Apple silicon

Apple silicon is a series of system on a chip (SoC) and system in a package (SiP) processors designed by Apple Inc., mainly using the ARM architecture. It is the basis of Mac computers as well as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Apple Watch, and of products such as AirPods, HomePod, and iPod touch.

As of late 2020, Apple is in the process of transitioning its family of Mac computers from Intel processors to Apple silicon. This switch was announced at WWDC 2020 on June 22, 2020, and the first of the ARM-based Macs, using the Apple M1 processor, were unveiled on November 10, 2020.

Apple outsources the chips' manufacture but fully controls their integration with the company's hardware and software. Johny Srouji is in charge of Apple's silicon design.

Early series

Apple first used SoCs in early versions of the iPhone and iPod touch. They combine in one package a single ARM-based processing core (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and other electronics necessary for mobile computing.

The APL0098 (also 8900B or S5L8900) is a package on package (PoP) system on a chip (SoC) that was introduced on June 29, 2007, at the launch of the original iPhone. It includes a 412 MHz single-core ARM11 CPU and a PowerVR MBX Lite GPU. It was manufactured by Samsung on a 90 nm process. The iPhone 3G and the first-generation iPod touch also use it.

The APL0278 (also S5L8720) is a PoP SoC introduced on September 9, 2008, at the launch of the second-generation iPod touch. It includes a 533 MHz single-core ARM11 CPU and a PowerVR MBX Lite GPU. It was manufactured by Samsung on a 65 nm process.

The APL0298 (also S5L8920) is a PoP SoC introduced on June 8, 2009, at the launch of the iPhone 3GS. It includes a 600 MHz single-core Cortex-A8 CPU and a PowerVR SGX535 GPU. It was manufactured by Samsung on a 65 nm process.

The APL2298 (also S5L8922) is a 45 nm die shrunk version of the iPhone 3GS SoC and was introduced on September 9, 2009, at the launch of the third-generation iPod touch.

A series

Evolution of Apple "A" series
Notes:

The Apple "A" series is a family of SoCs used in certain models of the iPhone, iPad other than the fifth generation iPad Pro, iPod touch, and the Apple TV digital media player. They integrate one or more ARM-based processing cores (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), cache memory and other electronics necessary to provide mobile computing functions within a single physical package.

Apple A4

Main article: Apple A4

The Apple A4 is a PoP SoC manufactured by Samsung, the first SoC Apple designed in-house. It combines an ARM Cortex-A8 CPU – also used in Samsung's S5PC110A01 SoC – and a PowerVR SGX 535 graphics processor (GPU), all built on Samsung's 45-nanometer silicon chip fabrication process. The design emphasizes power efficiency. The A4 commercially debuted in 2010, in Apple's iPad tablet, and was later used in the iPhone 4 smartphone, the 4th-generation iPod touch, and the 2nd-generation Apple TV.

The Cortex-A8 core used in the A4, dubbed "Hummingbird", is thought to use performance improvements developed by Samsung in collaboration with chip designer Intrinsity, which was subsequently acquired by Apple It can run at far higher clock rates than other Cortex-A8 designs yet remains fully compatible with the design provided by ARM. The A4 runs at different speeds in different products: 1 GHz in the first iPads, 800 MHz in the iPhone 4 and 4th-generation iPod touch, and an undisclosed speed in the 2nd-generation Apple TV.

The A4's SGX535 GPU could theoretically push 35 million polygons per second and 500 million pixels per second, although real-world performance may be considerably less. Other performance improvements include additional L2 cache.

The A4 processor package does not contain RAM, but supports PoP installation. The 1st-generation iPad, 4th-generation iPod touch, and the 2nd-generation Apple TV have an A4 mounted with two low-power 128 MB DDR SDRAM chips (totaling 256 MB), while the iPhone 4 has two 256 MB packages for a total of 512 MB. The RAM is connected to the processor using ARM's 64-bit-wide AMBA 3 AXI bus. To give the iPad high graphics bandwidth, the width of the RAM data bus is double that used in previous ARM11- and ARM9-based Apple devices.

Apple A5

Main article: Apple A5

The Apple A5 is an SoC manufactured by Samsung that replaced the A4. The chip commercially debuted with the release of Apple's iPad 2 tablet in March 2011, followed by its release in the iPhone 4S smartphone later that year. Compared to the A4, the A5 CPU "can do twice the work" and the GPU has "up to nine times the graphics performance", according to Apple.

The A5 contains a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU with ARM's advanced SIMD extension, marketed as NEON, and a dual core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU. This GPU can push between 70 and 80 million polygons/second and has a pixel fill rate of 2 billion pixels/second. The iPad 2's technical specifications page says the A5 is clocked at 1 GHz, though it can adjust its frequency to save battery life. The clock speed of the unit used in the iPhone 4S is 800 MHz. Like the A4, the A5 process size is 45 nm.

