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Apple announces A12X with a 7-core GPU, 90% better multicore performance
It's been just a few short weeks since Apple unveiled the A12 Bionic, but at an event in New York City, the Cupertino company upstaged it with a more powerful model: the A12X Bionic. It's the chip in the new iPad Pro.
Apple's A12X is similarly built on a 7-nanometer process, but bigger than the A12.
"No other tablet, laptop, or even desktop has been able to make this leap forward," John Ternus, vice president of hardware engineering, said onstage.
It has 10 billion transistors and comprises a seven-core GPU and eight-core CPU, the latter of which has four performance cores and four efficiency cores. Single-core CPU performance is up to 35 percent faster compared to last year's iPad Pro chip, and 90 percent faster in terms of multicore performance.
[...] Apple says it delivers "Xbox One S-class" graphics performance in a package that is much smaller, and claims it's faster than 92 percent of all portable PCs.
Also at Wccftech.
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(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 31 2018, @07:56AM (1 child)
Does it run Linux?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 31 2018, @08:02AM
Sure. [jslinux.org]
(Score: 2) by Nerdfest on Wednesday October 31 2018, @12:58PM
It would be much more impressive if you could run stuff on it without needing Apple's approval.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Rich on Wednesday October 31 2018, @01:08PM (7 children)
Between this 7nm CPU (while Intel is still struggling with their 10nm process) and the iPad Pro released yesterday, I smell a line of ARM-based laptops that can compete with Intel's offerings. All that still is missing is a keyboard on a hinge. The big question is whether that new platform will open up or stay locked down like iOS.
I'd bet on mostly-locked-down, in considering that decision, the new Apple Store courses might well make sense: if they are held to "prime" the market for an all-subscription model of simple apps that provide good-enough results with lots of instant-gratification cues.
It would be a large scale gamble of Jobs-ian proportions that the mindset has shifted from "We see you work on problem X, here's a tool that solves X faster than the tools from competitors A and B" to "You too can solve X, look how great your life feels solving X when you subscribe (monthly) to our lifestyle". And the scary thing about is that it will work for the western demography. The Chinese won't care, however. (Or will care, as long as they can either pirate or keep it under full party control to use it to their benefit)
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday October 31 2018, @04:39PM
I read an article (Ars or The Reg) commenting about Apple's emphasis on the iPad pro and its apps during the presentation, as if pushing you to the iOS/AxxX walled garden was deemed a lot more important than letting you buy even their finally upgraded macbooks.
I'm glad my tools don't run on these things. I need a good keyboard and mouse, and attempting to pry my 4K 40" screen from me would get people hurt.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday October 31 2018, @05:50PM (4 children)
Apple isn't quite ready to replace Intel chips, although if the iPad Pro sells well enough, there's your Apple ARM "laptop".
Windows recently gave ARM another shot, right? Maybe Apple could allow dual-booting of that.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Rich on Wednesday October 31 2018, @09:27PM (1 child)
There will be third party bolt-on keyboards for sure. But maybe I'm just too conservative in that I assumed that a "daily driver" machine needs a keyboard (that Apple would eventually bolt on to signal the time has come). Today's liberal arts "something with media" crowd probably can't be asked to type on a mechanical keyboard anyway and for what little they have to say they're trained well enough in typing on glass from their smombie-walks.
Windows, no, I don't think Apple would provide that unless they get into trouble again. As I said, it's not about providing tools anymore, it's aligning prospective purchasers opinions with their magically gratifying offerings. These store courses are a smooth way of ramming home the message of "You're doing it wrong". Windows (or anything non-sanctioned) would only distract from pulling subscribers and locking them in.
Example: Recording e.g. a stoner rock track. The users record on some "GarageBand Pro" and choose "Stoner Rock" for mastering. The result is good enough for demos or even indie releases. Core of the sound is the simulation of a beat-synced tape echo. The Pro would assemble that from a delay line speed modulated by some wiggle (for the flutter effect) and fed by a tape saturation curve and a bit of filter rolloff. Delay time set from tick clock. The iCrowd have no idea of the inner workings (and would be hard pressed to dig down into the details that at least expose that a special delay plug-in - but with minimal parameters - was activated), yet they get bearable results. They do that a few times and then they're the one-eyed kings among the blind. But they're locked in forever, because they don't have the slightest idea on how to obtain results similar to what the tool they pay for every month does. (Bad example maybe, Apple wouldn't use a non-family-friendly word like "Stoner" - but even that it is played out for marketing. Lana Del Rey said she avoided an F-word during the Apple show, but I'm positively sure that statement was intentionally designed in to show off to all the hipsters, like, how totally rad Apple really are, like, behind the curtains, you know...)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 01 2018, @12:29AM
There will be a proprietary first-party bolt-on keyboard. It will be beautiful and cost your soul.
(Score: 2) by Teckla on Thursday November 01 2018, @12:36PM (1 child)
I use my iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard at a desk semi-regularly. Having to reach up and paw at the screen is a terrible user experience. Unless and until the iPad supports mice and/or a trackpad, I can't imagine it'll ever replace a traditional laptop.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday November 01 2018, @07:09PM
I've connected a Bluetooth mouse to my stupid old Android phone. A cursor shows up, and it works. But there is nothing for today's iPads? Insane.
https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ipad-needs-finder-mouse-support-to-be-a-true-laptop-replacement-2017-4 [businessinsider.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 31 2018, @07:25PM
In the USofA, the mindset has always been "We see you work on problem X, here's a tool that solves Y faster than the tools from competitors ? and ?" to "You too can solve Z, look how great your life feels solving Z-1 when you subscribe (monthly) to our lifestyle".
(Score: 2) by corey on Wednesday October 31 2018, @09:59PM
What a game!