根據(jù)Real World Technologies公司技術(shù)分析師David Kanter日前發(fā)布的一份報(bào)告指出，蘋果 iPad 3 設(shè)計(jì)存在重大瑕疪──其中所使用的圖像處理器(GPU)效能不足，無法負(fù)荷 Retina 顯示器的高階需求。他明白指出，蘋果在 iPad 3 上市才七個(gè)月后即迅速推出搭載三星32nm制程技術(shù)圖像芯片的新一代 iPad 4，即顯示蘋果公司已發(fā)現(xiàn)且認(rèn)定了這項(xiàng)設(shè)計(jì)疏失。

iPad 3采用Apple A5X雙核處理器，X代表GPU四核心
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這份分析報(bào)告在此時(shí)出現(xiàn)，剛好就是媒體正大幅報(bào)導(dǎo)蘋果準(zhǔn)備將部份 A 系列處理器制造產(chǎn)線從三星轉(zhuǎn)移到臺積電(TSMC)之際。據(jù)報(bào)導(dǎo)，臺積電將在本季開始試產(chǎn)用于 iPad 4 的 A6X 處理器。

iPad 4采用Apple A6X雙核處理器。A5整合了兩個(gè)SGX543 GPU核心，A5X整合了四個(gè)SGX543 GPU核心，A6X的圖形性能兩倍于A5X，蘋果是如何做到的？我們推測，A6X不可能使用剛剛發(fā)布的新一代PowerVR核心，蘋果可能仍然是提高頻率，將GPU頻率從A5X的 250MHz提高到500MHz
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從2011年三月起，業(yè)界許多傳聞即指出蘋果將把處理器制造產(chǎn)線從三星轉(zhuǎn)移至臺積電進(jìn)行生產(chǎn)。蘋果和三星雙方長時(shí)間在全球針對專利侵權(quán)問題對簿公堂，包括去年在加州的一項(xiàng)法院判決。 就晶圓代工廠的角色來看，三星和臺積電都能提供蘋果最新的28nm制程，以支持蘋果 A系列芯片所需的性能和更低功耗。但一位業(yè)界分析師猜測，蘋果可能與三星之間存在長期代工服務(wù)合約，這便能解釋為什么蘋果逐步轉(zhuǎn)移其于三星產(chǎn)能的做法。此 外，幾乎在2012年大部分的時(shí)間里，臺積電的28nm制程產(chǎn)能仍十分有限。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第二頁：iPad 3上市七個(gè)月后下架的理由 第三頁：iPad 3令蘋果陷于流失用戶的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)中

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• 傳蘋果聯(lián)手臺積電美國建芯片廠，加速去三星化
• iPad Mini缺貨都是“去三星化”惹的禍
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{pagination} Real World Technologies公司的Kanter說，對于蘋果而言，利用最新的制程技術(shù)才是關(guān)鍵。 A5X 的高成本與功耗無疑地正是蘋果為什么在 iPad 3 上市七個(gè)月后馬上就決定下架 iPad 3 的理由之一。 蘋果在今年三月發(fā)表 iPad 3 ，同時(shí)迅速采用了三星的‘Retina’顯示器。然而， A5X 芯片中的圖像處理器采用三星“傳統(tǒng)的 SiON 閘極電介質(zhì)45nm制程”，無法因應(yīng)新款2,048×1,536顯示器分辨率的更先進(jìn)的要求，Kanter表示。 “為了因應(yīng)這一趨勢，AMD與Nvidia早在2012年1月即已推出臺積電代工制造的高階28nm GPU ，不過產(chǎn)能并不大，”Kanter說。 當(dāng)三星32nm高K金屬閘極制程出現(xiàn)后，蘋果便能加速量產(chǎn)具有更高繪圖性能的 A6X 芯片，從而推動 iPad 4 在9月上市。

“A6X 不僅提供較前一代芯片更好的繪圖性能，同時(shí)也大幅縮小了芯片尺寸至123平方毫米，”Kanter說。
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本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第三頁：iPad 3令蘋果陷于流失用戶的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)中