An updated 32 nm version of the A5 processor was used in the 3rd-generation Apple TV, the iPod touch (5th generation), the iPad Mini, and the new version of iPad 2 (version iPad2,4). The chip in the Apple TV has one core locked. Markings on the square package indicate that it is named APL2498, and in software, the chip is called S5L8942. The 32 nm variant of the A5 provides around 15% better battery life during web browsing, 30% better when playing 3D games and about 20% better battery life during video playback.

In March 2013, Apple released an updated version of the 3rd-generation Apple TV (Rev A, model A1469) containing a smaller, single-core version of the A5 processor. Unlike the other A5 variants, this version of the A5 is not a PoP, having no stacked RAM. The chip is very small, just 6.1×6.2 mm, but as the decrease in size is not due to a decrease in feature size (it is still on a 32 nm fabrication process), this indicates that this A5 revision is of a new design. Markings tell that it is named APL7498, and in software, the chip is called S5L8947.

Apple A5X

Main article: Apple A5X

The Apple A5X is an SoC announced on March 7, 2012, at the launch of the third-generation iPad. It is a high-performance variant of the Apple A5; Apple claims it has twice the graphics performance of the A5. It was superseded in the fourth-generation iPad by the Apple A6X processor.

The A5X has a quad-core graphics unit (PowerVR SGX543MP4) instead of the previous dual-core as well as a quad-channel memory controller that provides a memory bandwidth of 12.8 GB/s, roughly three times more than in the A5. The added graphics cores and extra memory channels add up to a very large die size of 165 mm², for example twice the size of Nvidia Tegra 3. This is mainly due to the large PowerVR SGX543MP4 GPU. The clock frequency of the dual ARM Cortex-A9 cores have been shown to operate at the same 1 GHz frequency as in A5. The RAM in A5X is separate from the main CPU package.

Apple A6

Main article: Apple A6

The Apple A6 is a PoP SoC introduced on September 12, 2012, at the launch of the iPhone 5, then a year later was inherited by its minor successor the iPhone 5C. Apple states that it is up to twice as fast and has up to twice the graphics power compared to its predecessor the Apple A5. It is 22% smaller and draws less power than the 45 nm A5.

The A6 is said to use a 1.3 GHz custom Apple-designed ARMv7 based dual-core CPU, called Swift, rather than a licensed CPU from ARM like in previous designs, and an integrated 266 MHz triple-core PowerVR SGX 543MP3 graphics processing unit (GPU). The Swift core in the A6 uses a new tweaked instruction set, ARMv7s, featuring some elements of the ARM Cortex-A15 such as support for the Advanced SIMD v2, and VFPv4. The A6 is manufactured by Samsung on a high-κ metal gate (HKMG) 32 nm process.

Apple A6X

Main article: Apple A6X

Apple A6X is an SoC introduced at the launch of the fourth-generation iPad on October 23, 2012. It is a high-performance variant of the Apple A6. Apple claims the A6X has twice the CPU performance and up to twice the graphics performance of its predecessor, the Apple A5X.

Like the A6, this SoC continues to use the dual-core Swift CPU, but it has a new quad core GPU, quad channel memory and slightly higher 1.4 GHz CPU clock rate. It uses an integrated quad-core PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics processing unit (GPU) running at 300 MHz and a quad-channel memory subsystem. Compared to the A6 the A6X is 30% larger, but it continues to be manufactured by Samsung on a high-κ metal gate (HKMG) 32 nm process.

Apple A7

Main article: Apple A7

The Apple A7 is a 64-bit PoP SoC whose first appearance was in the iPhone 5S, which was introduced on September 10, 2013. The chip would also be used in the iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and iPad Mini 3. Apple states that it is up to twice as fast and has up to twice the graphics power compared to its predecessor the Apple A6. The Apple A7 chip is the first 64-bit chip to be used in a smartphone.

The A7 features an Apple-designed 1.3–1.4 GHz 64-bit ARMv8-A dual-core CPU, called Cyclone, and an integrated PowerVR G6430 GPU in a four cluster configuration. The ARMv8-A architecture doubles the number of registers of the A7 compared to the A6. It now has 31 general-purpose registers that are each 64-bits wide and 32 floating-point/NEON registers that are each 128-bits wide. The A7 is manufactured by Samsung on a high-κ metal gate (HKMG) 28 nm process and the chip includes over 1 billion transistors on a die 102 mm² in size.

Apple A8

Main article: Apple A8

The Apple A8 is a 64-bit PoP SoC manufactured by TSMC. Its first appearance was in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which were introduced on September 9, 2014. A year later it would drive the iPad Mini 4. Apple states that it has 25% more CPU performance and 50% more graphics performance while drawing only 50% of the power compared to its predecessor, the Apple A7. On February 9, 2018 Apple released the HomePod, which is powered by an Apple A8 with 1 GB of RAM.

The A8 features an Apple-designed 1.4 GHz 64-bit ARMv8-A dual-core CPU, and an integrated custom PowerVR GX6450 GPU in a four cluster configuration. The GPU features custom shader cores and compiler. The A8 is manufactured on a 20 nm process by TSMC, which replaced Samsung as the manufacturer of Apple's mobile device processors. It contains 2 billion transistors. Despite that being double the number of transistors compared to the A7, its physical size has been reduced by 13% to 89 mm² (consistent with a shrink only, not known to be a new microarchitecture).

