iPad Pro Look how far we’ve come.

[el-John-o]

Stumbled across this 2010 article from MacWorld on Apple’s first ever in-house SoC, the A4:

Apple inside: the significance of the iPad’s A4 chip

The Apple A4 represents a bold move forward for Apple, as a newfound designer of custom chips.

www.macworld.com

I played around with my first Gen iPad a bit today. It was really fun to see just how different it is to my now current M1 iPad.

It’s also so amazing that Apple’s relationship with PA Semiconductor was originally with the goal of getting the G5 into the PowerBook; a rare promise from Apple that never came to fruition. In a lot of ways, the A4 iPad was the spiritual successor to the PowerPC PowerBook. And you’ve gotta love the “no way a Mac will ever be on ARM” line in there.

It’s also amazing to be reminded that, briefly, the iPhone 3GS and iPad were simultaneously current generation products. They seem worlds apart in terms of performance and capability and of course, we know how fast Apple developed their SoC’s in the iPad and iPhone family in the years after 2010.

M1 feels very full circle. And very cool. It really is amazing what 11 years of Apple silicone has become!
M1 feels very full circle. And very cool. It really is amazing what 11 years of Apple silicone has become! It could be an exciting couple of years ahead.

 

[rui no onna]

Mind, the 3GS actually received longer firmware support than the OG iPad. Likely because the 3GS only had a tiny 480x320 res display while having 256GB RAM while the OG iPad had a much bigger 1024x768 res display with the same amount of RAM.

The iPhone 4 released just a few months later had A4/512MB RAM and even that only needed to power a 960x640 res display.

 

[acorntoy]

A4 and A5 were an off the shelf CPU design (despite what Apple alluded to) , A4/5 were Apple designed in they took a existing cpu design and combined it with their preferred existing graphics for a “custom“ soc. A6 was the first truly “Apple designed” chip. They didn’t stop relying on imagination for graphics end until the A11 though.

The iPhone 5 Review

www.anandtech.com

The A4 SoC was Apple's first branded solution, although internally it still leveraged licensed IP blocks from ARM (Cortex A8) and Imagination Technologies (PowerVR SGX 535). Its replacement, the A5, moved to a dual-core Cortex A9 setup with a much beefier GPU from Imagination (PowerVR SGX 543MP2). For the 3rd generation iPad, Apple doubled up GPU core count and built the largest ARM based mobile SoC we've seen deployed. Apple's A6 is the next step in the company's evolution. Although it continues to license graphics IP from Imagination Technologies (PowerVR SGX 543MP3) and it licenses the ARMv7 instruction set from ARM, it is the first SoC to feature Apple designed CPU cores. The A6 is also the second Apple SoC to be built using Samsung's 32nm LP High-K + Metal Gate transistors. Thanks to UBM Tech Insights and Chipworks we have some great die shots of A6 as well as an accurate die size.

In retrospect the full analysis is a bit of a funny read, you can tell they did not expect Apple would get tremendously far ( and this was when Anand still reviewed).

 

[el-John-o]

A4 and A5 were an off the shelf CPU design (despite what Apple alluded to) , A4/5 were Apple designed in they took a existing cpu design and combined it with their preferred existing graphics for a “custom“ soc. A6 was the first truly “Apple designed” chip. They didn’t stop relying on imagination for graphics end until the A11 though.

The iPhone 5 Review

www.anandtech.com

In retrospect the full analysis is a bit of a funny read, you can tell they did not expect Apple would get tremendously far ( and this was when Anand still reviewed).

Well; yes. It was not completely custom. But we have to start somewhere and the A4 seems like a reasonable starting line. It’s a chip made after the acquisition of PA semiconductor and it’s one bespoke for (initially) the iPad.

 

[AutomaticApple]

M1 feels very full circle. And very cool. It really is amazing what 11 years of Apple silicone has become!
M1 feels very full circle. And very cool. It really is amazing what 11 years of Apple silicone has become! It could be an exciting couple of years ahead.

I cant wait for an M2 iPad Pro!

 

[TheRealAlex]

I cant wait for an M2 iPad Pro!

There won’t be.

The next iPad Pro would be a M3. And an M3X MacBook Pro. I’ll be looking forward to the LPDDR5X RAM and PCIEXPRESS 5.0 Macbook Pro M3X in 2022.

 

[el-John-o]

There won’t be.

The next iPad Pro would be a M3. And an M3X MacBook Pro

What are you basing that on?

That’s a pretty definitive statement based on some speculation of how Apple will be naming their devices.

I think it’s pretty clear that the M1 class is going to be for Apple’s “consumer” computers. iPad Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13, Mac Mini, iMac.

