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| image = Apple A12.jpg
| image = Apple A12.jpg
| produced-start = {{Start date and age|2018|09|12}}
| produced-start = {{Start date and age|2018|09|12}}
| produced-end = {{Start date and age|2022|10|18}}
| fastest = 2.49<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://browser.geekbench.com/ios_devices/56|title=iPhone XS Benchmarks - Geekbench Browser|website=Geekbench|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref>
| fastest = 2.49<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://browser.geekbench.com/ios_devices/56|title=iPhone XS Benchmarks - Geekbench Browser|website=Geekbench|access-date=September 22, 2018|archive-date=October 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018175806/http://browser.geekbench.com/ios_devices/56|url-status=live}}</ref>
| size-from = [[7 nanometer|7 nm]]<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" />
| size-from = [[7 nanometer|7 nm]]<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" /> (N7)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/14892/the-apple-iphone-11-pro-and-max-review/2 | title=The Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max Review: Performance, Battery, & Camera Elevated }}</ref>
| designfirm = [[Apple Inc.]]
| designfirm = [[Apple Inc.]]
| manuf1 = [[TSMC]]<ref name="Engadget 7nm" />
| manuf1 = [[TSMC]]<ref name="Engadget 7nm" />
| microarch = "Vortex" and "Tempest"
| microarch = "Vortex" and "Tempest"
| arch = [[ARM architecture#64/32-bit architecture|Aarch64]]; [[ARMv8.3-A]]
| arch = [[ARM architecture#64/32-bit architecture|A64]] &ndash; [[ARMv8.3-A]]
| code = APL1W81<ref name="iFixit iPhone XS teardown" />
| code = APL1W81<ref name="iFixit iPhone XS teardown" />
| numcores = 6 ([[ARM Big.LITTLE]]: 2× big Vortex + 4× little Tempest)<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple A12 Bionic" />
| numcores = 6 ([[ARM big.LITTLE]]: 2× big Vortex + 4× little Tempest)<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple A12 Bionic" />
| l1cache = 128 KB instruction, 128 KB data
| l1cache = 128 KB instruction, 128 KB data
| l2cache = 8 MB
| l2cache = 8 MB
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| predecessor = [[Apple A11]]
| predecessor = [[Apple A11]]
| successor = [[Apple A13]]
| successor = [[Apple A13]]
| variant = [[Apple A12X]], [[Apple A12Z]]
| variant = [[Apple S4|Apple S4/S5 SiP]] (cut-down version that utilizes high efficiency cores from A12<br />[[Apple A12X|Apple A12X/A12Z]] (more advanced version of A12 in iPad Pro and Developer Transition Kit
}}
}}