Apple A8X

Main article: Apple A8X

The Apple A8X is a 64-bit SoC introduced at the launch of the iPad Air 2 on October 16, 2014. It is a high performance variant of the Apple A8. Apple states that it has 40% more CPU performance and 2.5 times the graphics performance of its predecessor, the Apple A7.

Unlike the A8, this SoC uses a triple-core CPU, a new octa-core GPU, dual channel memory and slightly higher 1.5 GHz CPU clock rate. It uses an integrated custom octa-core PowerVR GXA6850 graphics processing unit (GPU) running at 450 MHz and a dual-channel memory subsystem. It is manufactured by TSMC on their 20 nm fabrication process, and consists of 3 billion transistors.

Apple A9

Main article: Apple A9

The Apple A9 is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, which were introduced on September 9, 2015. Apple states that it has 70% more CPU performance and 90% more graphics performance compared to its predecessor, the Apple A8. It is dual sourced, a first for an Apple SoC; it is manufactured by Samsung on their 14 nm FinFET LPE process and by TSMC on their 16 nm FinFET process. It was subsequently included in the first-generation iPhone SE, and the iPad (2017). The Apple A9 was the last CPU that Apple manufactured through a contract with Samsung, as all A-series chips after are manufactured by TSMC.

Apple A9X

Main article: Apple A9X

The Apple A9X is a 64-bit SoC that was announced on September 9, 2015, and released on November 11, 2015, and first appeared in the iPad Pro. It offers 80% more CPU performance and two times the GPU performance of its predecessor, the Apple A8X. It is manufactured by TSMC using a 16 nm FinFET process.

Apple A10 Fusion

Main article: Apple A10

The Apple A10 Fusion is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which were introduced on September 7, 2016. The A10 is also featured in the 2018 iPad, 2019 iPad and 7th generation iPod Touch. It has a new ARM big.LITTLE quad core design with two high performance cores, and two smaller highly efficient cores. It is 40% faster than the A9, with 50% faster graphics. It is manufactured by TSMC on their 16 nm FinFET process.

Apple A10X Fusion

Main article: Apple A10X

The Apple A10X Fusion is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the 10.5" iPad Pro and the second generation of the 12.9" iPad Pro, which were both announced on June 5, 2017. It is a variant of the A10 and Apple claims that it has 30 percent faster CPU performance and 40 percent faster GPU performance than its predecessor, the A9X. On September 12, 2017, Apple announced that the Apple TV 4K would be powered by an A10X chip. It is made by TSMC on their 10 nm FinFET process.

Apple A11 Bionic

Main article: Apple A11

The Apple A11 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, which were introduced on September 12, 2017. It has two high-performance cores, which are 25% faster than the A10 Fusion, four high-efficiency cores, which are 70% faster than the energy-efficient cores in the A10, and for the first time an Apple-designed three-core GPU with 30% faster graphics performance than the A10. It is also the first A-series chip to feature Apple's "Neural Engine," which enhances artificial intelligence and machine learning processes.

Apple A12 Bionic

Main article: Apple A12

The Apple A12 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, which were introduced on September 12, 2018. It is also used in the 2019 models of the iPad Air and iPad Mini and the 2020 model of the iPad. It has two high-performance cores, which are 15% faster than the A11 Bionic, and four high-efficiency cores, which have 50% lower power usage than the energy-efficient cores in the A11 Bionic. The A12 is manufactured by TSMC using a 7 nm FinFET process, the first to ship in a smartphone. It is also used in the 6th generation Apple TV.

Apple A12X Bionic

Main article: Apple A12X

The Apple A12X Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the 11.0" iPad Pro and the third generation of the 12.9" iPad Pro, which were both announced on October 30, 2018. It offers 35% faster single-core and 90% faster multi-core CPU performance than its predecessor, the A10X. It has four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. The A12X is manufactured by TSMC using a 7 nm FinFET process.

Apple A12Z Bionic

Main article: Apple A12Z

The Apple A12Z Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC based on the A12X that first appeared in the fourth generation iPad Pro, which was announced on March 18, 2020. The A12Z is also used in the Developer Transition Kit prototype computer that helps developers prepare their software for Macs based on Apple silicon.

Apple A13 Bionic

Main article: Apple A13 Bionic

The Apple A13 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, which were introduced on September 10, 2019. It is also featured in the second-generation iPhone SE, which was introduced on April 15, 2020.

The entire A13 Bionic SoC features a total of 18 cores – a six-core CPU, four-core GPU, and an eight-core Neural Engine processor, which is dedicated to handling on-board machine learning processes; four of the six cores on the CPU are low-powered cores that are dedicated to handling less CPU-intensive operations, such as voice calls, browsing the Web, and sending messages, while two higher-performance cores are used only for more CPU-intensive processes, such as recording 4K video or playing a video game.

Apple A14 Bionic

Main article: Apple A14 Bionic

The Apple A14 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC that first appeared in the 2020 iPad Air and iPhone 12, released on October 23, 2020. It is the first commercially available 5 nm chipset and it contains 11.8 billion transistors and a 16-core AI processor. It includes Samsung LPDDR4X DRAM, a 6-core CPU, and 4-Core GPU with real time machine learning capabilities.

