iPad’s A4 chip based on ARM Cortex A8?

According to a new report, Apple’s A4 chip, announced as the processor inside the iPad, is based on a single ARM Cortex A8 processing core, instead of a multi-core ARM Cortex A9 chip as had been previously reported. Citing multiple anonymous sources, Ars Technica reports that the A4 chip houses both a single Cortex A8 core and a PowerVR SGX GPU, similar to those found in the iPhone 3GS, and speculates that the company significantly pared down the I/O connections of the A8, possibly removing the IR handler, still and video camera support, and keypad controller. Notably, however, the author of the report seems to have been unaware of the iPad’s support for external displays, correcting a statement claiming that “no external display attachment has been announced” to say that “the latest rumors from the SDK indicate that there is external display support, and at least one company has announced an adaptor,” ignoring completely that Apple itself has announced such an accessory; the report also makes no mention of Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit.