iPhone 7: Apple could use Intel chips to power its next smartphone

Intel is reportedly working on chips that will be used in Apple's next iPhone - the iPhone 7

Apple may have only launched its iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus a few weeks ago, but Apple is hard at work on its next handset.

The Cupertino company is believed to be working with Intel on the next generation of chips to power the new smartphones.

It is believed particular attention is being paid to the LTE modem chip that will handle connectivity within the new handset.

Industry sources say Intel has a 1,000-strong team working on getting the next-generation 7360 LTE modem chip ready for mass production.

 

Sources say new iPhones will use Intel chips for its LTE connectivity

If true, the new Intel chip will replace the Qualcomm 9X45 LTE chip currently found in the iPhone 6S.

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich recently made a series of comments on the LTE chips which fuelled speculation the two firms were working together.

Previous comments from the CEO have alluded to a consumer release of 2016 for the new chipset.

The news comes weeks after the recent ChipGate scandal, which saw some handsets shipping with weaker battery life because of the chip powering the phone.

Apple has since confirmed that some users can expect to see slight differences between iPhone models. 

A spokesperson for the company told NewsNewsBlog.blogspot.com: "Our testing and customer data show the actual battery life of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, even taking into account variable component differences, vary within just 2 to 3 per cent of each other."

 

The difference lies in the manufacturer of the A9 chip - with one being TSMC and the other Samsung.

Forum posts claimed Apple smartphones running the A9 chip built by TSMC can eek a few more hours battery life from their handset.

The TSMC chip was also shown to run much cooler than its Samsung alternative in a number of online tests.

If you want to find out what's powering your iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus there's an app that can handily reveal all.

Head to the App Store and download Lirum Device Info Lite. The software will provide you with your model number that can then be checked against the two chips. 

iPhones with model number N66AP or N71AP point to the Samsung chip, whereas N66MAP and N71MAP indicate the TSMC.

 

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich previously talked 2016

The full statement from Apple on its A9 read: "With the Apple-designed A9 chip in your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, you are getting the most advanced smartphone chip in the world. 

"Every chip we ship meets Apple's highest standards for providing incredible performance and deliver great battery life, regardless of iPhone 6s capacity, colour, or model.

"Certain manufactured lab tests which run the processors with a continuous heavy workload until the battery depletes are not representative of real-world usage, since they spend an unrealistic amount of time at the highest CPU performance state.

"It's a misleading way to measure real-world battery life. 

"Our testing and customer data show the actual battery life of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, even taking into account variable component differences, vary within just 2-3% of each other."