S series

The Apple "S" series is a family of Systems in a Package (SiP) used in the Apple Watch. It uses a customized application processor that together with memory, storage and support processors for wireless connectivity, sensors and I/O comprise a complete computer in a single package. They are designed by Apple and manufactured by contract manufacturers such as Samsung.

Apple S1

Main article: Apple S1

The Apple S1 is an integrated computer. It includes memory, storage and support circuits like wireless modems and I/O controllers in a sealed integrated package. It was announced on September 9, 2014 as part of the "Wish we could say more" event. Its first appearance was in the original Apple Watch.

Apple S1P

Used in Apple Watch Series 1. It has a dual-core processor almost identical to the S2, with the exception of the built-in GPS receiver.

Apple S2

Main article: Apple S2

Used in the Apple Watch Series 2. It has a dual-core processor and a built-in GPS receiver.

Apple S3

Main article: Apple S3

Used in the Apple Watch Series 3. It has a dual-core processor that is 70% faster than the Apple S2 and a built-in GPS receiver. There is also an option for a cellular modem and an internal eSIM module. It also includes the W2 chip.

Apple S4

Main article: Apple S4

Used in the Apple Watch Series 4. It has a custom 64-bit dual-core processor with up to 2× faster performance. It also contains the W3 wireless chip, which supports Bluetooth 5.

Apple S5

Used in the Apple Watch Series 5, Apple Watch SE, and HomePod mini. It adds a built-in magnetometer to the custom 64-bit dual-core processor and GPU of the S4.

Apple S6

Used in the Apple Watch Series 6. It has a custom 64-bit dual-core processor that runs up to 20 percent faster than the S5. The dual cores in the S6 are based on the A13's energy-efficient "little" Thunder cores at 1.8 GHz. Like the S4 and S5, it also contains the W3 wireless chip. The S6 adds the new U1 ultra wideband chip, an always-on altimeter, and 5 GHz WiFi.

T series

The T series chip operates as a secure enclave on MacBook and iMac computers. The chip processes and encrypts biometric information (Touch ID) and acts as a gatekeeper to the microphone and FaceTime HD camera, protecting them from hacking. The chip runs bridgeOS, a variant of watchOS.

Apple T1

The Apple T1 chip is an ARMv7 SoC (derived from the processor in the Apple Watch's S2) that drives the System Management Controller (SMC) and Touch ID sensor of the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

Apple T2

Main article: Apple T2

The Apple T2 Security Chip is a SoC first released in the iMac Pro 2017. It is a 64-bit ARMv8 chip (a variant of the A10, or T8010), and runs bridgeOS 2.0. It provides a secure enclave for encrypted keys, enables users to lock down the computer's boot process, handles system functions like the camera and audio control, and handles on-the-fly encryption and decryption for the solid-state drive. T2 also delivers "enhanced imaging processing" for the iMac Pro's FaceTime HD camera.

W series

The Apple "W" series is a family of SoCs and wireless chips with a focus on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. "W" in model numbers stands for wireless.

Apple W1

The Apple W1 is a SoC used in the 2016 AirPods and select Beats headphones. It maintains a Bluetooth Class 1 connection with a computer device and decodes the audio stream that is sent to it.

Apple W2

The Apple W2, used in the Apple Watch Series 3, is integrated into the Apple S3 SiP. Apple said the chip makes Wi-Fi 85% faster and allows Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to use half the power of the W1 implementation.

Apple W3

The Apple W3 is used in the Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, Series 6. and SE. It is integrated into the Apple S4, S5, and S6 SiPs. It supports Bluetooth 5.0.

H series

The Apple "H" series is a family of SoCs used in headphones. "H" in model numbers stands for headphones.

Apple H1

The Apple H1 chip was first used in the 2019 version of AirPods, and was later used in the Powerbeats Pro, the Beats Solo Pro, the AirPods Pro, the 2020 Powerbeats, and the AirPods Max. Specifically designed for headphones, it has Bluetooth 5.0, supports hands-free "Hey Siri" commands, and offers 30 percent lower latency than the W1 chip used in earlier AirPods.

U series

The Apple "U" series is a family of Systems in a Package (SiP) implementing ultra-wideband radio.

Apple U1

The Apple U1 is used in the iPhone 11 and later (excluding the second generation iPhone SE), the Apple Watch Series 6, the HomePod mini and AirTag trackers.

M series

The Apple "M" series is a family of Systems in a Package (SiP) used in Mac computers and iPad Pro tablets. The "M" designation was previously used for Apple motion coprocessors.

Apple M1

Main article: Apple M1

The M1 chip, Apple's first processor designed for use in Macs, is manufactured using TSMC's 5 nm process. It was announced on November 10, 2020, and is used in the M1 MacBook Air, M1 Mac mini, MacBook Pro (2020), M1 iMac, and 5th generation iPad Pro.

Miscellaneous devices

This segment is about a variety of Apple designed processors, not easily sorted into another section.