I don’t think the “M2” is what we’ll see in the 16” MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, or Mac Pro. Actually; I kind of think it’ll still be “M1”, just a version of the M1 not available on those lower end devices. In this cycle, I don’t think we’ll see Apple improve upon the cores themselves. You’ll just have a lot more GPU cores and a lot more high performance CPU cores in their higher end M1. And perhaps they’ll call that M1X. Or; still M1!

 

[el-John-o]

Mind, the 3GS actually received longer firmware support than the OG iPad. Likely because the 3GS only had a tiny 480x320 res display while having 256GB RAM while the OG iPad had a much bigger 1024x768 res display with the same amount of RAM.

The iPhone 4 released just a few months later had A4/512MB RAM and even that only needed to power a 960x640 res display.

Yeah, that first gen iPad got shafted in terms of software support. With the 2 and 3 getting years of support. There was an early adopter tax on that model for sure.

It got exactly one new OS version (not including in-between patches). My first gen iPad is running iOS 5. My iPhone 4 is kicking around a drawer somewhere with a much newer version of iOS. I can’t remember exactly what version that one cut off on but I recall it being significantly newer than what’s on the iPad.

Ironic though, just the other day I was looking into downgrading the iPad to iOS 4.0. Nothing wrong with 5; I just want to return my iPad to “original condition”.

 

[krspkbl]

I bought the OG iPad when it came out and ended up getting rid of it after a while. I think i was just caught up in the hype and realised I had no use for it. Between 2010 + 2021 i never really gave the iPad any more thought. I was more interested in the iPhone and MacBooks/iMacs.

Yesterday I bought the new iPad Pro. I'm going to make it my primary device. Since I got rid of my 2008 MacBook in 2012 I have been using Windows laptops/desktops. I can't be bothered with them anymore and so I thought I want to go back to MacBook/iMac but decided I'd rather have a tablet instead of a device with a physical keyboard/trackpad. Literally 2-3 weeks ago I had zero interest in an iPad and now I have one and I love it.

 

[el-John-o]

I bought the OG iPad when it came out and ended up getting rid of it after a while. I think i was just caught up in the hype and realised I had no use for it. Between 2010 + 2021 i never really gave the iPad any more thought. I was more interested in the iPhone and MacBooks/iMacs.

Yesterday I bought the new iPad Pro. I'm going to make it my primary device. Since I got rid of my 2008 MacBook in 2012 I have been using Windows laptops/desktops. I can't be bothered with them anymore and so I thought I want to go back to MacBook/iMac but decided I'd rather have a tablet instead of a device with a physical keyboard/trackpad. Literally 2-3 weeks ago I had zero interest in an iPad and now I have one and I love it.

I think you had to have a reason to have the original iPad in order to get use out of it.

People who found reasons… it was a game changer. I LOVED it as a web browsing device; it was my favorite way to browse the web for years. But I also use it for notes when speaking, a couple of times a week usually. An iPad has been for the last 11 years one of the, if not the, most important tech devices I own. To the extent that when I broke one a while back, I had to borrow someone else’s until I got it replaced. But I’m in a minority there.

 

[TheRealAlex]

What are you basing that on?

That’s a pretty definitive statement based on some speculation of how Apple will be naming their devices.

I think it’s pretty clear that the M1 class is going to be for Apple’s “consumer” computers. iPad Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13, Mac Mini, iMac.

I don’t think the “M2” is what we’ll see in the 16” MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, or Mac Pro. Actually; I kind of think it’ll still be “M1”, just a version of the M1 not available on those lower end devices. In this cycle, I don’t think we’ll see Apple improve upon the cores themselves. You’ll just have a lot more GPU cores and a lot more high performance CPU cores in their higher end M1. And perhaps they’ll call that M1X. Or; still M1!

Considering the M1 is just a renamed A14X, Apple’s marketing dept decided to rename the A14 to M1 shove it in the MacBook and Macbook Pro, then all of a sudden iPad Owners are thrilled they have a Mac class CPU.

 

[el-John-o]

Considering the M1 is just a renamed A14X, Apple’s marketing dept decided to rename the A14 to M1 shove it in the MacBook and Macbook Pro, then all of a sudden iPad Owners are thrilled they have a Mac class CPU.

The bump between the A13 and the M1 is pretty significant, much more than we saw between any previous generations. And the M1 outperforms most Intel/AMD CPU’s, it’s pretty astonishing.

But what does any of that have to do with “skipping” the M2?

 

[Digitalguy]

The bump between the A13 and the M1 is pretty significant, much more than we saw between any previous generations. And the M1 outperforms most Intel/AMD CPU’s, it’s pretty astonishing.

But what does any of that have to do with “skipping” the M2?

No, Alex is right here... except he wrote A14 the second time... A13 and M1 are not the same class.... There was no A13X. The previous generation is A12X/Z, not A13, and in 2.5 year A14X(=M1) barely gave the same bump that A12X gave in 1.5 years over A10X (again no A11X)
So yes making the A14X in a Mac chip before putting it where it should have gone anyway (iPad pro) was a great marketing move.

