It’s no secret that Android processors, whether Qualcomm or MediaTek, have consistently lagged behind Apple in terms of raw performance. However, a recent report from Moor Insights and Strategy suggests that after decades of trailing, ARM could narrow the gap and potentially surpass Apple’s offerings with the upcoming Cortex X5 CPU core. By Hisan Kidwai.
Codenamed Blackhawk, ARM’s new core design reportedly delivers the “largest year-over-year IPC (instructions per cycle/clock) performance increase in 5 years,” making it one of the most significant upgrades since the introduction of the Cortex-X series of processors in 2020. Additionally, aligning with industry trends, the core also boasts impressive Large Language Model (LLM) performance and generative AI capabilities.
Apple uses ARM’s technology to design its own chips, retaining exclusive rights to these designs. This distinction has led to a substantial performance gap, enabling iPhones to run full-desktop-level games while their Android counterparts often struggle even with regular mobile games.
Although specific timelines are still unclear, the technology could debut in phones, hitting the market towards the end of this year. Regarding specific processors, both the upcoming MediaTek Dimensity 9400 and Samsung Exynos 2500 are slated to integrate the new Cortex-X CPU core, bringing them closer in performance to Apple’s A18 Pro and Bionic SoCs. Good read!
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