New research has confirmed that Apple’s new 2020 iPad Pro uses the same processor as the previous generation released in 2018, despite Apple renaming the internals.
Since the launch of the device, many have speculated as to whether Apple was using a new chip or whether the A12Z was actually just a renamed version of the A12X, as there were few differences between the two devices in terms of performance tests and benchmarks.
Now, TechInsights has confirmed the news on social media that the company did not change the internals of the iPad Pro and that the new model uses the same chip as its predecessor.
Our analysis confirms #Apple #A12Z GPU chip found inside #iPadPro (model A2068) is the same as A12X predecessor. A report of our findings is underway & will be available as part of TechInsights' #Logic Subscription. Learn more here https://t.co/WWQqlPorNF pic.twitter.com/RsQEADpZsc
— TechInsights (@techinsightsinc) April 13, 2020
Their findings show that Apple’s A12X and A12Z chips are virtually identical, but that one of the cores in the A12X chip was disabled.
In short, this means that the A12Z chip is actually a reskinned version of the A12X with another GPU core enabled to further boost performance.
Apple hasn’t done anything wrong in labeling the chip with a new name and enabling a new core in the latest release.
In fact, it’s common practice for companies to disable one core in a processor when the chip doesn’t meet the necessary yield levels, and that would go some way in explaining what happened with the A12X and the A12Z released in 2018 and 2020.
As the manufacturing of the chip has improved over time, Apple has been able to achieve better yields from the chip and so has enabled an additional core to differentiate between the two chips, offering slightly improved performance for power users in some circumstances.
What are your thoughts on this story? Are you considering upgrading to the new A12Z chip? Let us know on social media and check back soon for more Apple news and insights soon.
