If iPhone 3 continues to use Samsung processors, the S5PC100 is the likely candidate

Seth Weintraub
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April 15, 2009
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We are just going to pull a quote from a Beyond 3D forum that we find quite interesting and let you all draw your own conclusions. We've covered the iPhone 3 processor race in more detail here.

With regard to the [iPhone] processor, I see Samsung have rather QUIETLY released a Cortex A8 App Processor , the S5PC100. Doing a google returns a grand total of 10 hits. There has been no press release for the product that I can find, and none of the tech websites have discussed it. It is not listed AT ALL under the app processor section of their website:-
http://www.samsung.com/global/busine...Processor.html

However there is a brochure available:-
http://www.samsung.com/global/busine...ure_200902.pdf

Its clocked at 833Mhz, the brochure states 720P playback and record, and a 2D/3D graphics block is shown. There is no other mention whatsoever about the capabilities of the 2D/3D block.  [Also HDMI out]

Arm have started to use this processor as a comparision point for Moorestown:-
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...DevCon2008.pdf See page 24.

I find that highly interesting, as of course Intel had at one time targetted the next gen iphone as a killer product for moorestown.

I hear also that there is another variant called the S5PC110, with gets a grand total of 1 hits when googled. Note that samsung never published ANY data on the MBX-ed processor used in the iphone. I think that if the processor in the next gen is samsung, this could be the likely candidate, a customised version with SGX graphics core. The one caveat is that there is no hint or information as to how long this processor has been available. The samsung brochure is dated Feb '09, the ARM .PDF however is dated Oct '08 which references chip size and both operational and standby power times.

 

Comments (10)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | April 15, 2009 - 1:42pm

cool

Olternaut (not verified) | April 15, 2009 - 1:49pm

Even if PA Semi did design a ARM processor for Apple they would still have Samsung build it right?

admin | April 15, 2009 - 1:57pm

Someone would have to build it.  Samsung has a better chance than anyone because of the relationships thay already have in place.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | April 15, 2009 - 2:19pm

I really wish they would use the creative Zii processor. They support 1080p, hardly use any power, include graphics processing, can be daisy chained together infinitely, and are tiny, the one that is a SOC, is the size of a notebook processor.

nat (not verified) | April 15, 2009 - 6:27pm

While the Zii processor and architecture are very powerful at multimedia oriented tasks and can become very scalable, the problem is that it is a different architecture.

Every sing current iPhone application (including the OS itself) would have to be modified and recompiled to work on a new architecture. If this isn't a big enough task, developers would also still have to produce versions of the software that run on the current ARM architecture that is used in all iPhone and iPod Touch models.

And then there is PA Semi. Apple doesn't just buy things for the fun of it. Especially these days. And with Jobs and other members of the Administration being quoted on how it is time for Apple to start designing their own chips for tailored use; it is highly likely that Apple has created their own processor that is based on the ARM architecture and is tailored to their own requirements.

Apples relationship with Samsung puts them in an ideal position to build the processor for Apple and not only that, Samsung will keep quiet for Apple. If all the rumors about parts being ordered for manufacturing are true (I would hope they are starting about now) then I would put it more likely that it is a Samsung processor for the immediately available model and then for the rumored more advanced model would be Apple's custom processor but would be available later. While it is possible that Apple has designed, built and manufactured a processor in this time frame, I would be doubtful as if it already be ready.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | April 15, 2009 - 8:21pm

Ya but here is the glory of gcc. which is by the way what xcode uses to compile the code.... It can be extended fairly easily to support different architectures without any change in the code. That is because C, Objective C, C++, etc are just the way you communicate with the compiler. Then the compiler will convert the code into machine readable binary. An example of this is their is a modification you can make to xcode to allow you to make Windows Executables (exe), and it will work with any code that does not use apple specific api's.

nat (not verified) | April 15, 2009 - 8:53pm

It would be relatively easy to port the applications yes, but changing the entire platform would change many things. API's would have to be re written due to the massive structural changes with switching to a completely different platform like that. I just can't see Apple going to so much trouble for something they don't have to do. And the fact that Creative is a competitor of theirs wouldn't be a great thing either.

nat (not verified) | April 15, 2009 - 8:43pm

Interesting new tidbit!

In the article S5PC110, a variant of the S5PC100, is referenced. After doing a bit of digging it looks like this is going to be ARM 11 based. This is very interesting! Why? Because the ARM 11 is Multi-Core! It can be configured to run anything from one to four cores simultaneously. However in the eyes of many ARM 11 versus the Cortex cores, ARM 11 is inferior.


Again, as the article states, Samsung made no public releases about the processor that powers the iPhone before the iPhone was released. There is no references to S5PC110 at all on Samsung's websites in any nationality.


I would think that this is Apple's next best option to their own custom chips. BUT! There is one more option... Nvidia is developing the Tegra platform. A SoC (system on a chip) solution that incorporates the ARM 11. The Tegra platform can support up to 1080P with recording as well as playback. Even the base Tegra has 720P support and up to 12MP camera support. Tegra is supposed to start shipping the first half of 2009. (as a side note microsoft was supposed to be releasing a Zune with this platform in 2009, Zune HD anyone?)

I hate to revive the Multi-Core rumors but this is looking more likely...

There is always one more possibility, however. the Cortex A9 series contains both single and multi-core processors. These are a much more modern option to use and would be more suited to the needs of Apple. Not only that, but take a look at this... on the ARM page for the Cortex A9 it references FGPA support. Remember that USBFamilyInfo file from the OS 3.0 beta? iFGPA. I would love to find out that the processor in the next iPhone is the Multi-Core Cortex A9 or something based on it.


This is getting interesting...

Links to look at:
ARM Architecture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture#ARM_cores
ARM Cortex A9: http://www.arm.com/products/CPUs/ARMCortex-A9_MPCore.html
Tegra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia_Tegra

S5PC110 Article (translated): http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ko&u=http://mcpu.textcube...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | April 16, 2009 - 1:06pm

If Apple is to ever realize their investment in PA Semi they will have to go the custom route. Samsung may still be involved in the processor production but that is no surprise. In any event I would expect that the custom chip would be highly tailored to the hardware environment that Apple has currently implemented. In other words we will only see the support hardware that is specific to iPhone and Apples tablet initiatives. By definition a processor designed by Samsung for general sale will have a feature set designed to appeal to the general user population.

Even then I'm not convinced that Apple will go Cortex A9 on the low end iPhone, there is a reasonable question of power usage for this processor. Rather I see them staying with ARM11 on a shrunken process. IPhone "Pro" might be an entirely different platform, but again that shouldn't surprise anybody.

Dave

tower defense (not verified) | April 20, 2009 - 10:51pm

Well...I really wish they would use the creative Zii processor. They support 1080p, hardly use any power, include graphics processing, can be daisy chained together infinitely, and are tiny, the one that is a SOC, is the size of a notebook processor.