iPad A4 Chip Could Find Way to iPhone

Initial reports about the iPad are coming back and the general consensus seems to agree that the thing is fairly speedy.

Per Macworld UK, the 1GHz A4 chip found in the iPad could ultimately find its way into the iPhone, as both the A4 and the current iPhone processors are designed around a low-power scheme as well as designed to run the iPhone OS.

The A4 chip was designed for portable products, and modified chips based on the architecture are prime candidates to be used in new iPhone versions, said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64. A variant of the A4 chip could make iPhones much faster, he said.

“There’s really no reason why a chip with this kind of characteristic wouldn’t make it in the iPhone,” Brookwood said.

“My guess is [the A4] is a lot faster than what they use in existing products,” Brookwood said.

An Apple representative declined to provide details about the A4 chip on Wednesday, but analysts said it was based on an Arm processor core. The chip was most likely designed by employees who came with Apple’s 2008 acquisition of chip firm PA Semi, which earlier was involved in designing low-power chips.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available and let us know what you think in the comments.