Early iPhone 5S prototype equipped with new A7 chip

Jesse

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A series of blurry photos last week revealed that the iPhone 5S is equipped with a larger battery and a dual LED flash, but that left us wanting for more details of actual substance. MacRumors has come through for us with a few additional pieces of info gleaned from a set of photos they got their hands on of the iPhone 5S.

The photos from last week pictured an iPhone with a code printed on its main chip indicating it was manufactured in October 2012. However, the new photos, pictured below, clearly show a chip with the model number APL0698, which MacRumors is confident is a rebranded A7 chip.

apple prototype iphone based a7 chip

The original iPhone 5 carried an A6 chip with the model number APL0598, while the fourth-generation iPad sported the A6X with model number APL5598. This nomenclature is demonstrative of the way Apple labels their rebranded chips, incrementing the first digit to represent variants of a chip, and the second digit when moving to a new family.

Other markings on the chip in the new image confirm that the device carries the same 1GB of Elpida DRAM as the current A6. A date code on the DRAM, 1239, indicates that it was manufactured in September 2012.

Additionally, MacRumors says they have determined that the device itself was assembled in December 2012, which makes it a fairly early and old prototype of the new iPhone.

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You know what one of my secret wishes is? That Apple releases an iPhone with a physical keyboard. I'm so sick of watching Blackberry destroy itself that I'd buy one just out of spite.
 
Epic phone. A7. Faster. Woah.

Ok seriously what I really want is an iPhone that can play more than 4 levels of xcom without needing a recharge. Or at least 6 hehe
 
Seems accurate. They said the bigger version of the iPhone wont come till next year, so I think this is legit.
 
A7 chip? Why bother? Why not just grovel before Samsung and beg for licencing deal of their Exynos 5 chip. It could be of benefit to them. For starers they may learn what a smartphone should be about...
 
A7 chip? Why bother? Why not just grovel before Samsung and beg for licencing deal of their Exynos 5 chip. It could be of benefit to them. For starers they may learn what a smartphone should be about...
Oh they know what a smartphone is about. They get all of their ideas from Windows and Samsung. Ever wonder why the iPhone seems to be about a year behind?
 
A7 chip? Why bother? Why not just grovel before Samsung and beg for licencing deal of their Exynos 5 chip. It could be of benefit to them. For starers they may learn what a smartphone should be about...

They are trying to create their own team and they want to distance themselves from Samsung.
 
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