The '''Apple A12 Bionic''' is a [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] [[ARM architecture|ARM-based]] [[system on a chip]] (SoC) designed by [[Apple Inc.]]<ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR">{{cite press release |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/apple-introduces-iphone-xr/ |title=Apple introduces iPhone XR |publisher=Apple |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date= September 12, 2018}}</ref> It first appeared in the [[iPhone XS|iPhone XS, XS Max]], and [[iPhone XR|XR]] in 2018, the 2019 versions of the [[iPad Air (2019)|iPad Air]] and [[iPad Mini (5th generation)|iPad Mini]], the [[iPad (8th generation)|8th generation iPad]], and the 2021 version of the [[Apple TV|Apple TV 4K]].<ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR">{{cite press release |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/iphone-xs-and-iphone-xs-max-bring-the-best-and-biggest-displays-to-iphone/ |title=iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bring the best and biggest displays to iPhone |publisher=Apple |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date= September 12, 2018}}</ref> Apple states that the two high-performance cores are 15% faster and 50% more energy-efficient than the [[Apple A11]]'s, and the four high-efficiency cores use 50% less power than the A11's.<ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR" /><ref name="Apple A12 Bionic">{{cite web|url=https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/a12-bionic/ |title=A12 Bionic |website=Apple |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date= September 12, 2018}}</ref> It is the first mass-market system on a chip to be built on the 7&nbsp;nm node.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shankland|first=Stephen|title=Apple's A12 Bionic CPU for the new iPhone XS is ahead of the industry moving to 7nm chip manufacturing tech|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-xs-a12-bionic-chip-is-industry-first-7nm-cpu/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=CNET|language=en}}</ref>
The '''Apple A12 Bionic''' is a [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] [[ARM architecture family|ARM-based]] [[system on a chip]] (SoC) designed by [[Apple Inc.]], part of the [[Apple silicon]] series,<ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR">{{cite press release |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/apple-introduces-iphone-xr/ |title=Apple introduces iPhone XR |publisher=Apple |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327101626/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/apple-introduces-iphone-xr/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It first appeared in the [[iPhone XS|iPhone XS and XS Max]], [[iPhone XR]], [[iPad Air (3rd generation)]], [[iPad Mini (5th generation)]], [[iPad (8th generation)|8th generation iPad]] and [[Apple TV|Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)]].<ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR">{{cite press release |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/iphone-xs-and-iphone-xs-max-bring-the-best-and-biggest-displays-to-iphone/ |title=iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bring the best and biggest displays to iPhone |publisher=Apple |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427014807/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/09/iphone-xs-and-iphone-xs-max-bring-the-best-and-biggest-displays-to-iphone/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Apple states that the two high-performance cores are 15% faster and 40% more energy-efficient than the [[Apple A11]]'s, and the four high-efficiency cores use 50% less power than the A11's.<ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR" /><ref name="Apple A12 Bionic">{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/a12-bionic/ |title=A12 Bionic |website=Apple |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116012643/https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/a12-bionic/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is the first mass-market system on a chip to be built using the 7&nbsp;nm process.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shankland|first=Stephen|title=Apple's A12 Bionic CPU for the new iPhone XS is ahead of the industry moving to 7nm chip manufacturing tech|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-xs-a12-bionic-chip-is-industry-first-7nm-cpu/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=CNET|language=en|archive-date=September 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916060257/https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-xs-a12-bionic-chip-is-industry-first-7nm-cpu/|url-status=live}}</ref>


==Design==
==Design==
The Apple A12 SoC features an Apple-designed 64-bit [[ARMv8.3-A]] six-core CPU, with two high-performance cores called '''Vortex''', running at 2.49&nbsp;GHz, and four energy-efficient cores called '''Tempest'''.<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS">{{cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13360/apple-announces-2018-iphones-iphone-xs-xr|title=Apple Announces the 2018 iPhones: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, & iPhone XR|last=Smith|first=Ryan|date=September 12, 2018|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=September 12, 2018}}</ref><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" /> The Vortex cores are a 7-wide decode [[Out-of-order execution|out-of-order]] [[Superscalar processor|superscalar]] design, while the Tempest cores are a 3-wide decode out-of-order superscalar design. Like the A11's Mistral cores, the Tempest cores are based on Apple's Swift cores from the [[Apple A6]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets|title=The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets |last=Frumusanu|first=Andrei|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=2019-01-27}}</ref>
The Apple A12 SoC features an Apple-designed 64-bit [[ARMv8.3-A]] six-core CPU, with two high-performance cores called '''Vortex''', running at 2.49&nbsp;GHz, and four energy-efficient cores called '''Tempest'''.<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS">{{cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13360/apple-announces-2018-iphones-iphone-xs-xr|title=Apple Announces the 2018 iPhones: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, & iPhone XR|last=Smith|first=Ryan|date=September 12, 2018|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=September 12, 2018|archive-date=September 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913015934/https://www.anandtech.com/show/13360/apple-announces-2018-iphones-iphone-xs-xr|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" /> The Vortex cores are a 7-wide decode [[Out-of-order execution|out-of-order]] [[Superscalar processor|superscalar]] design, while the Tempest cores are a 3-wide decode out-of-order superscalar design. Like the A11's Mistral cores, the Tempest cores are based on Apple's Swift cores from the [[Apple A6]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets|title=The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets|last=Frumusanu|first=Andrei|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=2019-01-27|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032017/https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets/|url-status=live}}</ref>