The 339S0196 is a ARM-based microcontroller used in Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter, a Lightning to HDMI adapter. This is a miniature computer with 256 MB RAM, running an XNU kernel loaded from the connected iOS device, then taking a serial signal from the iOS device translating that into a proper HDMI signal.

List of Apple processors

A series list

Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	Transistor count	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU FLOPS FP32/FP16	AI accelerator	Memory technology	First Released	Utilizing devices	Initial OS	Terminal OS
											Memory bandwidth
	APL 0098		90 nm	72  mm2		ARMv6	412 MHz single-core ARM11	L1i: 16 KB L1d: 16 KB	PowerVR MBX Lite @ 60-103 MHz (1 EU, 8 ALUs) (0.96 - 1.64  GFLOPS)	N/A	LPDDR-266 Single-channel 16-bit @ 133 MHz (533 MB/s)	June 29, 2007	iPhone (1st generation) iPod Touch (1st generation) iPhone 3G	iPhone OS 1.0	iPhone OS 3.1.3 iOS 4.2.1
	APL 0278		65 nm	36  mm2			412–533 MHz single-core ARM11		PowerVR MBX Lite @ 103-133 MHz (1 EU, 8 ALUs) (1.64 - 2.12 GFLOPS)		LPDDR-266 Single-channel 32-bit @ 133 MHz (1066 MB/s)	September 9, 2008	iPod Touch (2nd generation) iPod Nano (4th generation)	iPhone OS 2.1.1
	APL 0298	100px		71.8  mm2		ARMv7	600 MHz single-core Cortex-A8	L1i: 32 KB L1d: 32 KB L2: 256 KB	PowerVR SGX535 @ 200 MHz (2 EUs, 16 ALUs) (6.4 GFLOPS)		LPDDR-400 Single-channel 32-bit @ 200 MHz (1.6 GB/s)	June 19, 2009	iPhone 3GS	iPhone OS 3.0	iOS 6.1.6
	APL 2298		45 nm	41.6  mm2			600–800 MHz single-core Cortex-A8					September 9, 2009	iPod Touch (3rd generation)	iPhone OS 3.1.1	iOS 5.1.1
A4	APL 0398			53.3  mm2			0.8–1.0 GHz single-core Cortex-A8	L1i: 32 KB L1d: 32 KB L2: 512 KB	PowerVR SGX535 @ 200-250 MHz (2 EUs, 16 ALUs) (6.4-8.0 GFLOPS)		LPDDR-400 Dual-channel 32-bit (64-bit) @ 200 MHz (3.2 GB/s)	April 3, 2010	iPad (1st generation) iPhone 4 iPod Touch (4th generation) Apple TV (2nd generation)	iPhone OS 3.2	iOS 5.1.1 iOS 6.1.6 iOS 7.1.2
A5	APL 0498			122.2  mm2			0.8–1.0 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9	L1i: 32 KB L1d: 32 KB L2: 1 MB	PowerVR SGX543MP2  (dual-core) @ 200 MHz (4 EUs, 32 ALUs) (12.8 GFLOPS)		LPDDR2-800 Dual-channel 32-bit (64-bit) @ 400 MHz (6.4 GB/s)	March 11, 2011	iPad 2 (iPad2,1; iPad2,2; iPad2,3) iPhone 4S	iOS 4.3	iOS 9.3.5 iOS 9.3.6
	APL 2498		32 nm Hκ MG	69.6  mm2			0.8–1.0 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 (one core locked in Apple TV)					March 7, 2012	Apple TV (3rd generation) iPad 2 (iPad2,4) iPod Touch (5th generation) iPad Mini (1st generation)	iOS 5.1
	APL 7498			37.8  mm2			1.0 GHz Single-core Cortex-A9 (single-core redesign from A5 dual-core)					January 28, 2013	Apple TV (3rd generation) (Rev A, model A1469)	iOS 6.1	iOS 8.4.6
A5X	APL 5498		45 nm	165  mm2			1.0 GHz dual-core Cortex-A9		PowerVR SGX543MP4 (quad-core) @ 200 MHz (8 EUs, 64 ALUs) (25.6 GFLOPS)		LPDDR2-800 Quad-channel 32-bit (128-bit) @ 400 MHz (12.8 GB/s)	March 16, 2012	iPad (3rd generation)	iOS 5.1	iOS 9.3.5 iOS 9.3.6
A6	APL 0598		32 nm Hκ MG	96.71  mm2		ARMv7s	1.3 GHz dual-core Swift		PowerVR SGX543MP3 (3-core) @ 266 MHz (6 EUs, 48 ALUs) (68.0 GFLOPS)		LPDDR2-1066 Dual-channel 32-bit (64-bit) @ 533 MHz (8.528 GB/s)	September 21, 2012	iPhone 5 iPhone 5C	iOS 6.0	iOS 10.3.3 iOS 10.3.4
A6X	APL 5598			123  mm2			1.4 GHz dual-core Swift		PowerVR SGX554MP4 (quad-core) @ 300 MHz (16 EUs, 128 ALUs)(76.8 GFLOPS)		LPDDR2-1066 Quad-channel 32-bit (128-bit) @ 533 MHz (17.1 GB/s)	November 2, 2012	iPad (4th generation)
A7	APL 0698		28 nm Hκ MG	102  mm2	≈1 billion	ARMv8.0-A	1.3 GHz dual-core Cyclone	L1i: 64 KB L1d: 64 KB L2: 1 MB L3: 4 MB (Inclusive)	PowerVR G6430 (quad-core) @ 450  MHz (16 EUs, 128 ALUs) (115.2  GFLOPS)		LPDDR3-1600 Single-channel 64-bit @ 800 MHz (12.8 GB/s)	September 20, 2013	iPhone 5S iPad Mini 2 iPad Mini 3	iOS 7.0	iOS 12.5.3
	APL 5698						1.4 GHz dual-core Cyclone		November 1, 2013			iPad Air (1st generation)	iOS 7.0.3
A8	APL 1011		20 nm (TSMC)	89  mm2	~2 billion		1.1–1.5 GHz dual-core Typhoon		Customized PowerVR GXA6450 (quad-core) @ 533 MHz (16 EUs, 128 ALUs) (136.4 GFLOPS)			September 19, 2014	iPhone 6 iPhone 6 Plus iPod Touch (6th generation) iPad Mini 4 Apple TV HD HomePod	iOS 8.0 tvOS 9.0	iOS 12.5.3 Current
