CPUSmartphoneReleased Sep 25, 2015

Apple A9

2C/2T · 1.9 GHz

The Apple A9 was introduced on September 9, 2015 with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and later powered the first-generation iPhone SE and the 5th-generation iPad. It was Apple's first chip made by two foundries, Samsung on 14 nm and TSMC on 16 nm, which prompted debate in 2015 over battery-life differences between the two versions. It integrates the M9 motion coprocessor, which enabled always-on "Hey Siri", and it is the minimum chip required for Apple's ARKit augmented-reality framework.

General

Manufacturer: Apple
Model: Apple A9
Segment: Smartphone
Generation: A-series (A9)
Codename: —
Architecture: ARM64
Microarchitecture: Twister
Release date: Sep 25, 2015
Price: Search on Amazon

Cores & clocks

Cores / threads: 2 cores / 2 threads
Base clock: —
Boost clock: 1.85 GHz
TDP (design W): —
Unlocked: ✕ No
L2 cache: 3 MB
L3 cache: 4 MB
Technology (nm): 16 nm
14/16 nm

Platform

Socket: BGA (soldered SoC)
2-CPU (multi-socket): ✕ No
Integrated GPU: PowerVR GT7600
Memory type: LPDDR4-3200 (unified)
1-channel
Memory size: 2 GB
ECC memory: —
PCIe: —

Instructions & AI

Instruction extensions: ARMv8-ANEONAESSHA
NPU: None

OS support

Notes: The A9 runs Apple iOS and iPadOS only. The iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and first-generation iPhone SE were supported through iOS 15, and the 5th-generation iPad through iPadOS 16. The chip was never used in a Mac and does not run macOS, Windows or desktop Linux distributions.

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