The Apple rumor scene is always on fire with speculation of all sorts, but two things of note popped up on the rumor mill that pertain to iOS gamers. First off, lately reports have been flowing in that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) have started a trial run to produce Apple’s next generation processor. The A6 is suspected to be revealed in the second quarter of 2012 at the earliest, with a possible inclusion in the next generation iPad.
Specifics on what kind of technology will be included in the A6 is still understandably vague, but it’s said to utilize both the 28-nanometer construction process as well as 3D stacking technologies among other high-tech features. Other than that, it’s safe to assume the A6 will follow in the footsteps of the A4 to A5 evolution in that it will be faster, have more graphical muscle, and use less power.
In other news, we’ve suspected that we’ll see the new iPhone and iPod touch in the next few months as Apple aligns the release of the iPhone with their previous iPod-centric media events. Currently, the rumor mill is fairly certain that this event will fall on September 7th, which fits well in line with events of previous years which have also been held in early September. It also isn’t that much of a stretch to think that iOS 5 will launch at or around the same time as this event.
If you’ve been looking to upgrade your iOS device, it’s probably best to wait at least until early September to see what happens. I’d put my bets on Apple announcing a new iPhone and iPod touch at this event, and have them be available in short order. But, if you need an iOS device now, the iPhone 4 still is a solid device, and a 32GB iPod touch refurb for $179 seems like a great deal.
UPDATE: Since this posting, sources have flat out denied an event taking place in September, and rumors have come to light about both an “iPhone 4S" and an “iPad 3" coming in October. What will actually happen? Who knows, surely there’s got to be some kind of bingo card for this.
