The iPhone 5 News Blog

Whether you’re a rabid tech geek or mere tech mortal, there’s a new term to learn for the iPhone 5′s A6 processor: Macroscalar. Read all about it here:

There has already been a lot written about what kind of new technology will define the A6 processor, which is purported to be in line to be included in the iPhone release this year. here on the blog, we’ve talked about the A6 being quad core, or sporting new 3D transistors. Either or both of these innovations would be a first for smartphone technology, and dramatically increase the processing power of the next iPhone.

But a new technology has recently come to light, Macroscalar architecture, which could become a defining feature for future iPhone chips.

This new word got injected into Apple taxonomy by way of a new patent that Cupertino filed last week. Like all patents, the filing of the invention and bringing it to production are two different things: we’ve reported on several amazing Apple patents here, such as movable topograhy, but none of which have yet to find their way onto an iPhone. It would seem that Apple seeks to patent first, and fully develop the technology later.

but this is a little bit different — it is a not a patent, but rather a trademark. A trademark suggests that the technology is getting ready for mainstream production, which is why some people are wonding if it will turn up in the new iPhone this year.

It would make a lot of sense, since Macroscalar technology for a mobile processor would be completely in line with the rumors of a quad core and/or 3D A6 chip: we’re talking speed and power by way of a brand-new kind of processing architecture that optimizes and streamlines processes.

Cult Of Mac has a very nice explanation of the technology, wherein they explain: “Currently, rising clock frequencies of processors aren’t translating into higher performance because most consumer software isn’t optimized to use the technology. Macroscalar processors aim to put an end to that problem by generating contingent secondary instructions at compile-time, so when a data-dependent loop completes the next set of instructions are ready to execute. Essentially, a “Macroscalar” processor would make sure the pipeline of work it has to do always stays full regardless of whether a loop continues or completes so that efficiency is increased.”

There’s a certain level of shared frustration (between users and electionics designers alike) in the fact that the full measure of processing power on devices like the iPhone is not being leveraged by the software that is run on it. Granted, you would assume that Apple does a good job at keeping its software in line with its hardware, since both software and hardware design are kept in house (this is precisely what Google intuitively knows it has to do in order to compete one on one with the iPhone). But it is still obviously an issue even with Apple products — otherwise, we wouldn’t be hearing about Macroscalar technology.

Still, it would be encouraging to think that the iPhone 5 would not only feature a more powerful A6 processor, but also that we would as users get maximum use of its processing power.

(Read Patently Apple‘s article on Macroscalar technology for further reading.)

By Michael Nace