The A12 also integrates an Apple-designed four-core [[graphics processing unit]] (GPU) with 50% faster graphics performance than the A11.<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR" /> The A12 includes [[AI accelerator|dedicated neural network hardware]] that Apple calls a "Next-generation Neural Engine."<ref name="iPhone XS Tech Specs">{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/specs/ |title=iPhone XS - Technical Specification |publisher=[[Apple Inc.]] |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018}}</ref> This neural network hardware has eight cores<ref name="Apple A12 Bionic" /> and can perform up to 5 trillion 8-bit operations per second.<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" /> Unlike the A11's Neural Engine, third-party apps can access the A12's Neural Engine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets|title=The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets|last=Frumusanu|first=Andrei|date=2018-10-05|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=2019-02-02}}</ref>
The A12 also integrates an Apple-designed four-core [[graphics processing unit]] (GPU) with 50% faster graphics performance than the A11.<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XR PR" /> The A12 includes [[AI accelerator|dedicated neural network hardware]] that Apple calls a "Next-generation Neural Engine."<ref name="iPhone XS Tech Specs">{{cite web |url=https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/specs/ |title=iPhone XS - Technical Specification |publisher=[[Apple Inc.]] |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date=September 12, 2018 |archive-date=January 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104041336/https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/specs/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This neural network hardware has eight cores<ref name="Apple A12 Bionic" /> and can perform up to 5 trillion 8-bit operations per second.<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" /> Unlike the A11's Neural Engine, third-party apps can access the A12's Neural Engine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets|title=The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets|last=Frumusanu|first=Andrei|date=2018-10-05|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=2019-02-02|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032017/https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets/|url-status=live}}</ref>


