Next iPad, iPhone expected to use dual-core graphics
updated 07:25 pm EST, Sun January 16, 2011
Apple to use dual PowerVR SGX543 in iPad, iPhone
Apple's move to faster mobile graphics for the next iPad and iPhone gained elaboration tonight as a leak Sunday may have clarified its choice. The company is now thought to be using the SGX543MP2, the dual-core version. The new video is estimated by AppleInsider to have about four times the theoretical performance of the current SGX535.
The speed increase could be key to driving the rumored 2048x1536 display resolution of the next iPad and could enable much higher quality movie playback that would keep Apple competitive. It would likely support 1080p video decoding in hardware. Although Apple has historically been conservative with the video output of its mobile devices, it could also more readily support HDMI and get true HD through a dock.
The SGX543MP2 could be combined with a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 main processor and deliver much higher performance overall, not just in video, than the single-core components in existing iOS hardware. Apple is predicted to be following its pattern of yearly upgrades with a new iPad in April, a new iPhone in June or July and both a new iPod touch and Apple TV in September.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2009
1080p in hardware
Now if Apple were to allow output to an HDTV, this could give AppleTV a run for its money.