Apple silicon

Apple siliconis a series ofsystem on a chip(SoC) andsystem in a package(SiP) processors designed byApple Inc., mainly using theARM architecture. They are the basis ofMac,iPhone,iPad,Apple TV,Apple Watch,AirPods,AirTag,HomePod, andApple Vision Prodevices.
Apple announced its plan toswitch Mac computers from Intel processorsto Apple silicon atWWDC 2020on June 22, 2020.The first Macs built with theApple M1chip were unveiled on November 10, 2020. As of June 2023, the entire Mac lineup uses Apple chips.
Apple fully controls the integration of Apple silicon in the company's hardware and software products.Johny Sroujiis in charge of Apple's silicon design.Manufacturing of the chips is outsourced to semiconductor contract manufacturers such asTSMC.
TheAseries is a family ofSoCsused in theiPhone, certainiPadmodels, and theApple TV.A-series chips were also used in the discontinuediPod Touchline and the originalHomePod. They integrate one or moreARM-basedprocessing cores (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU),cache memoryand other electronics necessary to provide mobile computing functions within a single physical package.
TheApple A4is aPoPSoC manufactured bySamsung, the first SoC Apple designed in-house.It combines anARMCortex-A8CPU –  also used in Samsung's S5PC110A01 SoC–  and aPowerVR SGX 535graphics processor(GPU),all built on Samsung's 45-nanometer silicon chip fabrication process.The design emphasizes power efficiency.The A4 commercially debuted in 2010, in Apple's iPadtablet,and was later used in theiPhone 4smartphone,thefourth-generation iPod Touch, and the 2nd-generationApple TV.
The Cortex-A8 core used in the A4, dubbedHummingbird, is thought to use performance improvements developed by Samsung in collaboration with chip designerIntrinsity, which was subsequently acquired by AppleIt can run at far higher clock rates than other Cortex-A8 designs yet remains fully compatible with the design provided by ARM.The A4 runs at different speeds in different products: 1 GHz in the first iPads,800 MHz in the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod Touch, and an undisclosed speed in the 2nd-generation Apple TV.
The A4's SGX535 GPU could theoretically push 35 million polygons per second and 500 million pixels per second, although real-world performance may be considerably less.Other performance improvements include additionalL2 cache.
The A4 processor package does not containRAM, but supportsPoPinstallation. The 1st-generation iPad,fourth-generation iPod Touch,and the 2nd-generation Apple TVhave an A4 mounted with two low-power 128 MBDDR SDRAMchips(totaling 256 MB), while the iPhone 4 has two 256 MB packages for a total of 512 MB.The RAM is connected to the processor using ARM's64-bit-wideAMBA 3 AXIbus. To give the iPad high graphics bandwidth, the width of the RAM data bus is double that used in previous ARM11- and ARM9-based Apple devices.
TheApple A5is an SoC manufactured bySamsungthat replaced theA4. The chip commercially debuted with the release of Apple'siPad 2tabletin March 2011,followed by its release in theiPhone 4Ssmartphonelater that year. Compared to the A4, the A5CPU"can do twice the work" and theGPUhas "up to nine times the graphics performance",according to Apple.
The A5 contains a dual-coreARM Cortex-A9CPUwith ARM's advancedSIMDextension, marketed asNEON, and a dual corePowerVRSGX543MP2 GPU. This GPU can push between 70 and 80 million polygons/second and has a pixel fill rate of 2 billion pixels/second. The iPad 2's technical specifications page says the A5 is clocked at 1 GHz,though it can adjust its frequency to save battery life.The clock speed of the unit used in the iPhone 4S is 800 MHz. Like the A4, the A5 process size is 45 nm.
An updated32 nmversion of the A5 processor was used in the third-generation Apple TV, thefifth-generation iPod Touch, the iPad Mini, and the new version of iPad 2 (version iPad2,4).The chip in the Apple TV has one core locked.Markings on the square package indicate that it is namedAPL2498, and in software, the chip is calledS5L8942. The32 nmvariant of the A5 provides around 15% better battery life during web browsing, 30% better when playing 3D games and about 20% better battery life during video playback.
