Next-Generation iPhone Said to Use S5L8950X Application Processor, Unknown SGX543 Graphics Variant
9to5Mac reports that it has more details on the next-generation iPhone, receiving some information from a source with access to a prototype of the device and other data from a build of iOS 6 said to be targeting the forthcoming device. Among the highlights:
- Details in the iOS 6 beta indicate that the next-generation iPhone will run an application processor identified as S5L8950X. That processor initially showed up in iOS 5.1 betas alongside the S5L8945X that arrived in the form of the A5X in the current iPad. But while the assumption had been that the S5L8950X would be released to the public as part of an A6 system-on-a-chip, today's report indicates that it is still internally being referred to as part of the A5 family.
- On the graphics side, Imagination Technologies is once again said to be supplying the chip, which is currently being referred to as SGX543RC*. The identifier seems to be a code name given that it does not correlate with any official variants of the SGX543 platform. Imagination Technologies introduced the multi-core SGX543 design in early 2009, with Apple using the dual-core SGX543MP2 in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S while stepping up to the quad-core SGX543MP4 to drive the Retina display on the current iPad.
- The iOS 6 build is running on a Darwin kernel version of 13.0.0, above the 11.x.x used in OS X Lion and iOS 5 and even the 12.0.0 version seen in OS X Mountain Lion.
- Following up on spy shots of the iOS 6 Maps app that appeared earlier this week, today's report offers another such shot, although the design is said to still be subject to tweaking.
Popular Stories
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014.
This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
