# Apple A6X

> system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.

**Wikidata**: [Q1577937](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1577937)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_A6X)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/apple-a6x

## Summary
Apple A6X is a system on a chip (SoC) designed and developed by Apple Inc. It is a tablet-focused variant of the Apple A6 family, announced on 2012-10-23 and used in Apple's iPad devices (notably the fourth-generation iPad).

## Key Facts
- Apple A6X is an instance of a system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.
- Announcement date: 2012-10-23; inception date recorded as 2012-11-02.
- Discontinuation date: 2014-10-16.
- Die area: 123 square millimetres.
- Fabrication method: 32 nm lithography process.
- Microarchitecture: Apple Swift.
- Processor: 2 ARMv7 cores with a documented clock value of 1.4 (unit recorded in source).
- Graphics: PowerVR SGX554MP4 GPU with 4 GPU cores.
- Manufacturer(s): Samsung Electronics (start time recorded as 2012-10) and TSMC (documented manufacturer reference).
- Common aliases: A6X, APL5598, S5L8955X.
- Used by: iPad (fourth-generation iPad shown in source image).
- Part of: Apple A series; subclass of Apple A6 and Apple Silicon.
- Image of the chip: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/IPad_4,_model_A1458_-_mainboard_-_Apple_A6X-1735.jpg
- Freebase ID: /m/0nb1g60.

## FAQs
### Q: What devices used the Apple A6X?
A: The Apple A6X was used in iPad devices; the provided materials specifically associate the chip with the fourth-generation iPad.

### Q: How many CPU and GPU cores does the A6X have?
A: The A6X integrates two ARMv7 processor cores and a PowerVR SGX554MP4 graphics subsystem with four GPU cores.

### Q: When was the A6X announced and when was it discontinued?
A: The A6X was announced on 2012-10-23, has an inception record of 2012-11-02, and a recorded discontinuation date of 2014-10-16.

### Q: Who designed and manufactured the A6X?
A: Apple Inc. designed the A6X. Manufacturing is attributed to Samsung Electronics (from about 2012-10) and TSMC is also documented as a manufacturer in the provided sources.

## Why It Matters
The Apple A6X represents a tablet-optimized, higher-performance variant within Apple’s A-series SoC lineup. As a purpose-designed Apple SoC, it combined a dual-core ARMv7 CPU implementation (Apple Swift microarchitecture) with a quad-core PowerVR SGX554MP4 GPU to address the compute and graphics needs of Apple’s iPad hardware generation at the time. Fabricated on a 32 nm process and occupying a die area of 123 mm², the A6X exemplifies Apple’s approach of vertically integrating custom CPU design and selecting GPU subsystems to meet device-specific performance targets. Its inclusion in mainstream iPad hardware (notably the fourth-generation iPad) made it a commercially visible example of Apple’s transition toward in-house SoC design within the Apple A series and the broader Apple Silicon family. The chip’s manufacturing involvement by large wafer foundries (Samsung and TSMC) also reflects the multi-supplier fabrication strategies often used for mobile SoCs.

## Notable For
- Integration of a PowerVR SGX554MP4 GPU with four GPU cores, distinguishing it as a graphics-focused variant in the A6 family.
- Dual ARMv7 CPU cores based on Apple Swift microarchitecture with a documented 1.4 clock figure.
- Fabricated on a 32 nm lithography process with a die area of 123 mm².
- Designed by Apple Inc. specifically for iPad use and announced on 2012-10-23.
- Manufactured by major foundries (Samsung Electronics from ~2012-10 and TSMC is also documented).

## Body

### Overview
- Apple A6X is a system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc.
- It is categorized within the Apple A series and is a subclass of Apple A6 and Apple Silicon.
- The chip was announced on 2012-10-23 and has an inception date recorded as 2012-11-02.
- The discontinuation date is recorded as 2014-10-16.

### Design and Development
- Designer: Apple Inc. (American multinational technology company based in Cupertino, California).
- Microarchitecture: Apple Swift.
- Instance of: system on a chip.

### Manufacturing
- Documented manufacturers include Samsung Electronics (start_time recorded as 2012-10) and TSMC (documented in source references).
- Fabrication method: 32 nm lithography process.

### Processor and GPU
- CPU: 2 processor cores.
  - Core architecture: ARMv7.
  - Clock figure: 1.4 (unit as recorded in source data).
- GPU: PowerVR SGX554MP4.
  - GPU cores: 4.

### Physical and Identifiers
- Die area: 123 square millimetres.
- Aliases and model identifiers: A6X, APL5598, S5L8955X.
- Freebase ID: /m/0nb1g60.
- Image: a photographed A6X on a fourth-generation iPad mainboard is available at the provided Commons URL.

### Product Lifecycle and Usage
- Used in Apple iPad hardware; source material associates it with the fourth-generation iPad.
- Announcement date: 2012-10-23.
- Discontinuation date: 2014-10-16.

### Classification and Relationships
- Part of the Apple A series.
- Related items in the family include Apple A5X (previous variant) and Apple A7 (subsequent family member in Apple’s A-series timeline).

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## References

1. [Source](http://www.ixbt.com/news/hard/index.shtml?16/41/69)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013