In March 2013, Apple released an updated version of the 3rd-generation Apple TV (Rev A, model A1469) containing a smaller, single-core version of the A5 processor. Unlike the other A5 variants, this version of the A5 is not a PoP, having no stacked RAM. The chip is very small, just 6.1×6.2 mm, but as the decrease in size is not due to a decrease in feature size (it is still on a 32 nm fabrication process), this indicates that this A5 revision is of a new design.Markings tell that it is namedAPL7498, and in software, the chip is calledS5L8947.
TheApple A5Xis an SoC announced on March 7, 2012, at the launch of thethird-generation iPad. It is a high-performance variant of theApple A5; Apple claims it has twice the graphics performance of the A5.It was superseded in thefourth-generation iPadby theApple A6Xprocessor.
The A5X has a quad-core graphics unit (PowerVR SGX543MP4) instead of the previous dual-core as well as a quad-channel memory controller that provides a memory bandwidth of 12.8 GB/s, roughly three times more than in the A5. The added graphics cores and extra memory channels add up to a very large die size of 165 mm,for example twice the size ofNvidiaTegra 3.This is mainly due to the large PowerVR SGX543MP4 GPU. The clock frequency of the dual ARM Cortex-A9 cores have been shown to operate at the same 1 GHz frequency as in A5.The RAM in A5X is separate from the main CPU package.
TheApple A6is a PoP SoC introduced on September 12, 2012, at the launch of theiPhone 5, then a year later was inherited by its minor successor theiPhone 5C. Apple states that it is up to twice as fast and has up to twice the graphics power compared to its predecessor theApple A5.It is 22% smaller and draws less power than the 45 nm A5.
The A6 is said to use a 1.3 GHzcustomApple-designedARMv7baseddual-core CPU, called Swift,rather than a licensed CPU from ARM like in previous designs, and an integrated 266 MHz triple-corePowerVRSGX 543MP3graphics processing unit(GPU). The Swift core in the A6 uses a new tweaked instruction set, ARMv7s, featuring some elements of theARM Cortex-A15such as support for theAdvanced SIMD v2, andVFPv4.The A6 is manufactured by Samsung on ahigh-κmetal gate(HKMG) 32 nm process.
Apple A6Xis an SoC introduced at the launch of thefourth-generation iPadon October 23, 2012. It is a high-performance variant of theApple A6. Apple claims the A6X has twice the CPU performance and up to twice the graphics performance of its predecessor, theApple A5X.
Like the A6, this SoC continues to use the dual-core Swift CPU, but it has a new quad core GPU, quad channel memory and slightly higher 1.4 GHz CPU clock rate.It uses an integrated quad-corePowerVRSGX 554MP4graphics processing unit(GPU) running at 300 MHz and a quad-channelmemory subsystem.Compared to the A6 the A6X is 30% larger, but it continues to be manufactured by Samsung on ahigh-κmetal gate(HKMG) 32 nm process.
TheApple A7is a64-bitPoP SoC whose first appearance was in theiPhone 5S, which was introduced on September 10, 2013. The chip would also be used in theiPad Air,iPad Mini 2andiPad Mini 3. Apple states that it is up to twice as fast and has up to twice the graphics power compared to its predecessor the Apple A6.The Apple A7 chip is the first 64-bit chip to be used in a smartphone and later a tablet computer.
The A7 features an Apple-designed 1.3–1.4GHz 64-bitARMv8-Adual-core CPU,called Cyclone,and an integratedPowerVR G6430GPU in a four cluster configuration.The ARMv8-A architecture doubles the number ofregistersof the A7 compared to the A6.It now has 31 general-purpose registers that are each64-bitswide and 32 floating-point/NEONregisters that are each 128-bits wide.The A7 is manufactured by Samsung on ahigh-κmetal gate(HKMG) 28nmprocessand the chip includes over 1 billiontransistorson a die 102 mmin size.
