The latest allegedly leaked image from the iPhone factory floor appears to show a brand new chip for the iPhone 5: the Apple A6.
Apple began using its own, in-house system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs with the introduction of the iPad.
That version was dubbed the Apple A4, and it was also used in the iPhone 4, while the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S used the Apple A5 and the third-gen iPad used the Apple A5X variation.
Apple's apparent decision to go with a brand new SoC designation for the iPhone 5 could indicate big changes.
Then again, it could indicate nothing
The A5X designation was created primarily to deal with the third-gen iPad's detailed 2048x1536 Retina display, which was the first such screen on an iPad.
To that end, the A5X SoC added a shiny quad-core GPU.
But the iPhone's existing A4 and A5 chipsets already support Retina graphics on the smartphones' smaller screens; the iPhone first went Retina with the Apple A4 chipset on the iPhone 4.
So despite the iPhone 5's rumored slightly larger, 4-inch 1136x640 screen, Apple isn't limited to using the same SoC found in the iPad with Retina display.
But what changes will the Apple A6 bring to the iPhone 5?
Bigger battery and other leaks
As iMore points out, the name of Apple's new iPhone 5 chipset could be down to more of a "branding decision" than anything else.
But the alleged images do appear to reveal a little more about the iPhone 5: an unsurprising Qualcomm chip and space for a larger battery.
In addition, there have been conflicting reports about the possibility of iPhone 5 NFC support.
A smaller docking cable has also been seen in recent supposed leaks.
Most importantly, recent developments support the theory that Apple's set to unveil the iPhone 5 on Sept. 12, possibly alongside the iPad Mini.
Via iMore
