Apple seeding A5-equipped iPhones to game devs, says source
updated 03:25 pm EDT, Thu April 21, 2011
Speed may be major focus of iPhone 5
Apple has been providing A5-equipped iPhones to app developers in preparation for the iPhone 5, says a source for 9to5Mac. The units are described as essentially identical to the iPhone 4, indistinguishable except when in use. One nickname for the hardware is "iPhone 4S," although in reality the phones are just said to use regular Apple prototype names.
The source elaborates that at his company's offices, the allotted prototype spends its nights locks in a safe. Many or all of the outfits getting the test hardware are thought to be high-end game developers. The goal, it is claimed, is to get developers taking full advantage of the A5, as Apple wants gaming performance to be one of the next iPhone's main marketing points.
Apple has cooperated closely with iOS game developers in the past. It has also started promoting more advanced games in the last year, most notably Epic's Infinity Blade, which figures prominently in marketing for the iPad 2. A special update for the game enabled iPad 2-only visual effects like anti-aliasing. A similar pattern could conceivably repeat with the iPhone 5.
