According to 9to5Mac, and the evidence they’ve obtained, Apple is creating a quad-core processor (presumably dubbed the A6) for iOS-based devices. While it hasn’t been confirmed that a quad-core processor will power Apple’s next-generation iPhone and iPad, updated processing-core management software discovered deep inside iOS 5.0.1 beta indicates that Apple is at least testing the applications of quad-core processors.
A “hidden panel” was discovered that describes the processor cores supported by iOS hardware and it contains references to quad-core iPhone and iPad processors. Additionally, the updated core management software offers an option for “/cores/core.3″, which is most likely a processor with four cores (judging by the nomenclature that’s used).
Here’s an image from 9to5Mac that clearly highlights the differences between the dual-core processor (“/cores/core.1″) and the assumed quad-core processor (“/cores/core.3″):
As stated previously, this evidence doesn’t guarantee that Apple’s next-generation iPhone and iPad will feature a quad-core processor – it simply suggests that Apple could be testing the chip for future use.
Stay tuned for more news related to Apple’s rumored A6 quad-core processor and next-generation iDevices.
