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iPhone 6s Chipgate: What Owners Need to Know

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Is your iPhone 6s battery life bad? It might be due to the processor inside, which is why buyers are talking about iPhone 6s Chipgate. Apple contracts Samsung and TSMC to make the A9 processor, and tests indicate that devices with the Samsung chip inside deliver worse battery life than those made by TSMC.

Here’s a look at the data behind the Chipgate iPhone 6s problems and how you can check to see which processor your iPhone 6s has.

The Chipgate name comes from the processor, or chip, used in the phone and the gate portion is the word attached to issues like this.

What is iPone 6s Chipgate and how do i tell if my iPhone is part of it.

What is iPone 6s Chipgate and how do i tell if my iPhone is part of it.

How to See What Processor My iPhone 6s Has

There is a free tool that allows you to check to see what processor your iPhone 6s is running, which is at the center of the iPhone 6s Chipgate discussion.

Go to the App Store and download Lirium Info Lite. This is a free app that can show you the processor used in your iPhone 6s. There are paid apps that can do this, but for these purposes you can use the free app.

How to find out which processor your iPone 6s uses.

How to find out which processor your iPone 6s uses.

Open the app and the screen should then show you information about your iPhone, including a Model indicator. You will see one of two models listed here.

  • N71mAP – TSMC
  • N71AP – Samsung

This is how you know which processor your iPhone 6s is using. You cannot tell this without installing an app on your iPhone.

What is iPhone 6s Chipgate? Where’s the Data?

Chipgate refers to the claims that the iPhone 6s units with the Samsung processor deliver less battery life than the iPhone 6s with a TSMC processor and run hotter.

According to Chipworks, the Samsung processor is smaller than the one from TSMC. This may be why some reports indicate a wide range of iPhone 6s battery life and why some iPhone 6s units run hotter.

The video below from TLD offers a comparison of the iPhone 6s with TSMC and one with a Samsung chip in it and found that there was not a difference in performance, but the battery life dropped 7% faster on the iPhone 6s with a Samsung chip, than on the TSMC model.

Stretched out over a full day of real-world use, it is possible that users of the Samsung iPhone 6s would end up with a dead battery faster. In this second video we see a battery test that found measured the Samsung powered iPhone 6s with lower battery life and running hotter, but we also can see a video streaming test that offers a more real-world look at the power usage.

After watching a video for one hour on both phones, the Samsung only used 1% more battery life. Video creator Austin Evans, notes that in real world use for the average user, there shouldn’t be a major difference in day-to-day use.

In our house we have two Verizon iPhone 6s units, one with the Samsung chip and one with the TSMC chip. I am the power user, and I have the iPhone 6s with a TSMC chip and my wife is an average user and she has the Samsung chip.

So far I am more likely to run out of battery life, as I use my iPhone much more during the day. Her iPhone 6s using the Samsung processor is not showing signs of excessive battery use or heat.

Note the dual grouping from iPhone 6s battery tests, compared to a single group on the iPhone 6 graph.

Note the dual grouping from iPhone 6s battery tests, compared to a single group on the iPhone 6 graph.

GeekBench Develop John Poole shares interesting results of GeekBench battery life tests on Twitter. Compare the iPhone 6s battery tests to the iPhone 6 battery tests and you will see an obvious difference with two groupings on the iPhone 6s chart.

According to Poole, the GeekBench statistician thinks that even with 22 data points this is data that indicates a difference.

Best iPhone 6s Cases, Covers & Skins

Speck CandyShell Clear iPhone 6s Case

Speck CandyShell Clear iPhone 6s Case

The Speck CandyShell Clear is the first clear iPhone 6s case from Speck, and the first clear case from the company overall. This form-fitting, minimalist iPhone 6s case delivers a decent amount of protection with a military drop test 810G rating.

Speck assures us that the clear case will not yellow with use like many cheap clear case options. The clear finish is perfect for showing off your iPhone 6s color choice while protecting it.

Buttons move perfectly and are easy to find by touch and there is a raised front bezel to keep the iPhone 6s display off hard surfaces.

$34.95 at Speck

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