Apple's hidden secret in iPhone Air

Apple didn't talk much about AI when it introduced the iPhone Air, but it has quietly mastered all the architecture on the new chip to prioritize artificial intelligence.

Apple calls the iPhone Air a revolutionary product in appearance. But inside this super-thin phone is a new processor, signaling the 'bitten apple's' renewed focus on the AI ​​race.

Apple's ambitions in the iPhone Air

The custom A19 Pro chip features a major architectural change, with neural accelerators added to each GPU core to boost computing power. Apple also introduced its first wireless chip for the iPhone, the N1, and a second generation of the iPhone modem, the C1X. Analysts say the move gives Apple complete control over the core chips in its phones.

A19 Pro chip on iPhone Air

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT

“That’s the magic. When we have control, we can do things that are far beyond the capabilities of those who rely on partner chips,” said Tim Millet, Apple’s vice president of platform architecture.

Broadcom has been the primary supplier of wireless and Bluetooth chips for iPhones to date, even though Apple has been making networking chips for AirPods and the Apple Watch for nearly a decade. Apple's N1 chip is found in the entire iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup.

"One thing people may not realize is that Wi-Fi access points actually contribute to the location of the device. You don't need to use GPS, which is more power-hungry. By connecting seamlessly in the background without waking up the application processor, we can do location much more efficiently," said Arun Mathias, Apple's vice president of software engineering and wireless ecosystem.

For iPhone modems, Qualcomm has been the sole supplier since 2020. However, the game changed in February when Apple introduced the C1 chip in the iPhone 16e. Qualcomm modems are still used in the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, but Apple's C1X is in the iPhone Air.

“It may not be as good as Qualcomm in terms of throughput and overall performance, but Apple can control it and reduce the power consumption. So you get better battery life,” Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies, a technology research and consulting firm, told CNBC. He predicted Apple will “completely phase out” Qualcomm chips in the “next few years.”

Mathias says the C1X is "twice as fast" as the C1 and "uses 30% less power" than the Qualcomm modem in the iPhone 16 Pro.

iPhone 17 Pro, Air: First complaints

AI hardware is native to Apple

After the launch of the iPhone 17, Apple received a lot of criticism for being late in the AI ​​race. However, in the style of the "Apple house", they always want the iPhone to be the best place for AI developers to put their applications. Therefore, Apple wants to gradually master the hardware in the AI ​​race.

Apple has been using AI systems on a chip, or SoC, since the A-series chips debuted with the iPhone 4 in 2010. The latest generation, the A19 Pro, has a new chip architecture that prioritizes AI workloads, adding neural accelerators to the GPU cores.

“We’re focused on making sure every phone we sell today, or are about to sell, is capable of handling all AI-related workloads right on the device,” said Tim Millet.

Privacy is a big reason why Apple is prioritizing on-device AI, but Millet says there's another reason too. "Having control over the hardware makes things run smoother, more responsive. We know we can control the experience much better," he says.

"The integration of the AI ​​processor on the chip is reaching MacBook Pro performance. This is a huge step forward in machine learning computation. When you look at the processing architecture of the Neural Engine, you see a lot of dense matrix operations. Previously, our GPUs did not have that capability. Now, the A19 Pro does," Millet said.

For now, Apple still relies on smaller component makers like Texas Instruments for memory and TSMC for analog chips, but all of its larger core chips could be designed by Apple as early as next year.

"We expect Apple's self-developed modem to be available in Macs, then iPads. In the next few years, it will be available across the entire product portfolio," said an Apple executive.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bi-mat-apple-giau-kin-trong-iphone-air-185250922145810799.htm