A8X	APL 1012			128  mm2	~3 billion		1.5 GHz 3-core Typhoon	L1i: 64 KB L1d: 64 KB L2: 2 MB L3: 4 MB (Inclusive)	Customized PowerVR GXA6850 (8-core) @ 450 MHz (32 EUs, 256 ALUs) (230.4 GFLOPS)		LPDDR3-1600 Dual-channel 64-bit (128-bit) @ 800 MHz (25.6 GB/s)	October 22, 2014	iPad Air 2	iOS 8.1	Current
A9	APL 0898		14 nm FinFET (Samsung)	96  mm2	>2 billion		1.85 GHz dual-core Twister	L1i: 64 KB L1d: 64 KB L2: 3 MB L3: 4 MB (Victim)	Customized PowerVR GT7600 (6-core) @ 650 MHz (24 EUs, 192 ALUs)(249.6 GFLOPS)		LPDDR4-3200 Single-channel 64-bit @ 1600 MHz (25.6 GB/s)	September 25, 2015	iPhone 6S iPhone 6S Plus iPhone SE (1st generation) iPad (5th generation)	iOS 9.0
	APL 1022		16 nm FinFET (TSMC)	104.5  mm2
A9X	APL 1021			143.9  mm2	>3 billion		2.16–2.26 GHz dual-core Twister	L1i: 64 KB L1d: 64 KB L2: 3 MB L3: none	Customized PowerVR GTA7850 (12-core) @ 650 MHz (48 EUs, 384 ALUs)(499.2 GFLOPS)		LPDDR4-3200 Dual-channel 64-bit (128-bit) @ 1600 MHz (51.2 GB/s)	November 11, 2015	iPad Pro (1st generation)	iOS 9.1
A10 Fusion	APL 1W24			125  mm2	3.3 billion	ARMv8.1-A	2.34 GHz (2× Hurricane) + 1.092 GHz (2× Zephyr) (quad-core overall)	L1i: 64 KB L1d: 64 KB L2: 3 MB L3: 4 MB	Customized PowerVR GT7600 Plus (6-core) @ 900 MHz (24 EUs, 192 ALUs)(345.6 GFLOPS)		LPDDR4-3200 Single-channel 64-bit @ 1600 MHz (25.6 GB/s)	September 16, 2016	iPhone 7 iPhone 7 Plus iPad (6th generation) iPod Touch (7th generation) iPad (7th generation)	iOS 10.0
A10X Fusion	APL 1071	100px	10 nm FinFET (TSMC)	96.4  mm2	>4 billion		2.36 GHz (3× Hurricane) + 1.3 GHz (3× Zephyr) (6-core overall)	L1i: 64 KB L1d: 64 KB L2: 8 MB L3: none	Customized PowerVR GT7600 Plus(12-core) @ 1000 MHz (48 EUs, 384 ALUs) (768.0 GFLOPS)		LPDDR4-3200 Dual-channel 64-bit (128-bit) @ 1600 MHz (51.2 GB/s)	June 13, 2017	iPad Pro (2nd generation) Apple TV 4K (2017)	iOS 10.3.2 tvOS 11.0
A11 Bionic	APL 1W72	100px		87.66  mm2	4.3 billion	ARMv8.2-A	2.39 GHz (2× Monsoon) + 1.19 GHz (4× Mistral) (6-core overall)		Apple-designed (triple-core) @ 1066 MHz (24 EUs, 192 ALUs) (409.3 GFLOPS)	Neural Engine (dual-core) 600 GOPS (billion operations/s)	LPDDR4X-4266 Single-channel 64-bit @ 2133 MHz (34.1 GB/s)	September 22, 2017	iPhone 8 iPhone 8 Plus iPhone X	iOS 11.0
A12 Bionic	APL 1W81	100px	7 nm FinFET (TSMC N7)	83.27  mm2	6.9 billion	ARMv8.3-A	up to 2.49 GHz (2× Vortex) + up to 1.59 GHz (4× Tempest) (6-core overall)	L1i: 128 KB L1d: 128 KB L2: 8 MB L3: none	Apple-designed (quad-core) @ 1125 MHz (32 EUs, 256 ALUs) (576.0 GFLOPS)	Neural Engine (octa-core) 5 TOPS		September 21, 2018	iPhone XS iPhone XS Max iPhone XR iPad Air (3rd generation) iPad Mini (5th generation) iPad (8th generation) Apple TV 4K (2021)	iOS 12.0 tvOS 14.5
A12X Bionic	APL 1083	100px		≈135  mm2	10 billion		up to 2.49 GHz (4× Vortex) + up to 1.59 GHz (4× Tempest) (8-core overall)		Apple-designed (7-core) @ 1340 MHz (56 EUs, 448 ALUs) (1200.6 GFLOPS)		LPDDR4X-4266 Dual-channel 64-bit (128-bit) @ 2133 MHz (68.2 GB/s)	November 7, 2018	iPad Pro (3rd generation)	iOS 12.1
A12Z Bionic									Apple-designed (8-core) @ 1340 MHz (64 EUs, 512 ALUs) (1350.7 GFLOPS)			March 25, 2020	iPad Pro (4th generation)	iPadOS 13.4
												June 22, 2020	Developer Transition Kit	macOS Big Sur 11.0 Beta 1	macOS Big Sur 11.3 Beta 2
A13 Bionic	APL 1W85	100px	7 nm FinFET (TSMC N7P)	98.48  mm2	8.5 billion	ARMv8.4-A	up to 2.65 GHz (2x Lightning) + up to 1.8 GHz (4x Thunder) (6-core overall)		Apple-designed (quad-core) @ 1350 MHz (32 EUs, 256 ALUs) (691.2 GFLOPS)	Neural Engine (octa-core) + AMX blocks (dual-core) 5.5 TOPS	LPDDR4X-4266 Single-channel 64-bit @ 2133 MHz (34.1 GB/s)	September 20, 2019	iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone SE (2nd generation)	iOS 13.0	Current
A14 Bionic	APL 1W01	100px	5 nm FinFET (TSMC N5)	88 mm2	11.8 billion	ARMv8.5-A	up to 3.1 GHz (2x Firestorm) + up to 1.823 GHz (4x Icestorm) (6-core overall)	L1i: 192 KB L1d: 128 KB L2: 8 MB (shared for performance cores) L2: 4 MB (shared for efficient cores) L3: none	Apple-designed (quad-core) @ 975 MHz (64 EUs, 512 ALUs)(998.4 GFLOPS)	Neural Engine (16-core) 11 TOPS		October 23, 2020	iPad Air (4th generation) iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max	iOS 14.0
Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	Transistor count	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU FLOPS FP32/FP16	AI accelerator	Memory bandwidth	First Released	Utilizing devices	Initial OS	Terminal OS
											Memory technology

