Image via iFixIt
We’ve seen quite a lot of reports about Apple using two different manufacturers for the A9 chipset in its new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, (from Samsung and from TSMC) but do they really make a difference? According to several users, the processor offered by TSMC runs cooler and offers a better battery life, but of course, Apple denies it.
According to tech YouTubers, Austin Evans and Jonathan Morrison who have gotten their hands on both the iPhone 6s powered by an A9 chipset by Samsung and by TSMC, you get a better battery life on the latter, which also runs cooler than Samsung’s chipset. Both YouTubers did independent tests by running apps and using benchmarks, and came to the same conclusion.
But it looks like Apple is quick to deny that. The Cupertino company told Ars Technica that the actual battery life of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will vary about 2-3% of each other, regardless of the components they use. Apple also said that those who perform such battery tests are “misleading” and “unrealistic”.
“With the Apple-designed A9 chip in your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, you are getting the most advanced smartphone chip in the world. Every chip we ship meets Apple’s highest standards for providing incredible performance and delivers great battery life, regardless of iPhone 6s capacity, color, or model.
Certain manufactured lab tests, which run the processors with a continuous heavy workload until the battery depletes, are not representative of real-world usage, since they spend an unrealistic amount of time at the highest CPU performance state. It’s a misleading way to measure real-world battery life. Our testing and customer data show the actual battery life of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, even taking into account variable component differences, vary within just 2-3% of each other.”
For those who have already gotten an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, there’s an app to let you check what processor it is using, but it costs US$2.99. Do you think that this chipset problem is a big deal?
(Source: ArsTechnica, YouTube 1, 2 via: 9to5Mac 1, 2)
