Imagination Technologies, provider of graphics architectures for Apple’s custom A4 and A5 chips found in the iPhone and iPad, is reportedly now licensing its new PowerVR Series6 mobile graphics processors to six partners, three of which remain anonymous. Apple’s likely one of them.
The new processor, going by the code-name “Rogue”, has been revealed as being licensed by ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments, and Media Tek. The three remaining partners have not yet been announced, but given their record of using Imagination Technologies, and the fact that they’re a major shareholder in the company, it’s quite likely that Apple is one of the secret 3 partners.
The new GPU is said to be a vast improvement on its previous offerings, improving its speed and performance significantly. Currently, the iPad 2 packs PowerVR’s dual-core SGX543 graphics inside Apple’s custom A5 processor, and that exact same graphics unit is largely expected to end up in the next iPhone as well.
It’s unclear when the new chips might start showing up in devices, but I’d consider it unlikely to see it surface until Apple designs a new, more powerful SOC (perhaps an Apple A6), as the current A5 chips are already in mass production for the iPad 2, making it a simple matter to easily and cost-effectively include them in the next iPhone.
Your thoughts? Sound off in the comments!
