Sept 7 (Reuters) – Apple is gearing up to unveil its latest iPhone, featuring the new A18 chip, at a highly anticipated event on Monday. The Financial Times reports that the A18 chip has been developed using Arm’s cutting-edge V9 architecture, which is owned by SoftBank. This next-generation chip promises to deliver significant performance improvements and enhanced efficiency.
The event, scheduled for September 9 at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, is expected to showcase not only the new iPhone but also updates across Apple’s product lineup. In addition to the iPhone announcements, attendees may also see new developments in iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, as well as updates to the company’s software and services. Apple’s fall events typically highlight advancements in technology and design, setting the stage for the company’s product strategies for the coming year.
In September of last year, Apple signed a significant deal with Arm, extending their partnership well beyond 2040. This agreement is a major boost for Arm, underscoring its pivotal role in chip technology.
Arm revealed in July that its V9 chip architecture now represents 50% of the global smartphone revenue, highlighting its dominance in the market. Arm holds the intellectual property for the computing architecture used in the majority of the world’s smartphones, licensing this technology to numerous companies, including Apple.
Apple utilizes Arm’s technology as the foundation for designing its custom chips, which power its iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This collaboration enables Apple to create highly optimized processors tailored to its hardware, enhancing performance and efficiency across its device ecosystem.
The partnership between Apple and Arm dates back to the early days of the company. Apple was one of the founding partners when Arm was established in 1990. This collaboration began before the release of Apple’s “Newton” handheld computer in 1993, which utilized an Arm-based processor.
Despite the Newton’s commercial failure, Arm’s technology gained traction and eventually became a leader in mobile phone chipsets. Its low power consumption was a key factor in its success, significantly extending battery life and making it a preferred choice for mobile devices. Today, Arm’s chips are integral to the majority of smartphones, underscoring the long-term impact of the company’s early innovations and its enduring partnership with Apple.