TheApple A8is a64-bitPoP SoC manufactured by TSMC. Its first appearance was in theiPhone 6andiPhone 6 Plus, which were introduced on September 9, 2014.A year later it would drive theiPad Mini 4. Apple states that it has 25% more CPU performance and 50% more graphics performance while drawing only 50% of the power compared to its predecessor, theApple A7.On February 9, 2018, Apple released the HomePod, which is powered by an Apple A8 with 1 GB of RAM.
The A8 features an Apple-designed 1.4GHz 64-bitARMv8-Adual-core CPU, and an integrated customPowerVR GX6450GPU in a four cluster configuration.The GPU features custom shader cores and compiler.The A8 is manufactured on a 20 nm processbyTSMC,which replacedSamsungas the manufacturer of Apple's mobile device processors. It contains 2 billion transistors. Despite that being double the number of transistors compared to the A7, its physical size has been reduced by 13% to 89 mm(consistent with a shrink only, not known to be a new microarchitecture).
TheApple A8Xis a64-bitSoC introduced at the launch of theiPad Air 2on October 16, 2014.It is a high performance variant of theApple A8. Apple states that it has 40% more CPU performance and 2.5 times the graphics performance of its predecessor, theApple A7.
Unlike the A8, this SoC uses atriple-coreCPU, a newocta-coreGPU,dual channel memoryand slightly higher 1.5 GHz CPU clock rate.It uses an integrated custom octa-corePowerVRGXA6850graphics processing unit(GPU) running at 450 MHz and a dual-channelmemory subsystem.It is manufactured byTSMCon their 20 nm fabrication process, and consists of 3 billiontransistors.
TheApple A9is a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in theiPhone 6Sand 6S Plus, which were introduced on September 9, 2015.Apple states that it has 70% more CPU performance and 90% more graphics performance compared to its predecessor, theApple A8.It is dual sourced, a first for an Apple SoC; it is manufactured by Samsung on their 14 nm FinFET LPE process and by TSMC on their 16 nm FinFET process. It was subsequently included in thefirst-generation iPhone SE, and theiPad (5th generation). The Apple A9 was the last CPU that Apple manufactured through a contract with Samsung, as all A-series chips after are manufactured by TSMC.
TheApple A9Xis a64-bitSoC that was announced on September 9, 2015, and released on November 11, 2015, and first appeared in theiPad Pro.It offers 80% more CPU performance and two times the GPU performance of its predecessor, theApple A8X. It is manufactured byTSMCusing a 16nmFinFETprocess.
TheApple A10 Fusionis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in theiPhone 7and 7 Plus, which were introduced on September 7, 2016.The A10 is also featured in thesixth-generation iPad,seventh-generation iPadandseventh-generation iPod Touch.It has a newARM big.LITTLEquad core design with two high performance cores, and two smaller highly efficient cores. It is 40% faster than the A9, with 50% faster graphics. It is manufactured by TSMC on their 16 nm FinFET process.
TheApple A10X Fusionis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in the 10.5″iPad Proand the second generation of the 12.9″ iPad Pro, which were both announced on June 5, 2017.It is a variant of theA10and Apple claims that it has 30 percent faster CPU performance and 40 percent faster GPU performance than its predecessor, theA9X.On September 12, 2017, Apple announced that theApple TV 4Kwould be powered by an A10X chip. It is made by TSMC on their 10 nm FinFET process.
TheApple A11 Bionicis a64-bitARM-basedSoCthat first appeared in theiPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, andiPhone X, which were introduced on September 12, 2017.It has two high-performance cores, which are 25% faster than theA10 Fusion, four high-efficiency cores, which are 70% faster than the energy-efficient cores in the A10, and for the first time an Apple-designed three-core GPU with 30% faster graphics performance than the A10.It is also the first A-series chip to feature Apple's "Neural Engine," which enhances artificial intelligence and machine learning processes.
