The iOS 11 Golden Master leak has given us a lot of juicy details about what to expect at Apple’s launch event tomorrow. People have been diving into the code to see what the iPhone X may bring to the table and what we could see from Apple’s other devices as well. Twitter user, @never_released, has been one of the few that have been digging through the iOS 11 GM code to reveal tidbits about the iPhone X that we didn’t previously know.
The iPhone X processor has long been a question of many Apple fans. The rumors were juicy with people expecting Apple’s new A11 chip to be more powerful than the A10X found in the iPad Pro. That was a lofty ambition but it appears that may have been correct. According to @never_released, the A11 chip from Apple will have 6 cores. Yes, you read that right. 6 cores and all of them will reportedly be able to run at the same time.
Here are some of the Tweets from @never_released. Check out his feed for more details and discussion:
Probably one of the most interesting pieces about the iPhone X processor is that its small cores will allegedly be faster than the large cores in a Snapdragon 835 – the processor used on most Android flagships like the Galaxy Note 8. If true, this would mean the iPhone X has the potential to blow and competitors out of the water when it comes to speed and power. How the iPhone X is going to use all of that power remains to be seen. Perhaps Apple has an iPad Pro-like plan for the iPhone X with some powerful programs coming to the device.
We also know that Apple will be introducing a face scanning feature that uses a new, front-facing infrared camera to scan a user’s face. Perhaps this feature requires some extra processing power to be able to analyze an image and then perform various tasks. We believe that the face scanning feature will be able to replace TouchID functionality. So, for example, users will be able to scan their face in order to unlock their device, authorize Apple Pay purchases, and access secure apps. This could use some extra power from the iPhone X processor which would explain the 6 cores.
Of course, having 6 cores should also help future proof the iPhone X a bit. If the iPhone X processor is as powerful as some claim it to be then it should still be a very good processor when we get 2 or 3 years down the road. This is obviously good news for anyone who is thinking of dropping $900 or more on the iPhone X. A device that’s pushing $1000 should last you for a little while. Of course, there will be some people that update their iPhone every year no matter what in order to get the latest, greatest thing from Apple.
Another interesting piece of information from @never_released is the possibility for USB Type-C support in the iPhone X. This would be a very interesting development. I’m not sure Apple has gone so far as to completely losing the Lightning cable but perhaps they are introducing a USB Type-C to Lightning dongle. My guess is as good as yours. Here’s what was seen in the iOS 11 GM code:
usbc-fw-personality
usbc-flash-update
There is always the possibility that Apple has seen the light and will be using USB Type-C like every other mobile device but I don’t think that’s very likely. We may have to wait until more details are released before we can know what those mentions to USB Type-C in the code really mean. Still, it’s another exciting piece of information to chew on and consider in the lead up to the big launch tomorrow.
I have to be honest, I’m a dedicated Android user. I’m pretty committed to my Google overlords. However, the rumors about the iPhone X processor and its incredible power has me thinking the iPhone X might be a good switch. Of course, like many, the iPhone X price may be the ultimate decider. Since I’m in Canada and our Moose Dollars don’t go as far as $USD then I will be looking at likely $1200 or more to buy the iPhone X. Will the iPhone X be worth the price tag? What do you think?
