iPad 2 is equipped with an A5 chip that incorporates a dual-core 512 MB RAM processor and a graphic chip 9 times faster than those in the A4 chip and the iDevices launched last year. Following the tradition of the previous year, Apple will implement this A5 chip in the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5G, and some iOS game developers have received already iPhone 4 prototypes with iPhone 5 hardware. These game developers received terminals that look identical to iPhone 4, have iOS 4 installed but have the hardware of the future iPhone 5.
They already have select developers working on versions of their iPhone applications that take full advantage of the next-generation iPhone's faster and much more powerful hardware. These developers, seemingly from high-level gaming outfits, have been given what is essentially an iPhone 4 but with an A5 processor instead of an A4. The device itself is virtually identical to the iPhone 4, and there is no way anyone can tell it's not an iPhone 4 based on the phone's exterior.
Those who received these devices in tests called them iPhone 4S suggesting a transition similar to that of the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS because they basically have iPhone 4 terminals with iPhone 5 hardware. For now, the developers received these devices probably to prepare a series of games with graphics specially designed for the new iPhone and its graphics chip. If Apple has already offered these prototypes for the testing and development of new games, then the release in June/July starts to be much more possible than the one in the fall.
We have a month and a half until WWDC and during this time a game developer could prepare a tech demo for a game specially designed for the iPhone 5. Last fall Epic Games prepared something for the iPod Touch 4G and it would not be unusual if this year, another manufacturer to do the same for iPhone 5. The strange part is that these terminals have iOS 4 and not iOS 5, which suggests that Apple is preparing some major changes for the new operating system.
