X. Sounds like it's more 2 Big and 4 Small but both can be active at the same time.

https://twitter.com/never_released/status/906916221836292096

You'll have to wait until Tuesday to get the full details.

 

[R0H1T]

Was bound to happen, I bet there's an octa core in the works for next year's iPad.

You'll have to wait until Tuesday to get the full details.

What's on Tuesday?

 

[Glo.]

4 high Performance cores, and two low-power cores.

 

[coercitiv]

People who thought big.LITTLE was a bad idea better get ready to jump through some hoops.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Was bound to happen, I bet there's an octa core in the works for next year's iPad. What's on Tuesday?

New iPhone launch!

 

[R0H1T]

People who thought big.LITTLE was a bad idea better get ready to jump through some hoops.

Not me, but this isn't exactly big little, since both CPU clusters can be active at the same time.

 

[SKORPI0]

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobil...-cpu-going-leave-2017s-android-flagships-dirt

 

[R0H1T]

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobil...-cpu-going-leave-2017s-android-flagships-dirt

The Ax is getting ludicrously fast, if it wasn't for the artificial RAM & storage limitations, the latest iPhones could literally last a decade barring natural wear & tear.

 

[coercitiv]

but this isn't exactly big little, since both CPU clusters can be active at the same time.

Sure it isn't, but similarities are getting more pronounced from one gen to another, aren't they? Also, keep in mind big.LITTLE has multiple modes of operation.

 

[Lodix]

Not me, but this isn't exactly big little, since both CPU clusters can be active at the same time.

It is big.LITTLE, no matter if they can active one cluster or both. But the A10 uses Cluster Migration so only one can be activated at a time, it is a dual core to the software. When you can pick any given core depending of the load or use all together then you have to enable HMP.

But I hardly doubt that they will use an arrangement of 4big+2LITTLE, it makes more sense to be otherwise or 3+3.

 

[jpiniero]

4 high Performance cores, and two low-power cores.

The guy updated it later saying that it was 2 Big and 4 Small. The Big is called Monsoon, btw.

 

[Lodix]

The guy updated it later saying that it was 2 Big and 4 Small. The Big is called Monsoon, btw.

Yeah that makes much more sense. Any info on the number of GPU clusters ?

 

[Eug]

I was not expecting this. Interesting.

BTW, no Fusion moniker. I wonder if that has any significance.

I'm skipping this generation though. I'll stick with my 7 Plus (A10 Fusion) and my wife's 6s (A9). And our iPad Air 2s (A8X). The only disappointment amongst that hardware is that the iPads don't have hardware HEVC decode, but the 6s and 7 Plus do, including for 10-bit.

 

[jpiniero]

Yeah that makes much more sense. Any info on the number of GPU clusters ?

There hasn't been that much talk about the GPU really since Imagination said Apple was dumping them eventually. It's unclear if it's an Apple design though.

 

[Eug]

There hasn't been that much talk about the GPU really since Imagination said Apple was dumping them eventually. It's unclear if it's an Apple design though.

It wouldn't be this generation.

 

[IEC]

I suppose I will wait to see if I have my excuse to upgrade (likely). As well as what the differences between 8/8+/X will be. A11 should be a nice boost.

 

[scannall]

The A11 is impressive indeed but that author doesn't even try to hide his Apple bias at all!

Since the beginning Android has always had the better specs 'on paper', that is nothing new. He goes on about how a OP5 only narrowly beats the IP7+ despite having 4x the RAM but at the end of the day, the OP5 is still... *drum roll* half the price of an IP7+!

So yes, Apple has massive margins indeed compared to Android, but is that really good for the consumer? Not really...

Healthy margins mean decent customer support, and longer updates. So it isn't all bad either. Razor thin margins means bloatware, no customer service and limited updates. Less of a good deal as one might think.

I'd add that Apples *net* margins are roughly the same as both Microsoft and Google. Do you also have a problem with them?

 

[Lodix]

Healthy margins mean decent customer support, and longer updates. So it isn't all bad either. Razor thin margins means bloatware, no customer service and limited updates. Less of a good deal as one might think.

I'd add that Apples *net* margins are roughly the same as both Microsoft and Google. Do you also have a problem with them?

Healthy margins!? Sorry but this is all made-up. Apple has the highest margins per smartphone in the world. They have the 90% of global smartphones profits alone. They take advantage of their big volume to extortionate (not exaggerated ) every component supplier to give them the best quality at the lowest price. And at the end they sell you "half the hardware" of the competition for similar or higher price. In Europe the iPhone 7 32GB costs 760€ which is a rip off for what it offers.

Any decent OEM who sells a phone higher than 400€ supports it for a decent amount of time ( most of the people doesn't care about updates, even less the people who keeps their phones for longer than 2 years). They have decent customer support and bloatware isn't related in any way with price, most companies nowadays use stock or very close to stock android and always the ones with higher net income result to have their own skin/ux.... Apple throws you their own OS and apps, who puts more "bloatware" in their phones then ?

As an Android user I mostly prefer phones with their own interface and extra functionalities over stock android.

 

[moinmoin]

It wouldn't be this generation.

Actually Apple needs to have switched already. At the point Apple stops paying Imagination none of Apple's products still for sale/in production will contain any Imagination IP.

 

[Timmah!]

Heh, now 6 CPU cores even in iPhone.

Out of curiosity, what is the difference between ARM and x86 again? Do x86 CPUs have better performance? If there was hypothetical Cinebench for ARM CPUs, how would it fare? Is it even possible to say?

 

[Eug]

Actually Apple needs to have switched already. At the point Apple stops paying Imagination none of Apple's products still for sale/in production will contain any Imagination IP.

No. The switch was to happen 2018.

 

[NTMBK]

Heh, now 6 CPU cores even in iPhone.

Out of curiosity, what is the difference between ARM and x86 again? Do x86 CPUs have better performance? If there was hypothetical Cinebench for ARM CPUs, how would it fare? Is it even possible to say?

Depends on which ARM CPU and which x86 CPU. Apple's custom ARM cores are about as powerful as an Intel Skylake CPU at low power, but probably can't hit clock speeds as high as Intel, and are way more powerful than Intel's Atom CPUs.

 

[NTMBK]

4 high Performance cores, and two low-power cores.

Other way around apparently: https://twitter.com/never_released/status/906964204757929984

 

[R0H1T]

Heh, now 6 CPU cores even in iPhone.

Out of curiosity, what is the difference between ARM and x86 again? Do x86 CPUs have better performance? If there was hypothetical Cinebench for ARM CPUs, how would it fare? Is it even possible to say?

Objectively speaking, since there no desktop ARM cpu's it'd be your guesstimate vs anyone else's i.e. we'd all just be speculating.

It's assumed that the Ax are the best performing CPU's in their TDP range, better than core. A hypothetical Cinebench run would take a lot of time on any ARM cpu, but that's how cinebench works.

 

[moinmoin]

No. The switch was to happen 2018.

And Apple stop selling all older products then? That's not how IP licensing works.