S series list

Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU FLOPS FP32/FP16	Memory technology	Modem	First Released	Utilizing devices	Initial OS	Terminal OS
S1	APL 0778		28 nm Hκ MG	32 mm2	ARMv7k	520 MHz single-core Cortex-A7	L1d: 32 KB L2: 256 KB	PowerVR Series 5	LPDDR3		April 2015	Apple Watch (1st generation)	watchOS 1.0	watchOS 4.3.2
S1P	TBC	100px	TBC		ARMv7k	520 MHz dual-core Cortex-A7 without GPS	TBC	PowerVR Series 6 'Rogue'	LPDDR3		September 2016	Apple Watch Series 1	watchOS 3.0	watchOS 6.3
S2	TBC	100px										Apple Watch Series 2
S3	TBC	100px			ARMv7k	Dual-core	TBC		LPDDR4	Qualcomm MDM9635M (Snapdragon X7 LTE)	September 2017	Apple Watch Series 3	watchOS 4.0	Current
S4	TBC	100px	TSMC 7 nm	TBC	ARMv8-A ILP32	Dual-core Tempest	TBC	Apple G11M	TBC		September 2018	Apple Watch Series 4	watchOS 5.0	Current
S5	TBC	100px			ARMv8-A ILP32			Apple G11M			September 2019	Apple Watch Series 5 Apple Watch SE HomePod mini	watchOS 6.0	Current
S6	TBC	100px		TBC		1.8 GHz Dual-core Thunder	TBC				September 2020	Apple Watch Series 6	watchOS 7.0	Current
Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU FLOPS FP32/FP16	Memory bandwidth	Modem	First Released	Utilizing devices	Initial OS	Terminal OS

