Apple sneaks iPad 2 with 32nm chip into retail
Big battery life boost for mystery machine
Apple has quietly begun shipping a revamped version of the iPad 2 that delivers better battery life than its predecessor, thanks to the use of 32nm chippery in place of a 45nm part.
The new iPad 2 goes by the model name 'iPad2,4'. It's a Wi-Fi only device, its predecessor being the 'iPad 2,1' released in March 2011.
The difference: a 32nm, 69mm² Apple A5 chip. The original had a 45nm, 122mm² A5.
So far as can be told, Apple was still shipping 45nm versions when it cut the 16GB iPad 2 price to £329, from £399, when it launched the iPad 3.
The new version has begun slipping into the supply chain, website AnandTech discovered. The site's benchmarking suggests the new model delivers between 15.8 per cent - for surfing - and 29.1 per cent - when gaming - better battery life.
The snag: there's no way of seeing whether an iPad 2 is a 2,1 or a 2,4 without opening the box and running software capable of extracting that data from the device.
The white 2,4 appears to be shipping as Apple Part Number MC979LL/A. According to Apple's online store, the white 16GB iPad 2 it is selling is the MC989LL/A. Over here, it's the MC954LL/A. Black units have entirely different model numbers too. But eyeing up part numbers doesn't appear to be a successful way of ID-ing the 32nm machines.
But presumably, as Apple sells out of 2,1 stock, it will be replaced by 2,4 units. ®
COMMENTS
Apple knows its customer base well. That's why both products have the same name, they didn't advertise the new specification and you're not allowed to know what you've got until after you go to the Apple store, flash your credit card and ask "can I have some ipad please?"
It needs to be 1,000 times better? One thousand? Really??
I could understand a few quantified points;
- I want the battery to withstand at least 24 hours of browsing & game playing
- I want the recharge time to be under 4 hours
- I want an Android style option to unlock the installation of non-AppStore apps
- I want it to cost less than £300 for the wifi only model
- I want a 128GB version made available
Perhaps even a ridiculous;
- I want it to have a physical keyboard
- I want it to come with an actual Unicorn
But to simply say it needs to be ONE THOUSAND times better... frankly, this reeks of troll.
They are doing a similar thing with the new Apple TV. I suspect they are taking two 'relatively' low volume channels (old iPad and Apple TV) and using them as a way of testing production mechanisms of such chips before ramping to full production for the higher volume devices.
Tim Cook's influence at work as he is apparently an expert on the supply chain/management.
Re: @Jediben
By the way, it had a thumbs up icon for my post because I perceive this as a GOOD thing for all potential iPad purchasers. Of course it has got to sting a little for those who recently bought one...
