14 DAY TRIAL // A “leaked” logic board is making the rounds suggesting the iPhone 5S/iPhone 6 will sport a larger A7 chip (compared to the current-generation A6 SoC). In fact, the next-generation chip may be identical in size to the current silicon.
As pointed out by a poster on the MacRumors forum, the leaked logic board could simply by narrower, which explains why the A-series chip holder leaves little to no room for anything else on its sides.
This user, identified as chrmjenkins, points out to the A6, and how it has room for a triple row of caps to its left.
He also notes that, on the back of the logic board, the Hynix memory holder is placed vertically, further suggesting that there isn’t enough room to place it horizontally (like in the iPhone 5).
“The new logic board only has room for a single row (caps being placed longways, granted). Also, the back of the iPhone 5 logic board has the Hynix memory module spanning the whole board. Now since the board is thinner, it's been forced to rotate 90 degrees to fit since it's longer than it is wide,” he explains.
It’s far more plausible that the logic board itself has shrunk, rather than to consider that Apple has increased the size of its chips.
With every new iPhone/iPad generation, Apple strives to make the electronics smaller and smaller, leaving more room for battery cells and other components that are better off bigger.
It’s logical to assume this time around will be no different, especially considering how important space is in a small device – the more space you have, the more room there is for battery cells.
Since battery life is one of the biggest concerns for smartphone buyers, you can expect Apple to act in this direction.
