Apple iPhone 6 Rumors: New A8 Processor Will Be Dual-Core Clocking At 2.0GHz

Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) next-generation iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 6, is expected to feature a new A8 processor, which is likely to be jointly manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (KRX:005930) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM). A report said Friday that the new chip will be considerably faster than the one found in the current iPhone models, although it will still sport two cores rather than four, which has become an industry norm.

The new A8 chip is expected to have clock frequencies of 2.0 GHz or more for each core, and it will be built using the new 20-nanometer process, unlike the existing 28-nanometer A7 chip -- clocking at 1.3 Ghz -- found in the iPhone 5s, iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display, G4Games reported, citing Chinese media.

The 20-nanometer process, as noted by iDownloadBlog, offers smaller transistors, which helps make the processor smaller, requiring less energy.

The new A8 processor will continue to be based on the dual-core and 64-bit architecture, similar to the existing A7 chip, which is significantly better in performance than quad-core and octa-core processors found in Android-powered devices, G4Games said.

According to rumors, the iPhone 6 is likely to have a bigger display, with some reports suggesting that Apple could launch two iPhones with bigger screen sizes, measuring 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches. The device is also expected to sport a sharper display made of sapphire glass and a slimmer design with curved edges.

Recent reports also suggested the new iPhone could feature a tactile feedback functionality, aka haptic feedback, which would provide unique feedback to users’ fingers depending on the function that is being used at the time.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Business Weekly reported this week that the first batch of iPhone 6 shipments is expected to encompass at least 68 million units, or twice the number of initial orders for the iPhone 5 in 2012. However, the report did not specify whether the estimate takes into account both of the 4.7- and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 versions or just one of them.