TheApple A12 Bionicis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in theiPhone XS,XS MaxandXR, which were introduced on September 12, 2018. It is also used in thethird-generation iPad Air,fifth-generation iPad Mini, and theeighth-generation iPad. It has two high-performance cores, which are 15% faster than the A11 Bionic, and four high-efficiency cores, which have 50% lower power usage than the energy-efficient cores in the A11 Bionic.The A12 is manufactured byTSMCusing a7 nmFinFETprocess, the first to ship in a smartphone.It is also used in the 6th generationApple TV.
TheApple A12X Bionicis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in the 11.0″iPad Proand the third generation of the 12.9″ iPad Pro, which were both announced on October 30, 2018.It offers 35% faster single-core and 90% faster multi-core CPU performance than its predecessor, the A10X. It has four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. The A12X is manufactured byTSMCusing a7 nmFinFETprocess.
TheApple A12Z Bionicis an updated version of the A12X Bionic, first appearing in the fourth generationiPad Pro, which was announced on March 18, 2020.It adds an additional GPU core, compared to the A12X, for improved graphics performance.The A12Z is also used in theDeveloper Transition Kitprototype computer that helps developers prepare their software for Macs based on Apple silicon.
TheApple A13 Bionicis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in theiPhone 11,11 Pro, and11 Pro Max, which were introduced on September 10, 2019. It is also featured in thesecond-generation iPhone SE(released April 15, 2020), the9th generation iPad(announced September 14, 2021) and in theStudio Display(announced March 8, 2022)
The entire A13 SoC features a total of 18 cores – a six-core CPU, four-core GPU, and an eight-core Neural Engine processor, which is dedicated to handling on-board machine learning processes; four of the six cores on the CPU are low-powered cores that are dedicated to handling less CPU-intensive operations, such as voice calls, browsing the Web, and sending messages, while two higher-performance cores are used only for more CPU-intensive processes, such as recording 4K video or playing a video game.
TheApple A14 Bionicis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in thefourth-generation iPad AirandiPhone 12, released on October 23, 2020. It is the first commercially available5 nmchipset and it contains 11.8 billion transistors and a 16-core AI processor.It includes SamsungLPDDR4XDRAM, a 6-core CPU, and 4-Core GPU with real time machine learning capabilities. It was later used in thetenth-generation iPad, released on October 26, 2022.
TheApple A15 Bionicis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in theiPhone 13, unveiled on September 14, 2021. The A15 is built on a 5-nanometer manufacturing process with 15 billion transistors. It has 2 high-performance processing cores, 4 high-efficiency cores, a new 5-core graphics for iPhone 13 Pro series (4-core for iPhone 13 and 13 mini) processing unit, and a new 16-core Neural Engine capable of 15.8 trillion operations per second.It is also used in thethird-generation iPhone SE,iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus and thesixth-generation iPad Mini.
TheApple A16 Bionicis a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in theiPhone 14 Pro, unveiled on September 7, 2022. The A16 has 16 billion transistors and is built onTSMC'sN4P fabrication process, being touted by Apple as the first 4 nm processor in a smartphone.However, N4 is an enhanced version of N5 technology, ade factofourth-generation5 nmmanufacturing process.The chip has 2 high-performance processing cores, 4 high-efficiency cores and 5-core graphics for iPhone 14 Pro series. Memory is upgraded to LPDDR5 for 50% higher bandwidth and a 7% faster 16-core Neural Engine capable of 17 trillion operations per second. The chip was later used in theiPhone 15and iPhone 15 Plus.
TheApple A17 Prois a64-bitARM-basedSoC that first appeared in theiPhone 15 Pro, unveiled on September 12, 2023. It is Apple's first3 nmSoC. The chip has 2 high-performance processing cores, 4 high-efficiency cores, a 6-core GPU for iPhone 15 Pro series, and a 16-core Neural Engine capable of 35 trillion operations per second. The GPU was described as their biggest redesign in the history of Apple GPUs, adding hardware acceleratedray tracingand mesh shading support.
TheApple A18is a64-bitARM-basedSoC designed by Apple that first appeared in theiPhone 16and iPhone 16 Plus.
TheApple A18 Prois a64-bitARM-basedSoC designed by Apple that first appeared in theiPhone 16 Pro.
