Apple A9
The Apple A9 is a 64-bit ARM-based system-on-chip (SoC), designed by Apple Inc. Manufactured for Apple by both TSMC and Samsung, it first appeared in the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus which were introduced on September 9, 2015. Apple states that it has 70% more CPU performance and 90% more graphics performance compared to its predecessor, the Apple A8. On September 12, 2018, the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus along with the first-generation iPhone SE was discontinued, ending production of A9 chips. The latest software updates for the iPhone 6S & 6S Plus including the iPhone SE 1st generation variants systems using this chip are iOS 15.8.2, released on March 5, 2024, as they were discontinued with the release of iOS 16 in 2022, and for the iPad 5th generation using this chip was iPadOS 16.7.6, also released on March 5, 2024, as it was discontinued with the release of iPadOS 17 in 2023.
Apple A9 processor | |
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Launched | September 9, 2015 |
| Discontinued | September 12, 2018 |
| Designed by | Apple Inc. |
| Common manufacturer(s) |
|
| Product code | APL0898, APL1022 |
| Performance | |
| Max. CPU clock rate | 1.85 GHz (iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPad 9.7 2017) |
| Cache | |
| L1 cache | Per core: 64 KB instruction + 64 KB data |
| L2 cache | 3 MB shared |
| L3 cache | 4 MB shared |
| Architecture and classification | |
| Application | Mobile |
| Technology node | 16 nm (TSMC) to 14 nm (Samsung) |
| Microarchitecture | Twister |
| Instruction set | ARMv8-A: A64, A32, T32 |
| Physical specifications | |
| Cores |
|
| GPU(s) | Custom PowerVR Series 7XT (six-core) @ 650MHz |
| Products, models, variants | |
| Variant(s) | |
| History | |
| Predecessor(s) | Apple A8 |
| Successor(s) | Apple A10 Fusion |