Next-gen iPhone to get new ARM processor from PA Semi team

It’s amazing how much information people are willing to share in social network profiles. Take Wei-han Lien, for example, who is currently the senior manager of Apple’s chip team. While his LinkedIn profile didn’t quite look unusual, he revealed a very intriguing bit of information about him and his job at Apple.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he is currenly managing the ARM CPU architecture team for the iPhone. The iPhone and iPhone 3G already have their own ARM processors running underneath, so the only way Lien could be managing the ARM CPU architecture team for the iPhone is if Apple is making an entirely new ARM processor that’s based on specific iPhone needs itself.

This could be regarded as part of Apple’s move to acquire the start-up chipmaker P.A. Semiconductor for nearly $300 million earlier this year. But what exactly the P.A. Semi team is building for the next-gen iPhone is hard to confirm.

It is said that PA Semi specialized in making processors that were cost-efficient, powerful, and consumed very low power. If all these attributes come to the iPhone, we will indeed see a next-gen iPhone that’s worthy of its name.

PA Semi is also known for chips that go into missiles, computers in fighter jets, and surveillance equipment. Not sure exactly how that would help the iPhone, though.

Via NYT

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Posted on 15 Sep 08 - Filed in Apple, Wireless - Comments - Written by David Gonzales

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