T series list

Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU	Memory technology	First Released	Utilizing devices
									Memory bandwidth
T1	APL 1023	Apple T1 Processor			ARMv7			TBD		November 12, 2016	MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
T2	APL 1027	Apple T2 Processor			ARMv8-A				LPDDR4	December 14, 2017	iMac Pro 2017 iMac 27-inch (mid-2020) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018) Mac mini (2018) MacBook Air (2018) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2020) MacBook Air (2019) MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) Mac Pro (2019) MacBook Air (Early 2020)
Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU	Memory bandwidth	First Released	Utilizing devices
									Memory technology

W series list

Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	Memory technology	Bluetooth	First Released	Utilizing devices
								Memory bandwidth
W1	343S00130 343S00131	Apple W1 chip	TBC	14.3  mm2	TBC				4.2	December 13, 2016	AirPods (1st generation) Beats Solo3 Beats Studio3 Powerbeats3 BeatsX Beats Flex
W2	338S00348	Apple W2 chip	TBC							September 22, 2017	Apple Watch Series 3
W3	338S00464	Apple W3 chip							5.0	September 21, 2018	Apple Watch Series 4 Apple Watch Series 5 Apple Watch Series 6 Apple Watch SE
Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	Memory bandwidth	Bluetooth	First Released	Utilizing devices
								Memory technology

H series list

Name	Model no.	Image	Bluetooth	First Released	Utilizing devices
H1	343S00289 (AirPods 2nd Generation) 343S00290 (AirPods 2nd Generation) 343S00404 (AirPods Max) H1 SiP (AirPods Pro)	Apple H1 chip Apple H1 chip Apple H1 chip Apple H1 SiP Apple H! SiP	5.0	March 20, 2019	AirPods (2nd generation) Powerbeats Pro Beats Solo Pro AirPods Pro Powerbeats (2020) AirPods Max
Name	Model no.	Image	Bluetooth	First Released	Utilizing devices

U series list

Name	Model no.	Image	CPU	Semiconductor technology	First Released	Utilizing devices
U1	TMK A75	Apple U1 chip	Cortex-M4 ARMv7E-M	16 nm FinFET (TSMC 16FF)	September 20, 2019	iPhone 11 iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max iPhone 12 iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Pro iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple Watch Series 6 HomePod mini AirTag
Name	Model no.	Image	CPU	Semiconductor technology	First Released	Utilizing devices

M series list

Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	Transistor count	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU FLOPS FP32/FP16	AI accelerator	Memory technology	First Released	Utilizing devices	Initial OS	Terminal OS
											Memory bandwidth
M1	APL 1102		5 nm (TSMC)	119 mm2	16 billion	ARMv8.5-A	0.6-3.2 GHz (4× Firestorm) + 0.6-2.064 GHz (4× Icestorm) (8-core overall)	Performance Cores: L1i: 192 kB L1d: 128 kB L2: 12 MB shared Efficiency Cores: L1i: 128 kB L1d: 64 kB L2: 4 MB shared	Apple-designed (7-core) @ 1278 MHz (112 EUs, 896 ALUs) or (8-core) @ 1278 MHz (128 EUs, 1024 ALUs) 2.29 TFLOPs (7-core) 2.61 TFLOPs (8-core)	16-core (11 TOPS)	LPDDR4X -4266 Dual- channel 64-bit (128-bit) @ 2133 MHz (68.2 GB/s)	November 17, 2020	MacBook Air (Late 2020) MacBook Pro (Late 2020) Mac Mini (Late 2020) iMac (Early 2021) iPad Pro (5th Generation)	macOS Big Sur iPadOS 14	Current
Name	Model no.	Image	Semiconductor technology	Die size	Transistor count	CPU ISA	CPU	CPU cache	GPU FLOPS FP32/FP16	AI accelerator	Memory bandwidth	First Released	Utilizing devices	Initial OS	Terminal OS
											Memory technology

Miscellaneous

Model no.	Image	First Released	CPU ISA	Specs	Application	Utilizing devices	Operating system
339S0196	339S0196 microcontroller	March 2011	Unknown ARM	256 MB RAM	Lightning to HDMI conversion	Apple Digital AV Adapter	XNU
Model no.	Image	First Released	CPU ISA	Specs	Application	Utilizing devices	Operating system

See also

• List of iOS and iPadOS devices
• Apple motion coprocessors
• List of Samsung platforms (SoCs):
  • historical (some were used in Apple products)
  • Exynos (none have been used by Apple)
• ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore
• PowerVR SGX GPUs were also used in the iPhone 3GS and the third-generation iPod touch
• PWRficient, a processor designed by P.A. Semi, a company Apple acquired to form an in-house custom chip design department

Similar platforms

• BCM2xxxx by Broadcom
• A31 by AllWinner
• Atom by Intel
• Exynos by Samsung
• i.MX by Freescale Semiconductor
• Jaguar and Puma by AMD
• Kirin by HiSilicon
• MTxxxx by MediaTek
• NovaThor by ST-Ericsson
• OMAP by Texas Instruments
• RK3xxx by Rockchip
• Snapdragon by Qualcomm
• Tegra by Nvidia

Further reading

• Gurman, Mark (January 29, 2018). "How Apple Built a Chip Powerhouse to Threaten Qualcomm and Intel". Bloomberg Businessweek.