The AppleHseries is a family ofSoCswith low-power audio processing and wireless connectivity for use in headphones.
The Apple H1 chip was used in the second and third generationAirPodsand the first generationAirPods Pro. It was also used in the Powerbeats Pro, the Beats Solo Pro, Beats Fit Pro, the 2020 Powerbeats, andAirPods Max.Specifically designed for headphones, it has Bluetooth 5.0, supports hands-free "Hey Siri" commands,and offers 30 percent lowerlatencythan the W1 chip used in earlier AirPods.
The Apple H2 chip was used in the fourth generation AirPods and second generation AirPods Pro. It has Bluetooth 5.3, and implements 48 kHznoise reductionin hardware. The 2022 version of the H2 operates only on the 2.4 GHz frequency, while the 2023 version adds support for audio transmission using a proprietary protocol in two specific frequency ranges of the 5 GHz band.
The AppleMseries is a family ofsystems on a chip(SoC) used inMac computersfrom November 2020 or later,iPad Protablets from April 2021 or later,iPad Airtablets from March 2022 or later, andVision Pro. TheMdesignation was previously used forApple motion coprocessors.
The M1, Apple's first system on a chip designed for use in Macs, is manufactured usingTSMC's 5 nm process. Announced on November 10, 2020, it was first used in theMacBook Air,Mac miniand13-inch MacBook Pro, and later used in theiMac,5th-generation iPad Proand5th-generation iPad Air. It comes with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, for a total of 8 CPU cores. It comes with up to 8 GPU cores, with the entry level MacBook Air having only 7 GPU cores. The M1 has 16 billion transistors.
The M1 Pro is a more powerful version of the M1, with six to eight performance cores, two efficiency cores, 14 to 16 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 32 GB unified RAM with up to 200 GB/s memory bandwidth, and more than double the transistors. It was announced on October 18, 2021, and is used in the 14- and 16-inchMacBook Pro. Apple claimed the CPU performance is about 70% faster than the M1, and that its GPU performance is about double. Apple claims the M1 Pro can deliver up to 20 streams of 4K or 7 streams of 8K ProRes video playback (up from 6 offered by Afterburner card for2019 Mac Pro).
The M1 Max is a larger version of the M1 Pro chip, with eight performance cores, two efficiency cores, 24 to 32 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 64 GB unified RAM with up to 400 GB/s memory bandwidth, and more than double the number of transistors. It was announced on October 18, 2021, and is used in the 14- and 16-inchMacBook Pro, as well as theMac Studio. Apple claims the M1 Max can deliver up to 30 streams of 4K (up from 23 offered by Afterburner card for 2019 Mac Pro) or 7 streams of 8K ProRes video playback.
The M1 Ultra consists of two M1 Max dies connected together by a silicon interposer through Apple's UltraFusion interconnect.It has 114 billion transistors, 16 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores, 48 to 64 GPU cores and 32 Neural Engine cores; it can be configured with up to 128 GB unified RAM of 800 GB/s memory bandwidth. It was announced on March 8, 2022, as an optional upgrade for theMac Studio. Apple claims the M1 Ultra can deliver up to 18 streams of 8K ProRes video playback.
Apple announced the M2 SoC on June 6, 2022, atWWDC, along with a redesigned MacBook Air and a revised 13-inch MacBook Pro and later thesixth-generation iPad Proand thesixth-generation iPad Air. The M2 is made with TSMC's "enhanced 5-nanometer technology" N5P process and contains 20 billion transistors, a 25% increase from the previous generation M1. The M2 can be configured with up to 24 gigabytes of RAM and 2 terabytes of storage. It has 8 CPU cores (4 performance and 4 efficiency) and up to 10 GPU cores. The M2 also increases the memory bandwidth to100GB/s. Apple claims CPU improvements up to 18% and GPU improvements up to 35% compared to the previous M1.
