Not all iPhones 6s units are created equal, and yours just might have a weaker processor thanks to Samsung. Chipgate rocked the Internet with the revelation that Apple used two different suppliers for the A9 chips in its latest iPhones and one processor looks like a serious under-performer.
Even though Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s 14-nanometer A9 chips are bigger than Samsung’s 12-nanometer A9 chips, if you have an iPhone 6s with a TSMC chip, you might get an extra two hours of battery life on your device.
There’s no way to tell if you’re getting stuck with a Samsung A9 processor when you purchase your iPhone 6s in stores or online, but you can find out whether you got saddled with a crappier processor with some help from a couple of apps.
Here’s how to find the maker of the A9 processor in your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus:
Lirum Device Info Lite
Free iOS app Lirum Device Info Lite is the easiest way to find your A9 processor info. The app’s mysterious disappearance from the App Store fueled conspiracy theories today, but once it’s back and ready, here are the steps you can use to determine what chip is powering your phone. (And, of course, if you previously downloaded Lirum Labs’ app, you can run it now.)
1) Download and launch Lirum Device Info Lite
2) Look under model in the main page
3) If model is N66AP or N71AP, sorry, you’ve got a Samsung chip. If model is N66MAP or N71MAP you’ve got TSMC.
iMazing
If you have a Mac, you can check your device info using the iMazing app, which offers a powerful alternative to iTunes’ syncing features.
1) Download and launch iMazing
2) Connect your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus
3) Unlock the phone and click “Trust” on the “Trust this computer” dialog
4) Select “Get Info”
5) Check Hardware Model. Samsung chips will read “N66AP” or “N71AP.” TSMC chips will read “N66mAP” or “N71mAP.”
CPU Identifier
This is the sketchiest way to check your chip info because it uses an unsigned program developed by Hiraku Jira. We can’t vouch for it, even though we did try it on our iPhone 6s and it didn’t blow up. It’s super-easy to use, but proceed at your own risk.
1) Open the CPU Identifier website on your iPhone 6s.
2) Tap “Install”
3) Go to Settings >> General >> Profile
4) Tap the profile for Guangzhou Huimei Electronics
5) Select “Trust this app”
6) Open CPU Identifier and it will show you your A9 chipmaker.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
53 responses to “Chipgate: How to tell if your iPhone 6s has a crappy A9 chip”
My Note5 and S6Edge+ shits and pisses on any silly iPhone so easily it’s comical.
Well la-de-fricken-da. No one cares.
Good luck with your smelly Korean kimchi phone.
Whatever helps you sleep at night.
Aww yisss I have TSMC.
Congrats
TSMC for me, you should also note if you do the 3rd option, delete the app/profile from your phone afterwards.
Yes! N66mAP here. By the way, if Profiles do not show up in the General settings, does that mean i have no profiles?
How can I delete it? I thought I did but, my battery app shows it, can’t find it anywhere to further delete.
Thanks
TSMC for me
What if you have the Samsung chip? Can you exchange the phone?
You’d never know if you were getting the “right” one since you can’t tell from the box.
I think ritual suicide is in order…. Or you can chose to move on with your life
That means you’re fucked. You have 14 days return policy by default. If you didn’t get an expected performance from the iPhone, You have to return the iPhone within 14 days.
Brings back memories of the LG/Samsung display issues on the first MacBook Pro Retinas. Lots of sound and fury signifying next to nothing.
When I got my Macbook Pro Retina, I supposedly had the “bad” LG screen that ghosted so terribly, but after a year, I haven’t seen a ghost, spook or spectre. The screen’s been flawless.
TSMC for me (iPhone 6s 64GB space gray).
Same
Same here (sigh of relief)
Haven’t tried the other methods, but Lirum Device Info Lite is apparently not working (anymore) for a lot of people, including me. Part of me wonders if Apple somehow disabled it in iOS 9.0.2.
Bummer, found out I have the Samsung chip…
Haven’t really noticed any worse battery life than my iPhone 6. Still lasts all day.
Should have said “- YET.” Spoke too soon. Phone died after moderate use a good 3 hours before bed/charge time. Could have used that extra 1-2 hours today.
