iPad Air 3, iPhone 5SE To Sport A9, A9X Chips


The new iPad Air 3 and iPhone 5SE models will be sporting the latest A9 and A9X chips, according to reports.

Mac Rumors reports Apple will include the latest in chip technology in the latest Apple products expected to be introduced to consumers at an event in Cupterino, California, next month.

In the report, Mac Rumors said the information was not necessarily a scoop for them, but Bloomberg failing to recognize the information within its own story.

Apple Unveils New iPad Models
Apple CEO Tim Cook introducing a new iPad Air model. The latest iPad Air 3 will feature the latest Apple chip technology. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Mac World goes deeper into the story and explains why the latest version of the Apple chips are important to potential consumers in the market for the iPad Air 3 or the iPhone 5SE.

“When the iPhone 5se rumors first surfaced, there were conflicting reports about whether this ‘smaller-screen’ device would sport an A8 or A9 chip. Now it looks like the iPhone 5se is going to have the latest in chip technology, which should come as a relief to anyone worried that Apple was going to make this new affordable iPhone a ‘second-class’ device.

“This new information about the iPad Air 3 having the A9X chip solidifies the connection between this new device and the mega-sized iPad Pro. Previous iPad Air 3 rumors speculated that Apple’s forthcoming tablet would also have a Pro-style, three-pronged Smart Connector for connecting a Smart Keyboard.”

In the Bloomberg article, readers find out that not only will the new A9X chip make its way onto the iPad Air 3, but the iPad Pro itself was not even slated for the new chip until the last second.

“The original plan was to introduce the iPad Pro with Apple’s tablet chip, the A8X, the same processor that powered the iPad Air 2, introduced in 2014,” the business publication noted. “But delaying until fall meant that the Pro would make its debut alongside the iPhone 6s, which was going to use a newer, faster phone chip called the A9.”

iPad Air 3, iPhone 5SE To Sport A9, A9X Chips
The new chips may be found on iPad Air 3 models, as well as the new iPhone 5SE, expected to launch in March. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Bloomberg added that the plan all along has been promoting the iPad Pro to businessmen and women and by using an inferior chip below the specifications found on the iPhone 6S, it could impact sales. It added, “This is the stuff that keeps technology executives up at night.”

While the newer model devices, the iPad 3, and other devices to come later this year, can handle nearly anything thrown its way, that was not always the case. Bloomberg said when the original iPhone made its debut in 2007, its internal technology was inferior for the task it was set to handle — the world’s first true smartphone.

Since then, devices have jumped leaps and bounds, with companies like Apple and Samsung one-upping each other on what feels like a daily basis. The rush to release new products once or twice a year means tech engineers and coders are constantly on their toes to give consumers what they want – the latest and greatest technology.

As a result, Bloomberg said the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs insisted on taking development of new chips like the A9 and A9X in-house.

“Steve came to the conclusion that the only way for Apple to really differentiate and deliver something truly unique and truly great, you have to own your own silicon. You have to control and own it.”

While Jobs passed several years ago, his spirit lives on with the constant development taking place behind the scenes at Apple sites across the Bay Area leading to the launch of new products, like the iPad Air 3 next month.

What do you think? Will the new chip make a difference in your decision to wait for the newer model or buy an older model now?

[Image via Justin Sullivan, Getty Images]

Share this article: iPad Air 3, iPhone 5SE To Sport A9, A9X Chips
More from Inquisitr