After perusing Xcode code, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has confirmed that Apple’s S5 processor in the Apple Watch Series 5 is identical to the S4 processor in the Apple Watch Series 4, with no performance improvements.
That’s not a surprise as Apple mentioned no changes to the chip during its September 10 event and there’s no mention of speed or performance increases in the Apple Watch marketing materials, but it’s useful to have confirmation.
Internally, the Apple Watch Series 5 is using an updated display that allows for always-on functionality, there’s a new compass feature, and 32GB storage, but otherwise, the Apple Watch Series 5 appears to use the same internal components as the Series 4.
https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/1174376928758968320
MacDailyNews Take: As suspected, but now confirmed, and not a big deal as the S4 has been plenty powerful enough to handle everything we’ve thrown at our Apple Watches over the past year!
It can’t be identical because it has to interface with an entirely different display technology set of chips.
Thats what buses are for… connecting chips to other chips. Of course it can be identical and still connect to different display chip tech. Apple would be piss poor designers if they couldn’t do that.
While it’s possible that there are no significant enhancements in the S5, not sure how you wander through Xcode and come to the conclusion that a the processor chip is no different then the previous generation.
Not to mention the power savings here, which cannot all be in the display itself.
I tend to agree there must be at least minor functional updates that distinguish it one would presume, otherwise why change its number other than to keep it tidily in alignment with the watch series number which would seem a little trivial and would in a cynical mind at least open the way for potentially misleading meaningless numerical/naming changes elsewhere to be exploited purely for marketing or perception purposes.
I know. Like the XS/XR/X.. they’d never choose marketing over function.
Taking a page from the latest iPad.
Speaking of, MDN you missed the part of that article that says the new iPad has 3GB ram, a 1GB upgrade from the 2018 iPad. That’s bigger news than the watch IMO and welcome news.
So I now downgrade my labelling of the new iPad from being a 100% lazy upgrade to only 75% lazy