 

[el-John-o]

No, Alex is right here... except he wrote A14 the second time... A13 and M1 are not the same class.... There was no A13X. The previous generation is A12X/Z, not A13, and in 2.5 year A14X(=M1) barely gave the same bump that A12X gave in 1.5 years over A10X (again no A11X)
So yes making the A14X in a Mac chip before putting it where it should have gone anyway (iPad pro) was a great marketing move.

No doubt it was a great marketing move and something Apple did very intentionally in order to ease the transition over to Apple Silicone. They got the press they wanted for sure.

 

[acorntoy]

Well; yes. It was not completely custom. But we have to start somewhere and the A4 seems like a reasonable starting line. It’s a chip made after the acquisition of PA semiconductor and it’s one bespoke for (initially) the iPad.

I completely agree, it was definitely the point Apple realized they couldn’t keep buying stock processors like they did for the previous phones.

 

[snow755]

I agreed 100% back in 2007 we where just getting started with iPhones and then later on the iPad now here we are with the ipad Air with A14 chip and iPad Pro M1

 

[snow755]

I find my iPad Air vary enjoyable too used and I planned on using it for years to come with its fast A14 chip

 

[Expos of 1969]

I bought the OG iPad when it came out and ended up getting rid of it after a while. I think i was just caught up in the hype and realised I had no use for it. Between 2010 + 2021 i never really gave the iPad any more thought. I was more interested in the iPhone and MacBooks/iMacs.

Yesterday I bought the new iPad Pro. I'm going to make it my primary device. Since I got rid of my 2008 MacBook in 2012 I have been using Windows laptops/desktops. I can't be bothered with them anymore and so I thought I want to go back to MacBook/iMac but decided I'd rather have a tablet instead of a device with a physical keyboard/trackpad. Literally 2-3 weeks ago I had zero interest in an iPad and now I have one and I love it.

Based on your comments you did not get the extra keyboard. I am keen to hear how you get along with the iPad as your only non phone device and with no physical keyboard to boot.

 

[krspkbl]

Based on your comments you did not get the extra keyboard. I am keen to hear how you get along with the iPad as your only non phone device and with no physical keyboard to boot.

no i don't have the keyboard and i don't plan to buy it. if i wanted a physical keyboard i'd have just bought a MacBook like i originally planned. the reason i went for an iPad was because it didn't have a physical keyboard. i've owned 3 MacBooks and 2 of them had broken keys a short time after buying them and let me tell you i was babying them so they broke easily. both times Apple refused to fix them so that's why i'm not too confident about buying a physical keyboard from Apple.

anyway, i'll still be using my PC but just not as much. my iPad will be the primary device. if i'm out i'll take my iPhone. if i'm at home and want to do something my iPad can't and do it quickly with a keyboard/mouse then I'll use my PC. my PC is quite fine but at the moment i'm going to trying be less dependant on it and use my iPad more.

that all said, typing on the iPad is fine. i was unsure about it but i can type perfectly fine on it. switching between letters/numbers/special characters is something i'm not used to but i'll be fine. i done a typing test on both my PC + iPad. on my PC with a mechanical keyboard i am usually 100-110 wpm. on the iPad I can do 70-80wpm. it's slower yeah but i don't feel held back and i will only improve. this is the first time in 10 years i've had an iPad so it'll take a while to get used to.

 

[el-John-o]

no i don't have the keyboard and i don't plan to buy it. if i wanted a physical keyboard i'd have just bought a MacBook like i originally planned. the reason i went for an iPad was because it didn't have a physical keyboard. i've owned 3 MacBooks and 2 of them had broken keys a short time after buying them and let me tell you i was babying them so they broke easily. both times Apple refused to fix them so that's why i'm not too confident about buying a physical keyboard from Apple.

anyway, i'll still be using my PC but just not as much. my iPad will be the primary device. if i'm out i'll take my iPhone. if i'm at home and want to do something my iPad can't and do it quickly with a keyboard/mouse then I'll use my PC. my PC is quite fine but at the moment i'm going to trying be less dependant on it and use my iPad more.

that all said, typing on the iPad is fine. i was unsure about it but i can type perfectly fine on it. switching between letters/numbers/special characters is something i'm not used to but i'll be fine. i done a typing test on both my PC + iPad. on my PC with a mechanical keyboard i am usually 100-110 wpm. on the iPad I can do 70-80wpm. it's slower yeah but i don't feel held back and i will only improve. this is the first time in 10 years i've had an iPad so it'll take a while to get used to.

Eh, I love my iPad with a physical keyboard. You can pop it off, unlike a Macbook.