The A12 is manufactured by [[TSMC]]<ref name="Engadget 7nm" /> using a [[7 nanometer|7 nm]]<ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" /> [[FinFET]] process, the first to ship in a consumer product,<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Engadget 7nm">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/12/apple-a12-bionic-7-nanometer-chip/|title=Apple's A12 Bionic is the first 7-nanometer smartphone chip|last=Summers|first=Nick|date=September 12, 2018|website=[[Engadget]]|access-date=September 12, 2018}}</ref> containing 6.9 billion transistors.<ref name="Engadget 7nm" /> The die size of the A12 is 83.27&nbsp;mm<sup>2</sup>, 5% smaller than the A11.<ref name="TechInsights-iPhoneXSmax">{{cite web|url=https://www.techinsights.com/blog/apple-iphone-xs-max-teardown|title=Apple iPhone Xs Max Teardown|last=Yang|first=Daniel|last2=Wegner|first2=Stacy|date=September 21, 2018|website=TechInsights|access-date=September 21, 2018}}</ref> It is manufactured in a [[package on package]] (PoP) together with 4 [[Gibibyte|GiB]] of [[Mobile DDR#LP-DDR4X|LPDDR4X]] memory in the iPhone XS<ref name="iFixit iPhone XS teardown">{{cite web |url= https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+XS+and+XS+Max+Teardown/113021 |title=iPhone XS and XS Max Teardown |publisher=[[iFixit]] |date=September 21, 2018 |access-date=September 21, 2018}}</ref> and XS Max<ref name="TechInsights-iPhoneXSmax" /> and 3 GB of LPDDR4X memory in the iPhone XR, the iPad Air (2019), the 5th generation iPad mini, and the iPad (2020).<ref name="iFixit iPhone XR teardown">{{cite web |url= https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+XR+Teardown/114123 |title=iPhone XR Teardown |publisher=[[iFixit]] |date=October 26, 2018 |access-date=October 30, 2018}}</ref> The ARMv8.3 instruction set it supports brings a significant security improvement in the form of pointer authentication, which mitigates exploitation techniques such as those involving memory corruption, Jump-Oriented-Programming, and [[Return-oriented programming|Return-Oriented-Programming]].<ref name="NewOSXBook.forum">{{cite web |last=Levin |first= Jonathan |url= http://newosxbook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=19557 |title=iPhone Xs, Xr... And, one more thing... |publisher=NewOSXBook.com |date=September 15, 2018 |access-date=September 15, 2018}}</ref>
The A12 is manufactured by [[TSMC]]<ref name="Engadget 7nm" /> using a [[7 nanometer|7 nm]]<ref name="Apple iPhone XS PR" /> [[FinFET]] process, the first to ship in a consumer product,<ref name="AnandTech iPhone XS" /><ref name="Engadget 7nm">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/12/apple-a12-bionic-7-nanometer-chip/|title=Apple's A12 Bionic is the first 7-nanometer smartphone chip|last=Summers|first=Nick|date=September 12, 2018|website=[[Engadget]]|access-date=September 12, 2018|archive-date=September 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913040100/https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/12/apple-a12-bionic-7-nanometer-chip/|url-status=live}}</ref> containing 6.9 billion transistors.<ref name="Engadget 7nm" /> The die size of the A12 is 83.27&nbsp;mm<sup>2</sup>, 5% smaller than the A11.<ref name="TechInsights-iPhoneXSmax">{{cite web|url=https://www.techinsights.com/blog/apple-iphone-xs-max-teardown|title=Apple iPhone Xs Max Teardown|last1=Yang|first1=Daniel|last2=Wegner|first2=Stacy|date=September 21, 2018|website=TechInsights|access-date=September 21, 2018|archive-date=April 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415174843/https://www.techinsights.com/blog/apple-iphone-xs-max-teardown|url-status=live}}</ref> It is manufactured in a [[package on package]] (PoP) together with 4 [[Gibibyte|GiB]] of [[Mobile DDR#LP-DDR4X|LPDDR4X]] memory in the iPhone XS<ref name="iFixit iPhone XS teardown">{{cite web |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+XS+and+XS+Max+Teardown/113021 |title=iPhone XS and XS Max Teardown |publisher=[[iFixit]] |date=September 21, 2018 |access-date=September 21, 2018 |archive-date=December 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202111640/https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+XS+and+XS+Max+Teardown/113021 |url-status=live }}</ref> and XS Max<ref name="TechInsights-iPhoneXSmax" /> and 3 GB of LPDDR4X memory in the iPhone XR, the iPad Air (2019), the 5th generation iPad mini, and the iPad (2020).<ref name="iFixit iPhone XR teardown">{{cite web |url=https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+XR+Teardown/114123 |title=iPhone XR Teardown |publisher=[[iFixit]] |date=October 26, 2018 |access-date=October 30, 2018 |archive-date=March 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321120827/https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+XR+Teardown/114123 |url-status=live }}</ref> The ARMv8.3 instruction set it supports brings a significant security improvement in the form of pointer authentication, which mitigates exploitation techniques such as those involving memory corruption, Jump-Oriented-Programming, and [[Return-oriented programming|Return-Oriented-Programming]].<ref name="NewOSXBook.forum">{{cite web |last=Levin |first=Jonathan |url=http://newosxbook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=19557 |title=iPhone Xs, Xr... And, one more thing... |publisher=NewOSXBook.com |date=September 15, 2018 |access-date=September 15, 2018 |archive-date=October 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010011352/http://newosxbook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=19557 |url-status=live }}</ref>


