Apple’s latest A18-based iPhone, set to be unveiled at a press conference on Monday, is based on SoftBank’s latest Arm V9 processor design, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
Apple plans to hold its fall event on September 9 at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, where it is likely to unveil a series of new iPhone models and updates to other devices and apps.
Last September, Apple signed an agreement with Arm that “extends beyond 2040,” representing Arm’s growth in chip technology.
Arm said in July that the V9 chip accounts for 50% of its smartphone revenue.
Arm owns the intellectual property rights to the computing architecture of most of the world’s smartphones, and licenses this architecture to Apple and many other companies.
Apple uses Arm technology to design its own custom chips for its iPhones, iPads and Macs.
The two companies have a long history — Apple was one of the first companies to partner in 1990, before releasing the Arm-based “Newton” laptop in 1993.
The Newton was a flop, but Arm became the dominant company in the mobile phone chipset market due to its low power consumption, which extended battery life.
Notably, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 16 series at its “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9. The lineup is expected to include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The company is likely to showcase the new Apple Watch series, AirPods, and other hardware at the event, along with a launch schedule for the latest iOS 18, iPad OS 18, macOS, and more.
