Apple decided to opt for two manufacturers for their A9 chip, used by both the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6s Plus. This is far from convenient and it is not often that you see the tech giant using two separate manufacturers.
Battery and power usage performance differences have cropped up, leaving many iPhone users unhappy. A9 processors were sourced from both Samsung and TSMC, the manufacturer of Apple’s earlier A8 chip. Samsung has in the past carried out manufacturing of processors for Apple, producing their A7 range, however this time around Samsung has disappointed.
Two Manufacturers – 2 Hour Battery Difference
Even though they are essentially the same processor, the Samsung manufactured chip has higher power usage resulting in a shorter battery life than the variant from TSMC. The TSMC chipset gives iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s battery life up to two hours more battery life, according to tests conducted across numerous forums and message boards.
Tests conducted using an unofficial application created by user Hiraku Jira reveal that 70% of the devices tested utilize the TSMC A9, here’s hoping your device is one of them. Testing is most likely to reveal other small performance differences, although the difference in power consumption is the first, most noticeable between the two.
TMSC Chipset Offers Best Battery Life
This difference between seemingly identical devices has caused quite an uproar over the last two weeks. Some users cannot find evidence at all of the two hour battery-life difference, but tests are conclusive and the Samsung A9 is the inferior chip.
It is unlikely that Apple will make this same mistake again, but current iPhone owners are stuck and there is nothing you can do about it, short of upgrading. This A9 incident has made it clear that experience wins at the end of the day, with trusted manufacturer TMSC clearly outshining their competitor Samsung.