The A12 has video codec encoding support for HEVC and H.264. It has decoding support for HEVC, H.264, MPEG‑4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG.<ref>{{Cite web|title=iPhone XS - Technical Specifications|url=https://support.apple.com/kb/SP779?locale=en_US|access-date=2021-10-24|website=support.apple.com}}</ref>
The A12 has video codec encoding support for [[High Efficiency Video Coding|HEVC]] and [[Advanced Video Coding|H.264]]. It has decoding support for HEVC, H.264, [[MPEG-4 Part 2|MPEG‑4 Part 2]], and [[Motion JPEG]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=iPhone XS - Technical Specifications|url=https://support.apple.com/kb/SP779?locale=en_US|access-date=2021-10-24|website=support.apple.com|archive-date=October 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024034349/https://support.apple.com/kb/SP779?locale=en_US|url-status=live}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+Die Block Comparison (mm²)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets|title=The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets|last=Frumusanu|first=Andrei|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=2019-02-02}}</ref>
|+Die Block Comparison (mm²)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets|title=The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets|last=Frumusanu|first=Andrei|website=[[AnandTech]]|access-date=2019-02-02|archive-date=January 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126032017/https://www.anandtech.com/show/13392/the-iphone-xs-xs-max-review-unveiling-the-silicon-secrets/|url-status=live}}</ref>
!SoC
!SoC
!A12 (7&nbsp;nm)
!A12 (7&nbsp;nm)
Line 70: Line 71:


==Products that include the Apple A12 Bionic==
==Products that include the Apple A12 Bionic==
* [[iPhone XS|iPhone XS and XS Max]]
* [[iPhone XS|iPhone XS & XS Max]]
* [[iPhone XR]]
* [[iPhone XR]]
* [[iPad Mini (5th generation)]]
* [[iPad Mini (5th generation)]]
* [[iPad Air (3rd generation)]]
* [[iPad Air (3rd generation)]]
* [[iPad (8th generation)]]
* [[iPad (8th generation)]]
* [[Apple TV#4K (2nd generation)|Apple TV 4K (2nd generation, 2021)]]
* [[Apple TV#4K (second generation)|Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)]]

== Gallery ==
[[File:A12 APL1W81 iPhoneXR mlb 820-01209-A.jpg|center|thumb|Apple A12 SoC on iPhone XR main logic board.]]


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Apple silicon]], the range of ARM-based processors designed by Apple
* [[Apple silicon]], the range of ARM-based processors designed by Apple
* [[Apple A12X Bionic]]
* [[Apple A12X]]
⚫
*[[Comparison of Armv8-A processors]]
* [[Apple A12Z]]
⚫
*[[Comparison of ARMv8-A cores]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|title=Apple A12 Bionic|years=2018|before=[[Apple A11|Apple A11 Bionic]]|after=[[Apple A13|Apple A13 Bionic]]}}
{{S-end}}


{{Apple Inc.}}
{{Apple Inc.}}
Line 94: Line 95:
{{Application ARM-based chips}}
{{Application ARM-based chips}}


⚫
[[Category:Apple Inc. mobile processors|A12]]
[[Category:ARM architecture]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 2018]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 2018]]
⚫
[[Category:Apple silicon]]

Latest revision as of 16:39, 20 August 2024

Apple A12 Bionic
General information
LaunchedSeptember 12, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-09-12)
DiscontinuedOctober 18, 2022; 22 months ago (2022-10-18)
Designed byApple Inc.
Common manufacturer
Product codeAPL1W81[2]
Max. CPU clock rateto 2.49[3] GHz
Cache
L1 cache128 KB instruction, 128 KB data
L2 cache8 MB
Architecture and classification
ApplicationMobile
Technology node7 nm[4][5] (N7)[6]
Microarchitecture"Vortex" and "Tempest"
Instruction setA64 – ARMv8.3-A
Physical specifications
Transistors
  • 6.9 billion
Cores
GPUApple-designed 4 core "Apple G11P"[4][7]
Products, models, variants
Variant
  • Apple S4/S5 SiP (cut-down version that utilizes high efficiency cores from A12
    Apple A12X/A12Z (more advanced version of A12 in iPad Pro and Developer Transition Kit
History
PredecessorApple A11
SuccessorApple A13

The Apple A12 Bionic is a 64-bit ARM-based system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc., part of the Apple silicon series,[8] It first appeared in the iPhone XS and XS Max, iPhone XR, iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Mini (5th generation), 8th generation iPad and Apple TV 4K (2nd generation).[8][5] Apple states that the two high-performance cores are 15% faster and 40% more energy-efficient than the Apple A11's, and the four high-efficiency cores use 50% less power than the A11's.[8][7] It is the first mass-market system on a chip to be built using the 7 nm process.[9]

