Apple's iPad 3 will not have the same processor as its predecessor. Snaps of Apple's iBoot bootloader programming tool in action covertly emailed to BGR reference the model code 'iPad3,1'. They also refer to an ARM chip dubbed the S5L8945X. The iPad 2's Apple A5 chip was the S5L8940X, while the iPad's A4 processor was …

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Thursday 2nd February 2012 10:49 GMT Anonymous Coward

"There's nothing [...] to suggest it's a quad-core part"

There's nothing to suggest it's not quad core either, so why the sub-heading?

Plus the original BGR article linked here suggests it may in fact be quad-core. Why is El Reg claiming otherwise, apparently based on the same source?

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1. Friday 3rd February 2012 06:11 GMT Mark 65
  
  If you were going to take a line then surely it would be that it could be foolhardy to release a dual core chip when your rivals have moved to quad?
  
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Thursday 2nd February 2012 11:08 GMT Velv

So it's not an Intel Nahalen this time then?

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Thursday 2nd February 2012 11:47 GMT Anonymous Coward

OR

" It might simply be a higher-clocked dual-core A5" Or it might be the same core at the same speed ie a still 4#X category device, but it might have been revised to double the core count on the die, without changing the anatomy of a core itself, and hence still be a 4#X class core, but given a 45X die designation. As a 50X would be a different core architecture, as it was with the 30X and 40X.

Just as logical, different conclusion.

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Thursday 2nd February 2012 11:58 GMT Winkypop

Just one question

When?

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1. Thursday 2nd February 2012 12:59 GMT Anonymous Coward
  
  Also...
  
  ...who cares?!
  
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  1. Thursday 2nd February 2012 13:27 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    You do
    
    Or you wouldn't have hidden your identity or bothered to comment at all.
    
    Top tip. Don't post against stories that interest you
    
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  2. Thursday 2nd February 2012 14:39 GMT Giles Jones
    
    There's quite a growing collection of music software on iOS and some other quite demanding applications appearing. To them CPU power is quite important.
    
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  3. Friday 3rd February 2012 15:09 GMT rogerpjr
    
    Apple... The BIGGER BADDER IBM of OLD
    
    Back in the DAY ( mid 70's & early 80's ) we railed AGAINST IBM for being a BULLY. PUSHING aside competitors. HAVING to be sued by the US GOV. for the SAME ( actually not nearly as bad ) CRAP Apple and her evil TWIN Microsoft are up to now. Jobs is on RECORD having BRAGGED about STEALING XEROX IP on youtube ( Job's interview: I hired the wrong guy ) . HISTORY will show what those of us involved with computers in those days SAW. XEROX PARC created the modern GUI. Integrated the MOUSE ( a Stanford UNIversity student created it and came over to XEROX with it ) with the GUI. XEROX designed the WINDOW'S framework to segregate and organize the environment. etc,etc EVEN created the NETWORK, and EMAIL SYSTEM which Jobs alludes to in the above interview. Get this. He even ADMITS that XEROX PARC facility's work SAVED APPLE. APPLE was out of ideas. IBM's NEW PC had come out and was OPEN architecture. APPLE was not. IBM was selling 50,000 pc's /month. NOT APPLE. APPLE SHOULD be made to go back ( along with her evil sister Microsoft ) and PAY XEROX for STEALING XEROX IP. In 2012, APPLE SHOULD be told, "IF you can't stand the heat ( ANDROID et al ) CREATE something better. PATENT THAT, or find new toys to mass produce. COURTS have BETTER things to do. THE EU is in FINANCIAL trouble. The US is in FINANCIAL trouble. Hell the WHOLE WORLD'S financial system is in TROUBLE, and APPLE is wimpering over HER STOLEN IP FROM XEROX. APPLE PAY for XEROX IP which YOU STOLE! PAY XEROX THAT's FAIR!!
    
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Thursday 2nd February 2012 12:15 GMT Anonymous Coward

processor shrink with better GPU would be my bet

^o^

There I did it, posted in a apple might or might not be rumour thread.

