Apple's A12X chip launched back on October 30, 2018 and was used in devices until its discontinuation last month. However, new reports are saying that its successor A12Z is almost identical to the A12X chip.

Apple's A12Z chip is reported, by TechInsight, to be exactly the same as A12X – with the exception that the A12Z has an 8-core GPU, while the A12X has a 7-core GPU. The A12X was shipped in products like the iPad Pro 2018. Now the chip gets a resurrection, in the form of A12Z, and will be featured in the iPad Pro 2020. The reports from TechInsight are backed by benchmark scores posted on Notebookcheck.

Our analysis confirms #Apple #A12Z GPU chip found inside #iPadPro (model A2068) is the same as A12X predecessor. A report of our findings is underway & will be available as part of TechInsights' #Logic Subscription. Learn more here https://t.co/WWQqlPorNF pic.twitter.com/RsQEADpZsc

— TechInsights (@techinsightsinc) April 13, 2020

It's speculated that the A12X chip had one GPU-core disabled because of defects in the production, and that the A12Z chips are simply the rest of the yield that didn't suffer the same defects, enabling the extra core. The similarities between the A12X and A12Z are worth taking into consideration before upgrading to the latest iPad Pro.

Apple, so far, has not officially refuted this claim.

KitGuru says: What are your thoughts on Apple's choice of ‘re-using' an old chip in a new product?

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