What is the Difference Between Apple A4 and Qualcomm Snapdragon S2?

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The Apple A4 and Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 are both System-on-Chips (SoCs) designed for handheld devices, but they have some differences in terms of CPU architecture, GPU, and performance. Here is a comparison between the two:

Apple A4:

  • CPU: ARM Cortex A8 (Single Core)
  • CPU's Clock Speed: 1.0 GHz
  • GPU: PowerVR SGX535
  • L1 Cache: 32kB instruction, 32kB data
  • L2 Cache: 512kB
  • First Device: iPad
  • Other Devices: iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4G
  • Manufacturing Process: TSMC's 45nm

Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 MSM8255:

  • CPU: Qualcomm Scorpion (Single Core)
  • CPU's Clock Speed: 800 MHz – 1.4 GHz
  • GPU: Qualcomm AdrenoTM 205
  • L1 Cache: Not Known
  • L2 Cache: Not Known
  • First Device: HTC Vision
  • Other Devices: LG Optimus7, HTC Desire, HP Veer, HTC Ignite, HTC Prime, Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro, Motorola Triumph
  • Manufacturing Process: TSMC's 45nm

In terms of performance, both SoCs have comparable features, with the Snapdragon S2 potentially having a faster clocking frequency. The GPU section shows that Adreno 205 is known to outperform PowerVR SGX535. The A4 may have a higher IPC (Instructions per Clock) than the Snapdragon due to better core architecture, larger caches, or a faster memory bus.

Comparative Table: Apple A4 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon S2

Here is a table comparing the differences between the Apple A4 and Qualcomm Snapdragon S2:

Feature Apple A4 Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 MSM8255
Release Date March 2010 Q2 2010
Type SoC SoC
First Device iPad HTC Vision
Other Devices iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4G LG Optimus7, HTC Desire, HP Veer, HTC Ignite, HTC Prime, Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro, Motorola Triumph
ISA ARM v7 (32bit) ARM v7 (32bit)
CPU ARM Cortex A8 (Single Core) Qualcomm Scorpion (Single Core)
CPU's Clock Speed 1.0 GHz 800 MHz – 1.4 GHz
GPU PowerVR SGX535 Qualcomm AdrenoTM 205
CPU/GPU Technology TSMC's 45nm TSMC's 45nm
L1 Cache 32kB instruction, 32kB data Not Known
L2 Cache 512kB Not Known

Both the Apple A4 and Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 have comparable features and use similar CPU architecture, with the Snapdragon S2 having potentially faster clocking frequencies. The GPU in the Snapdragon S2, Adreno 205, is known to outperform the PowerVR SGX535 in the Apple A4.