Was able to see mine just now.
I have the Samsung, I am so happy to find this out because this is the 13th day and you have 14 days to return the phone. So I will be returning my 6s plus and go back to my 6 plus for now.
Oh, You unlucky. I don’t think they will give you the replacement, unless you demonstrate the reason for the replacement.
No need to demonstrate anything. You just give it back, as in “I don’t like it.” back. You don’t have to state the reason. And then you buy a new one. Easy.
It’s Apple, you can just return it… Although I thought the time frame for iPhones was one week? I’d definitely return it if it was me…
if you bought it online you can return within 14 days
If you have a Samsung Slavish Copying POS chip, return it. hehe
Who would have thought something crappy from Samsung?
Would have really pissed me off if I had got the Samsung. It’s pretty crappy considering how expensive iPhones are, I thought we paid a premium price for a premium product with high standards…
Thanks for the article.
What a ridiculous comment
Care to elaborate on why it’s a ridiculous comment? You would be fine with your new iPhone getting up to two hours less battery life than other iPhones of the same model?
Because none of this is confirmed, and if there is an actual real world, every day use difference, its would be on the order of minutes not hours. You don’t think users would perceive hours of difference? That’s on the magnitude of a 20-25% difference in battery performance.
Also, I’m sure you (and everyone else complaining about this) were perfectly happy with your phone prior to learning of this fake controversy. And now your suddenly dissatisfied? A week ago, this site was filled with comments with people bemoaning the fact that they received the TSMC and not to the Samsung ver – assuming it was inferior in some way in terms of performance. And now we have the reverse.
You are making zero sense. Anyone who has spent a good amount of money on a brand new phone deserves to have the best components and the best performance possible. Anyone with a Samsung chip should return their phones. I am sure you would do the same , smarty pants
Again, none of this is confirmed, and if there is indeed a difference we’re talking minutes of battery life. The users that are freaking out over this here on this site didn’t find a defect. In fact I’ll bet mist were more than pleased with the performance of their phone prior to learning they had a Samsung chip. But you’re right, everyone panic.
I get completely different options in iMazing in the Get Info tab. And Hardware Model is nowhere to be seen.
You need to scroll down. The data is in the second half of the screen.
Why is this even a thing? Why so much hand wringing over a processor in a phone most of the people here will discard in a year? It’s just a phone- why should anyone need to be reminded of that? Everything is ok! Yeesh.
I keep my phone for an average 3 years, my previous 5 has a battery problem batch, now I have the crrapy processor this is a big thing.
It’s not though. You won’t remember this in a month.
You can also do what I’m planning on doing next time- avoid the brand new $900 phone and get something more reasonable and reliable.
samsung. I send it back!!!
Good choice, send it back and wait for this whole mess to be sorted out before you buy again. That’s exactly what I’ll do !!
Not my lucky day.
Return it, I just did today
I use my phone pretty extensively and haven’t had any problem making it through the day. I already sold my 5S. I could end up with another Samsung chip anyway. Not that big a deal.
Just traded in my unlocked T-Mo 6s because I wanted Wi-Fi calling on AT&T, and now my new SIM-free 6s has a Samsung processor. In fact, 2 of the SIM-free 6s’s that I used had had a Samsung processor. My unlocked T-Mo 6s had a TSMC processor.
Nice. I traded in my T-Mo 6S Plus for a sim-free one and now I have Samsung. My T-Mo one had TSMC…sad day
If you don’t know what you’re talking about or dealing with when it comes to chips and spec – don’t act on news you have no idea if it is valid or not.
Silly people do your research and stop believing hype. Got nothing better to do with your time?
I just learned about this whole thing on MBW, and low and behold my new 6S has a Samsung chip. I really don’t know how my life would be any different with the other chip. Seriously I don’t think you would ever notice without Lirum.
TSMC! iPhone 6S Plus…
yeeeeeees TSMC Woooooow 6s 128
+1 for system, it gives the CPU ID ( shown as architecture), but most of its other functionality does not work on my 6s.