Apple A6 Processor In Development for the iPhone 6, iPad 3

New generations of products need new processors, and Apple is reportedly well along in the development of the A6 chip, which will be used in the smartphone and tablet this company will release next year.

Not much is known about this processor, but some have predicted that it will have a quad-core design. The speed of these cores  is not yet available though.

This chip will follow in the heels of the Apple A5, which has two 1 GHz cores and is used in the iPhone 4 and iPad 2.

According to reports coming from chip-makers in Asia, the first test run of A6 units has already taken place at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Full production is expected to begin early next year at this company as well as Siliconware Precision Industries.

According to sources at these chip manufacturers, the first products based on the Apple A6 processor won't be available until the second quarter of next year.  This is expected to be the third-generation iPad. The sixth-gen iPhone, when it launches later in the year, will also likely be built around it.