Apple iPhone X Debuting With 2 High-Powered Cores, 4 More Low-Powered Cores?

While Apple is doing its best to keep details about its next-generation iPhone devices concealed prior its scheduled launch event this Tuesday, many developers are hard at work in mining information about the company’s new products. Over the weekend, new details about the highly anticipated iPhone refreshes emerged online thanks to the efforts of some developers.

On Sunday, developer Steve Troughton-Smith took to Twitter to share that the flagship iPhone, currently dubbed as iPhone X, is housing an A11 chip that has a 4+2 configuration. The leaker originally claimed that the four cores were high-powered “Mistral” cores, while the additional two were supplementary “Monsoon” cores. However, it was later on clarified that the two cores are actually the high-powered ones, while the other four are low-powered, high-efficiency cores.

Apple Insider reports that the A11 chip could be built on the same size process as the A10X chip in the iPad Pro. The latter was built on TSMC’s 10nm chip fabrication process. It’s also worth noting that the A10 Fusion in last year’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus phones only came with a pair of high performance cores and another pair of high-efficiency cores. Given this information, consumers can really expect the hexacore A11 chip to make the iPhone X the most powerful iPhone yet.

It was not confirmed if Apple is using the A11 chip for both the iPhone X and the iPhone 8. Since the iPhone X is the one debuting as the high-end OLED model, there’s no doubt that it will be housing the best processing chip available to Apple at the moment. Because the iPhone 8, as well as the larger iPhone 8 Plus, won’t be sporting OLED panels, it’s very likely that the yearly refreshes won’t come with the A11 chip. Of course, everything will be clear once Apple officially unveils the handsets this week.

Other last-minute discoveries made after the iOS 11 golden master software was leaked over the weekend include details about the new Face ID facial recognition system that Apple is introducing to replace Touch ID. Developer Jeffrey Grossman learned how the new feature will work with Apple Pay. According to him, there are codes suggesting that payment authentication using Face ID would require the user to confirm the transaction by double clicking on the side button or the sleep/wake button of the iPhone X. Grossman also found a reference to Apple possibly bringing Face ID to future iPad and iPod touch models, as per MacRumors.

Another noteworthy feature that could come to the 10th anniversary iPhone is wireless charging. Developer Guilherme Rambo apparently found references to this feature while examining the iOS 11 GM software. There are still no details about the mechanism of this feature, but earlier rumors have claimed that this technology would allow inductive wireless charging, such as the one Apple is using on its Apple Watch smartwatches.

What’s good about the rumored wireless charging feature is the idea that it is coming to all iPhone models that are due for release this year. Apple is also rumored to allow third-party manufacturers to come up with Qi-based charging accessories for its iPhones. However, they will be required to have Made for iPhone certification to ensure that the accessories they will be making will work impeccably with the new iPhones.

More information about the iPhone X and the yearly upgrades iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be presented at Apple’s press event, which is set to happen on Sept. 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino. Other products that Apple will be introducing at the event include the Apple Watch Series 3, the fifth-generation Apple TV and the slightly upgraded AirPods.