Next Generation iPad to Use Cortex-A9 CPU

Submitted by lalit on August 9, 2010 - 8:06am.

Though iPad is available in only 20 countries and Apple is facing continuous problems in meeting demand, rumors about next generation iPad have already started flying around. Few days back iLounge reported that Apple will soon release a 7-inch iPad model and today DigiTimes is reporting that Apple plans to launch upgraded iPad with Cortex-A9 CPU and 512MB RAM in 2011. The website wrote:

Apple is set launch an upgraded 9.7-inch iPad adopting a new ARM Cortex-A9-based processor and 512MB RAM in the first quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, the company will also launch a 7-inch iPad using the Cortex-A9 processor and an IPS panel with a resolution of 1024×768, according to Digitimes Research senior analyst Mingchi Kuo.

DigiTimes also weighed in on CDMA iPhone rumors and Apple TV rumors. According to the website, CDMA iPhone will have back plate made of metal materials and will feature an integrated antenna, and Apple TV will use AMD Fusion processor and will not include a hard drive.

DigiTimes has been wrong in their Apple guestimations many times before so we should take these rumors with grain of salt. We have heard from our sources that CDMA iPhone will remain same externally without any case design changes and Apple TV will use A4 processor. As for the iPad, Cortex-A9 is the next logical step for Apple, as the Cortex-A8 processor in current iPad models is up to its performance limits with 1GHz clock speed.