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Thursday 2nd February 2012 12:41 GMT Sean Baggaley 1

If it really is a minor revision...

... then the iPad 3 will probably lack the "retina" display. The processing power : pixel density ratio will be terrible otherwise—much as the iPad 1's lack of memory causes it to perform rather poorly with today's more memory-hungry, iPad 2-optimised apps. (Speaking of which, the iPad 3 had better have a minimum of 1GB RAM too. And I do mean "minimum". Four times the pixels = 4 x the data storage for the graphics elements of your GUIs.)

Of course, the new processor might be a blancmange, with quad-soufflé cores and powerful graphics sponge cakes with greatly improved jam rendering. And a cherry on top.

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1. Thursday 2nd February 2012 12:50 GMT Nick Ryan
  
  Splendid description of a new processor sir!
  
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2. Thursday 2nd February 2012 13:25 GMT Gordon 10
  
  Or alternatively
  
  It may just be an A5 with a souped up graphics core to handle the display - just as they souped up the graphics between ipad 1 and 2.
  
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3. Thursday 2nd February 2012 13:26 GMT Anonymous Coward
  
  "....the iPad 1's lack of memory causes it to perform rather poorly with today's more memory-hungry, iPad 2-optimised apps...."
  
  If this were Android the fanbois would be screaming FRAGMENTATION right about now.
  
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  1. Thursday 2nd February 2012 13:48 GMT Anonymous Coward
    
    You don't understand the fragmentation thing do you? Try developing an app (make it OpenGL for extra fun)
    
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  2. Tuesday 7th February 2012 16:35 GMT foxyshadis
    
    It's one thing
    
    to complain about fragmentation between the current model, the 2 year old model, and the 3+ year old models; it's quite another to complain about fragmentation between the 4-6 current models and the boatloads of 6+ month old models, all of which excludes the useless cut-rate models constantly scamming bargain hunters. App devs can at least easily buy all the Apple platforms they care to support; trying to keep up with testing all Android platforms would be a nightmare.
    
    It's like the console vs PC market: You might be able to buy into a better experience on PC, but you're guaranteed a certain experience on consoles without having to constantly tweak and fight untested setups.
    
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Thursday 2nd February 2012 13:05 GMT Anonymous Coward

White or black?

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Thursday 2nd February 2012 13:19 GMT Anonymous Coward

Obvious News Is Obvious

New product to ship with new hardware - who'd of guessed????

So who's ready for the iPad 2S then?

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Thursday 2nd February 2012 14:12 GMT Tony Paulazzo

>Of course, the new processor might be a blancmange, with quad-soufflé cores and powerful graphics sponge cakes with greatly improved jam rendering. And a cherry on top.<

I'd eat that :-)

I do wish Apple didn't have this ridiculously secrety thing they do, why not let people know what's in the works, and when? - I've got an ipad1 but I'd like to know what the ipad3 has going for it before looking at the Transformer Prime, which looks like a supremely nice bit of kit (inc. working SD slots).

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1. Friday 3rd February 2012 00:13 GMT Ammaross Danan
  
  Just determine your Total Cost of Ownership. Fortunately, you have an iPad1, so you likely have all the dongles and adapters needed to interface with common stuff (computers, speakers, tvs etc). You can get a Transformer Prime with the keyboard for less than the 16GB iPad2. How much does the bluetooth iPad keyboard cost? The Transformer keyboard even comes with a battery pack the size of what's in the tablet. Plus, you can get it NOW. Not a hard decision really, considering the "rumored" items are just what the Prime already has (minus the supposed screen resolution and the obvious assortment of Android-common connectivity slots).
  
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2. Friday 3rd February 2012 15:09 GMT rogerpjr
  
  Guessing the SKULLDUGGERY of 1/2 of the Dual Axis
  
  And THAT, Sir, is the reason in and of itself. Watch..... The MARKET freezes, as it waits. COmpetitors try second guessing what features to include in THIS NEW ITERATION of their own, to updrade, yet stay ahead of Apple ( or abreast ), and still be price competitive.. It's GENIUS gone awry... TYPICAL.
  
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