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The Smart Techie was renamed Siliconindia India Edition starting Feb 2012 to continue the nearly two decade track record of excellence of our US edition.

March - 2010 - issue > Tech Tracker

‘ichip’ Offers Nothing New

Deepika Cariappa
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Deepika Cariappa
Along with the much talked about iPad, Apple’s A4 chip has arrived. Billed as the most advanced chip Apple has used yet, the most obvious difference with the chip in the iPhone 3GS is speed. According to Apple, the A4 chip is so power-efficient that it helps iPad get up to 10 hours of battery life. But that has not impressed tech-watchers as there are already other chips in the market which offer a higher battery life.

By definition, the A4 is a system-on-a-chip, or SOC that integrates the main processor, graphics silicon, and other functions on one piece of silicon, much like what Intel is trying to achieve with its future ‘Moorestown’ Atom processor. And a similar SOC chip architecture is already used in the iPhone and other smartphones, such as Google's Nexus One and Motorola's Droid.

Based on what Apple has achieved with the iPhone 3GS, the chip is touted to deliver a snappy interface. All checks indicate that the A4 or a variant of it will make its way into a 2010 iPhone revision expected soon. PA Semi, the chip design team, is known for designing chips with exceptionally high performance and energy efficiency.

Critics are already spelling doom for Apple’s semiconductor strides, citing references to the time Apple nearly went bankrupt the last time Macs and Newton PDA ran custom chips. Industry watchers, however, are pointing out that Apple will reap huge benefits because it’s moving away from a commoditized silicon marketplace. Apple CEO Steve Jobs also explained that future PA Semi-designed chips will provide Apple with unique hardware features that rivals who use off-the-shelf parts will be unable to match.
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