Apple TV Packs Custom A5 Chip

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The new Apple TV gets its own custom chip
The new Apple TV gets its own custom chip

Tim Cook kind of rushed past the Apple TV update yesterday. On the surface of things, not much changed: 1080p was the only real new feature, as the new iOS-like interface and Netflix sign-up are also available on older Apple TVs via update. But under the hood, the little black box is powered by a custom single-core A5 chip.

The old Apple TV used the exact same same A4 processor found in the iPad and iPod Touches of the time (model number K4X2G643GE. The iPhone 4 used a slightly different chip). Now, the specs page lists the Apple TV as containing an “Apple single-core A5 chip.”

The new iPad, on the other hand, sports the new dual-core Apple A5X.

Why? Well, the Apple TV needs to do 1080p video, and that’s about it. The iPad, on the other hand, needs to run apps and power a crazy retina display. Clearly the A5X would have been overkill (and over expensive) for the little $99 box.

And speaking of prices, reports on Twitter say that the Apple TV is dropping in price outside the US, dropping from €119 to €109. My guess for this is the strong dollar exchange rate.

[Via Apple Insider]

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