The M2 Pro is a more powerful version of the M2, with six to eight performance cores, four efficiency cores, 16 to 19 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 32 GB unified RAM with up to 200 GB/s memory bandwidth, and double the transistors. It was announced on January 17, 2023, in a press release and it is used in the 14- and 16-inch 2023MacBook Proas well as theMac Mini. Apple claims the CPU performance is 20 percent faster than the M1 Pro and the GPU is 30 percent faster than the M1 Pro.
The M2 Max is a larger version of the M2 Pro, with eight performance cores, four efficiency cores, 30 to 38 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 96 GB unified RAM with up to 400 GB/s memory bandwidth, and more than double the transistors. It was announced on January 17, 2023, in a press release and it is used in the 14- and 16-inch 2023MacBook Pro, as well as theMac Studio.Apple claims the CPU performance is 20 percent faster than M1 Max and the GPU is 30 percent faster than the M1 Max.
The M2 Ultra consists of two M2 Max dies connected together by a silicon interposer through Apple's UltraFusion interconnect. It has 134 billion transistors, 16 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, 60 to 76 GPU cores and 32 Neural Engine cores; it can be configured with up to 192 GB unified RAM of 800 GB/s memory bandwidth. It was announced on June 5, 2023, as an optional upgrade for theMac Studioand the sole processor for theMac Pro. Apple claims the M2 Ultra can deliver up to 22 streams of 8K ProRes video playback.
Apple announced the M3 series of chips on October 30, 2023, along with the new MacBook Pro and iMac, and later used in the MacBook Air. The M3 is based on the3 nm processand contains 25 billion transistors, a 25% increase from the previous generation M2. It has 8 CPU cores (4 performance and 4 efficiency) and up to 10 GPU cores. Apple claims CPU improvements up to 35% and GPU improvements up to 65% compared to the M1.
The M3 Pro is a more powerful version of the M3, with six performance cores, six efficiency cores, 14 to 18 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 36 GB unified RAM with 150 GB/s memory bandwidth, and 48% more transistors. It is used in the 14- and 16-inchMacBook Pro. Apple claims the CPU performance is 30 percent faster than the M1 Pro and the GPU is 40 percent faster than the M1 Pro.
The M3 Max is a larger version of the M3 Pro, with ten or twelve performance cores, four efficiency cores, 30 to 40 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, up to 128 GB unified RAM with up to 400 GB/s memory bandwidth, and more than double the transistors. It is used in the 14- and 16-inchMacBook Pro. Apple claims the CPU performance is 80 percent faster than the M1 Max and the GPU is 50 percent faster than the M1 Max.
Apple announced the M4 chip on May 7, 2024, along with the newseventh-generation iPad Promodels; it would later be used for the iMac, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro. The M4 is based on the N3E process rather than the N3B process used by the M3 and contains 28 billion transistors. It has three or four performance cores, six efficiency cores and up to ten GPU cores. Apple claims the M4 has up to 1.5x faster CPU performance compared to the M2.
The M4 Pro is a more powerful version of the M4, with eight or ten performance cores, four efficiency cores, 16 to 20 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, and up to 64 GB unified RAM with 273 GB/s memory bandwidth. It is used in the 14- and 16-inchMacBook Proas well as theMac Mini. Apple claims the CPU performance is 1.9x faster than the M1 Pro and the GPU is 2x faster than the M1 Pro.
The M4 Max is a larger version of the M4 Pro, with ten or twelve performance cores, four efficiency cores, 32 to 40 GPU cores, 16 Neural Engine cores, and up to 128 GB unified RAM with up to 546 GB/s memory bandwidth. It is used in the 14- and 16-inchMacBook Pro. Apple claims the CPU performance is 2.2x faster than the M1 Max and the GPU is 1.9x faster than the M1 Max.
TheRseries is a family of low-latencysystem on a chips (SoCs)for real-time processing of sensor inputs.
The Apple R1 was announced by Apple on June 5, 2023, at itsWorldwide Developers Conference. It is used in theApple Vision Proheadset. The Apple R1 is dedicated to the real time processing of sensor inputs and delivering extremely low-latency images to the displays.
