Following the release of the new iPad Pro 2020, there have been quite a lot of rumors about the new A12Z Bionic chip being just a modernized follow up to the previous A12X bionic processor which came equipped in the 2018 iPad Pro models.
The new iPad Pro 2020 comes equipped with an A12Z bionic processor which is allegedly very similar to the 2018 iPad Pro’s A12X chip. There seem to be very little improvements in performance when comparing the two chips.
The A12Z chip in iPad Pro 2020 has an 8-core GPU as compared to A12X, which comes equipped with a 7-core GPU. AnandTech has hypothesized that the A12Z chip is just a revised version of the A12X chip. Both chips have the same physical CPU and GPU cores and appearance, which further influence the hypothesis that both chips have a matching design.
According to NotebookCheck, A12Z is a retitled version of the previous chip with an enhanced GPU (8-Core instead of 7-Core). TechInsights have confirmed that the A12Z bionic chip physically has an 8-core GPU.
So far these theories are mere assumptions and different speculations are being presented by tech giants about the alleged similarities. However, the decision by Apple could have been deliberate due to many reasons, possibly to focus on upcoming devices and their operating systems. For now, NotebookCheck will conduct a detailed floor-plan analysis to examine the differences between the A12X chip in the 2018 iPad Pro and A12Z in the 2020 iPad Pro models.
It is not uncommon for tech companies to disable physical cores in their processor designs. This saves Apple the time from working on an A13X chip and enables them to focus on their A14X Bionic chip which is expected to ship in the 5G iPad Pro later this year. The new iPad Pro is rumored to ship with a mini-LED display, with 5G connectivity when it is released later this year.