Design

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The Apple A12 SoC features an Apple-designed 64-bit ARMv8.3-A six-core CPU, with two high-performance cores called Vortex, running at 2.49 GHz, and four energy-efficient cores called Tempest.[4][5] The Vortex cores are a 7-wide decode out-of-order superscalar design, while the Tempest cores are a 3-wide decode out-of-order superscalar design. Like the A11's Mistral cores, the Tempest cores are based on Apple's Swift cores from the Apple A6.[10]

The A12 also integrates an Apple-designed four-core graphics processing unit (GPU) with 50% faster graphics performance than the A11.[4][8] The A12 includes dedicated neural network hardware that Apple calls a "Next-generation Neural Engine."[11] This neural network hardware has eight cores[7] and can perform up to 5 trillion 8-bit operations per second.[4][5] Unlike the A11's Neural Engine, third-party apps can access the A12's Neural Engine.[12]

The A12 is manufactured by TSMC[1] using a 7 nm[5] FinFET process, the first to ship in a consumer product,[4][1] containing 6.9 billion transistors.[1] The die size of the A12 is 83.27 mm2, 5% smaller than the A11.[13] It is manufactured in a package on package (PoP) together with 4 GiB of LPDDR4X memory in the iPhone XS[2] and XS Max[13] and 3 GB of LPDDR4X memory in the iPhone XR, the iPad Air (2019), the 5th generation iPad mini, and the iPad (2020).[14] The ARMv8.3 instruction set it supports brings a significant security improvement in the form of pointer authentication, which mitigates exploitation techniques such as those involving memory corruption, Jump-Oriented-Programming, and Return-Oriented-Programming.[15]

The A12 has video codec encoding support for HEVC and H.264. It has decoding support for HEVC, H.264, MPEG‑4 Part 2, and Motion JPEG.[16]

Die Block Comparison (mm²)[17]
SoC A12 (7 nm) A11 (10 nm)
Total Die 83.27 87.66
Big Core 2.07 2.68
Small Core 0.43 0.53
CPU Complex (incl. cores) 11.90 14.48
GPU Core 3.23 4.43
GPU Total 14.88 15.28
NPU 5.79 1.83

Products that include the Apple A12 Bionic

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Summers, Nick (September 12, 2018). "Apple's A12 Bionic is the first 7-nanometer smartphone chip". Engadget. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "iPhone XS and XS Max Teardown". iFixit. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "iPhone XS Benchmarks - Geekbench Browser". Geekbench. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Ryan (September 12, 2018). "Apple Announces the 2018 iPhones: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, & iPhone XR". AnandTech. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e "iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max bring the best and biggest displays to iPhone" (Press release). Apple. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  6. ^ "The Apple iPhone 11, 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max Review: Performance, Battery, & Camera Elevated".
  7. ^ a b c d "A12 Bionic". Apple. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c d "Apple introduces iPhone XR" (Press release). Apple. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  9. ^ Shankland, Stephen. "Apple's A12 Bionic CPU for the new iPhone XS is ahead of the industry moving to 7nm chip manufacturing tech". CNET. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  10. ^ Frumusanu, Andrei. "The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets". AnandTech. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  11. ^ "iPhone XS - Technical Specification". Apple Inc. September 12, 2018. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  12. ^ Frumusanu, Andrei (October 5, 2018). "The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets". AnandTech. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  13. ^ a b Yang, Daniel; Wegner, Stacy (September 21, 2018). "Apple iPhone Xs Max Teardown". TechInsights. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  14. ^ "iPhone XR Teardown". iFixit. October 26, 2018. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  15. ^ Levin, Jonathan (September 15, 2018). "iPhone Xs, Xr... And, one more thing..." NewOSXBook.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  16. ^ "iPhone XS - Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  17. ^ Frumusanu, Andrei. "The iPhone XS & XS Max Review: Unveiling the Silicon Secrets". AnandTech. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
Preceded by Apple A12 Bionic
2018 		Succeeded by
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