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• 傳蘋果聯(lián)手臺積電美國建芯片廠，加速去三星化
• iPad Mini缺貨都是“去三星化”惹的禍
• 蘋果iPad助陣，三星面板龍頭地位岌岌可危Xiresmc

{pagination} Kanter 使用FLOPs/像素的比值來衡量蘋果的平板電腦繪圖效能，他指出， iPad 3 可實(shí)現(xiàn)198 FLOPS/像素的效能，遠(yuǎn)低于iPad 2的381 FLOPS/像素比?！熬蛯?shí)際應(yīng)用來看，這意味著任何能在 iPad 2 上順利進(jìn)行 3D 的應(yīng)用，可能無法在 Retina 顯示器上表現(xiàn)出來。”

iPad 3與iPad 2顯示器效果對比
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Kanter認(rèn)為，蘋果公司為了保持領(lǐng)先的優(yōu)勢，搶先在 Google Nexus 10 等競爭對手的平板電腦產(chǎn)品上市前采用 Retina 顯示器，最后卻推出一款GPU效能不足且設(shè)計(jì)有瑕疪的 iPad 3 平板電腦，也自陷于流失部份用戶的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)中。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Susan Hong 參考英文原文：IPad 3 called 'unbalanced' as Apple, TSMC rumors fly，by Rick Merritt

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• 傳蘋果聯(lián)手臺積電美國建芯片廠，加速去三星化
• iPad Mini缺貨都是“去三星化”惹的禍
• 蘋果iPad助陣，三星面板龍頭地位岌岌可危Xiresmc

{pagination} IPad 3 called 'unbalanced' as Apple, TSMC rumors fly Rick Merritt SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Apple iPad 3 is an unbalanced design with an underpowered graphics processor for its high-end display, according to an analysis released Wednesday (Jan. 2) by technology watcher David Kanter. Apple’s quick move to the iPad 4 with a graphics chip bolstered in part by Samsung’s new 32-nm process technology showed that Apple recognized the fault, he said. The analysis emerges as reports circulate again that Apple is preparing to shift at least some of the manufacturing of its A series processors from Samsung to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSMC will start trial production this quarter of the A6X processor used in the iPad 4, according to several reports citing Taiwan newspapers. Rumors have circulated since March 2011 that Apple will switch from Samsung to TSMC for foundry work. Apple and Samsung are locked in legal battles around the world over patent infringement including one resolved last year in a San Jose trial. As foundries, Samsung and TSMC both could offer Apple the latest 28 nm processes to bolster performance and lower power for the A series chips. One analyst speculated that Apple may have a long term supply contract for foundry services at Samsung, explaining its slow shift away from its smartphone and tablet competitor. Through much of 2012, TSMC had limited availability of its 28-nm process. Access to the latest process technology is key for Apple, said Kanter, principal of Real World Technologies. “The high cost and power consumption of the A5X was undoubtedly one of the reasons why Apple opted to discontinue the iPad 3 a mere seven months" after it was launched, he said. Apple moved quickly to adopt the so-called Retina display from Samsung in the iPad 3 released in March. However, the graphics processor in the A5X chip Apple used--made in a 45-nm Samsung process using “conventional SiON gate dielectrics”--could not adequately feed the new 2048×1536 display, Kanter said. Superior graphics “To put this in perspective, AMD and Nvidia were already shipping high-end 28-nm GPUs fabbed by TSMC as early as January 2012, although not in particularly high volumes,” Kanter said. When Samsung’s 32-nm high-K metal gate process became available, Apple was able to rev up production of the A6X chip with superior graphics to drive the iPad 4 launched in September. “Not only did the A6X offer substantially better graphics performance than the previous generation, but the die size is also considerably smaller, at around 123 mm2,” Kanter wrote. Kanter used a ratio of FLOPs/pixel to measure Apple’s tablet graphics performance, noting the iPad 3 delivered 198 FLOPs/pixel, far less than the 381 FLOPs/pixel of the iPad 2. “Practically speaking, this means that any 3D applications which were moderately taxing on the iPad 2 could not take advantage of the Retina display." By adopting the Retina display before competing tablets such as the Google Nexus 10, Apple retained a leadership advantage at the risk of disappointing some users with an under-power GPU in an unbalanced system, Kanter said.