Following the discovery that the third-generation Apple TV actually uses a new, 32nm dual-core revision of the A5 processor—with one of its cores disabled or otherwise non-functional—it has been revealed that new iPad 2 units are being built using the same processor.
AnandTech reports that multiple references to the S5L8942 system-on-a-chip—the technical name for the revised A5—can be found in the iOS 5.1 restore image for “iPad2,4”, which refers to the new, $399 iPad 2.
According to the report, performance is identical between the new A5 and the prior version found in older iPad 2 units; it remains unclear whether the new units are seeing any battery life benefit from the smaller chips.
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