The AppleSseries is a family ofsystems in a package (SiP)used in theApple WatchandHomePod. It uses a customizedapplication processorthat together withmemory,storageand support processors for wireless connectivity, sensors, andI/Oform a complete computer in a single package. They are designed by Apple and manufactured by contract manufacturers such asSamsung.
TheApple S1is an integrated computer. It includes memory, storage and support circuits likewireless modemsand I/O controllers in a sealed integrated package. It was announced on September 9, 2014, as part of the "Wish we could say more" event. It was used in the first-generationApple Watch.
Used inApple Watch Series 1. It has a dual-core processor identical to the S2, with the exception of the built-inGPS receiver. It contains the same dual-core CPU with the same newGPUcapabilities as the S2, making it about 50% faster than the S1.
Used in theApple Watch Series 2. It has a dual-core processor and a built-in GPS receiver. The S2's two cores deliver 50% higher performance and the GPU delivers twice as much as the predecessor,and is similar in performance to the Apple S1P.
Used in theApple Watch Series 3. It has a dual-core processor that is 70% faster than the Apple S2 and a built-in GPS receiver.There is also an option for a cellular modem and an internaleSIMmodule.It also includes the W2 chip.The S3 also contains abarometricaltimeter, theW2wireless connectivity processor, and in some modelsUMTS(3G) andLTE(4G) cellular modems served by a built-ineSIM.
Used in theApple Watch Series 4. It introduced 64-bitARMv8coresto the Apple Watch through two Tempest cores,which are also found in theA12as energy-efficient cores. Despite its small size, Tempest uses a 3-wide decodeout-of-ordersuperscalardesign, which makes it much more powerful than preceding in-order cores.
The S4 contains a Neural Engine that is able to runCore ML.Third-party apps can use it starting from watchOS 6. The SiP also includes new accelerometer and gyroscope functionality that has twice the dynamic range in measurable values of its predecessor, as well as being able to sample data at 8 times the speed.It contains the W3 wireless chip, which supportsBluetooth 5. It also contains a new customGPU, which can use theMetal API.
Used in theApple Watch Series 5,Watch SE, andHomePod mini.It adds a built-inmagnetometerto the custom 64-bit dual-core processor and GPU of the S4.
Used in theApple Watch Series 6. It has a custom 64-bit dual-core processor that runs up to 20 percent faster than the S5.The dual-cores in the S6 are based on theA13 Bionic'senergy-efficient "little" Thunder cores at 1.8 GHz.Like the S4 and S5, it also contains the W3 wireless chip.The S6 adds the newU1 ultrawide band chip, an always-onaltimeter, and 5 GHzWiFi.
Used in theApple Watch Series 7and second-generationHomePod. The S7 CPU has the same T8301 identifier and quoted performance as the S6. It is the second time utilizing the energy-efficient "little" Thunder cores of theA13 Bionic.
Used in the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), Watch Series 8, and Watch Ultra.The S8 CPU has the same T8301 identifier and quoted performance as the S6 and S7. It is the final CPU to utilize the energy-efficient "little" Thunder cores of theA13 Bionic.
Used in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. The S9 CPU has a new dual-core CPU with 60 percent more transistors than the S8, a new four-core Neural Engine and the newU2 ultra-wide band chip. The dual-cores in the S9 are based on theA16 Bionic'senergy efficient "little" Sawtooth cores.
Used in the Apple Watch Series 10. The S10 CPU is the second time utilizing the energy-efficient "little" Sawtooth cores of theA16 Bionic.
TheTseries operates as a secure enclave on Intel-based MacBook and iMac computers released from 2016 onwards. The chip processes and encryptsbiometricinformation (Touch ID) and acts as a gatekeeper to the microphone and FaceTime HD camera, protecting them from hacking. The chip runsbridgeOS, a purported variant ofwatchOS.The functions of theT-series processor were built into theM-series CPUs, thus ending the need for theTseries.
