The Significance of Apple's 64 Bit A7# PDA - 掌中宝
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http://www.semiwiki.com/forum/content/2759-significance-apple-s disappointment amongst analysts is palpable. Dreams of low cost iphones for the masses were kicked away when Apple introduced their two new iphones at the same price points as the old ones. Clearly Apple is playing a different game than what most others are anticipating as the market runs to 5BU. The market has split into the land of free Android hardware and software (80% of the market) and that of the 20% profitable niche that has led Microsoft to buy Nokia in order to save the “burning platform.” The truth is every platform is on fire as the big ecosystem players try to profitably leap frog to where the dollars are. Tim Cook has never explicitly said so, but his goal is not to offer cheap iphones to the masses, rather it is to conquer the Corporate Wintel Empire in as short a period of time as possible. The refreshed iphones will support his efforts, however it is possible that A7 powered iPADs will be a more significant contributor.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s phone business is an affirmation that
in the end software must reside on a physical device and at the reach of
every finger-tip. Microsoft and Intel had 30 years to refine, improve and
cost reduce the PC thereby displacing all but the fewest of mainframes. They
were even able to execute a mid life kicker with mobile PCs. However, in
the end, cellular changed the formfactor requirements thus sending PCs to
the legacy farm. The folks in Redmond see where the thread of a reduced
corporate compute footprint combined with lack of control of today’s mobile
leads. And yet, with as profitable Office is, they refuse to port to iOS
because the hardware guys are now in control.
Apple’s introduction of the 64-bit A7 CPU with a “desktop class
architecture” and over 1Billion transistors and 2X performance is messaging
straight out of the Intel PR handbook. The bar has been raised and they
will now start the corporate spec-manship game against their rivals. Add in
the security message of iOS and we have the transmorphing of the messages
that Wintel used to sell the corporate world to those that Apple will use.
Beyond the messaging, one has to think of the impact a 64 bit A7 will have
across an entire platform of products. While the new CPU is at this stage
overkill for the iphone, it is certainly interesting in what it could bring
to the iPAD or an ARM based Mac Air. On the roadmap must surely be a
multitasking iOS that requires increased CPU horsepower and the ability to
address more than 4GB of memory. Apple has entered x86 Silvermont territory.
The cannibalization of the 9.7” iPAD by the iPAD mini this past year shows
not only are there multiple tablet market segments but that a sustainable
high end market requires more than just a larger screen. The consumer would
rather surf the internet with a smaller, lighter tablet and skip the
keyboard. Apple has been slow to upgrade the larger iPAD into something
meaningful and perhaps it is all because they were waiting on the A7 to
power a mobile that can truly offer “Office functionality.” Look for
VmWare and Parallels as well as iwork to be leveraged to offload Microsoft
wherever possible. As for the A7, the 102mm die size is quite interesting as
it is around the same point where Intel in the 1990s would build their low
end CPU targeting corporate. It is obviously an economic, wafer yielding
inflection point.
It is safe to say at this point that no one in the PC or mobile industry can
accurately predict the true size of the PC and tablet markets given the
turnover of new products, the absorption of new technology and the inability
of buyers to fully understand the productivity tradeoffs. Experimentatin
leads the way which means Apple, Microsoft, Google and the rest of the
players will be introducing even more products at every smaller price point
divergences in order to stay close to changes in trends.
History says that consolidation follows.
With its expensive iphone 5C and 5S swimming in a sea of Apple seems to be drawing a line in the sand in the consumer space while it
builds its moat around corporate. The winner of corporate though has to win
the $500-$999 mobile space and that is up for grabs. The mobile has to be
very light, outfitted with a 10-11” screen and keyboard and last all day on
a charge. Apple has it in the MAC Air, but it is $999 and above. The PC
players are rushing in with Windows and Android tablets. Depending on what
Apple introduces in the next couple months will determine if they see a
return to growth in this segment or if the battle ends up raging for years.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s phone business is an affirmation that
in the end software must reside on a physical device and at the reach of
every finger-tip. Microsoft and Intel had 30 years to refine, improve and
cost reduce the PC thereby displacing all but the fewest of mainframes. They
were even able to execute a mid life kicker with mobile PCs. However, in
the end, cellular changed the formfactor requirements thus sending PCs to
the legacy farm. The folks in Redmond see where the thread of a reduced
corporate compute footprint combined with lack of control of today’s mobile
leads. And yet, with as profitable Office is, they refuse to port to iOS
because the hardware guys are now in control.
Apple’s introduction of the 64-bit A7 CPU with a “desktop class
architecture” and over 1Billion transistors and 2X performance is messaging
straight out of the Intel PR handbook. The bar has been raised and they
will now start the corporate spec-manship game against their rivals. Add in
the security message of iOS and we have the transmorphing of the messages
that Wintel used to sell the corporate world to those that Apple will use.
Beyond the messaging, one has to think of the impact a 64 bit A7 will have
across an entire platform of products. While the new CPU is at this stage
overkill for the iphone, it is certainly interesting in what it could bring
to the iPAD or an ARM based Mac Air. On the roadmap must surely be a
multitasking iOS that requires increased CPU horsepower and the ability to
address more than 4GB of memory. Apple has entered x86 Silvermont territory.
The cannibalization of the 9.7” iPAD by the iPAD mini this past year shows
not only are there multiple tablet market segments but that a sustainable
high end market requires more than just a larger screen. The consumer would
rather surf the internet with a smaller, lighter tablet and skip the
keyboard. Apple has been slow to upgrade the larger iPAD into something
meaningful and perhaps it is all because they were waiting on the A7 to
power a mobile that can truly offer “Office functionality.” Look for
VmWare and Parallels as well as iwork to be leveraged to offload Microsoft
wherever possible. As for the A7, the 102mm die size is quite interesting as
it is around the same point where Intel in the 1990s would build their low
end CPU targeting corporate. It is obviously an economic, wafer yielding
inflection point.
It is safe to say at this point that no one in the PC or mobile industry can
accurately predict the true size of the PC and tablet markets given the
turnover of new products, the absorption of new technology and the inability
of buyers to fully understand the productivity tradeoffs. Experimentatin
leads the way which means Apple, Microsoft, Google and the rest of the
players will be introducing even more products at every smaller price point
divergences in order to stay close to changes in trends.
History says that consolidation follows.
With its expensive iphone 5C and 5S swimming in a sea of Apple seems to be drawing a line in the sand in the consumer space while it
builds its moat around corporate. The winner of corporate though has to win
the $500-$999 mobile space and that is up for grabs. The mobile has to be
very light, outfitted with a 10-11” screen and keyboard and last all day on
a charge. Apple has it in the MAC Air, but it is $999 and above. The PC
players are rushing in with Windows and Android tablets. Depending on what
Apple introduces in the next couple months will determine if they see a
return to growth in this segment or if the battle ends up raging for years.