The Apple T1 chip is anARMv7SoC (derived from the processor in the Apple Watch'sS2) that drives the System Management Controller (SMC) andTouch IDsensor of the2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
The Apple T2 security chip is a SoC first released in theiMac Pro. It is a 64-bit ARMv8 chip (a variant of theA10 Fusion, or T8010).It provides a secure enclave for encrypted keys, enables users to lock down the computer's boot process, handles system functions like the camera and audio control, and handles on-the-fly encryption and decryption for thesolid-state drive.T2 also delivers "enhanced imaging processing" for the iMac Pro'sFaceTimeHD camera.
The AppleUseries is a family ofsystems in a package (SiP)implementingultra-wideband(UWB) radio.
The Apple U1 is used in theiPhone 11series through theiPhone 14series (excluding thesecondandthirdgeneration iPhone SE);Apple WatchSeries 6 through the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra (1st generation);HomePod(2nd generation) andHomePod Mini;AirTagtrackers; and the charging case forAirPods Pro(2nd generation).
The Apple U2 (referred to by Apple as its "Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip") is used in theiPhone 15series,iPhone 16series,Apple Watch Series 9,Apple Watch Ultra 2andApple Watch Series 10.
The AppleWseries is a family ofRFSoCsused for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.
The Apple W1 is a SoC used in the 2016AirPodsand selectBeats headphones.It maintains aBluetoothClass 1connection with a computer device and decodes the audio stream that is sent to it.
The Apple W2, used in theApple Watch Series 3, is integrated into theApple S3SiP. Apple claimed the chip makes Wi-Fi 85% faster and allows Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to use half the power of the W1 implementation.
The Apple W3 is used in theApple Watch Series 4,Series 5,Series 6,SE (1st generation),Series 7,Series 8,SE (2nd generation),Ultra,Series 9,Ultra 2, andSeries 10. It is integrated into theApple S4,S5,S6,S7,S8,S9, andS10SiPs. It supports Bluetooth 5.0/5.3.
The AppleM-series coprocessors are motion coprocessors used by Apple Inc. in their mobile devices. First released in 2013, their function is to collect sensor data from integrated accelerometers, gyroscopes and compasses and offload the collecting and processing of sensor data from the main central processing unit (CPU).
Only the M7 and M8 coprocessors were housed on separate chips; the M9, M10, and M11 coprocessors were embedded in their corresponding A-series chips. Beginning with the A12 Bionic chip in 2018, the motion coprocessors were fully integrated into the SoC; this allowed Apple to reuse theM-series codename for theirdesktop SoCs.
This segment is about Apple-designed processors that are not easily sorted into another section.
Apple first usedSamsung-developed SoCs in early versions of theiPhoneandiPod Touch. They combine in one package a singleARM-basedprocessing core (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and other electronics necessary for mobile computing.
TheAPL0098(also 8900Bor S5L8900) is apackage on package(PoP) system on a chip (SoC) that was introduced on June 29, 2007, at the launch of theoriginal iPhone. It includes a 412 MHz single-coreARM11CPU and a PowerVR MBX Lite GPU. It was manufactured by Samsung on a90 nmprocess.TheiPhone 3Gand the first-generation iPod Touch also use it.
TheAPL0278(also S5L8720) is a PoP SoC introduced on September 9, 2008, at the launch of thesecond-generation iPod Touch. It includes a 533 MHz single-core ARM11 CPU and aPowerVRMBX Lite GPU. It was manufactured by Samsung on a65 nmprocess.
TheAPL0298(also S5L8920) is a PoP SoC introduced on June 8, 2009, at the launch of theiPhone 3GS. It includes a 600 MHz single-coreCortex-A8CPU and a PowerVR SGX535 GPU. It was manufactured by Samsung on a 65 nm process.
TheAPL2298(also S5L8922) is a45 nmdie shrunkversion of the iPhone 3GS SoCand was introduced on September 9, 2009, at the launch of thethird-generation iPod Touch.
TheSamsung S5L8747is an ARM-basedmicrocontrollerused in Apple'sLightning Digital AV Adapter, aLightning-to-HDMIadapter. This is a miniature computer with 256 MB RAM, running anXNUkernel loaded from the connectediPhone,iPod Touch, oriPad, then taking a serial signal from the iOS device translating that into a proper HDMI signal.