Next-gen iPhone, iPad could deliver 20 times the graphics power

Such a leap in power would come courtesy of new graphics processing units developed by U.K.-based Imagination Technologies, which builds the GPUs for Apple's mobile products.
Announced at CES on Tuesday, Imagination's new PowerVR Series6 GPU core chip family is touted as providing 20 times or more of the performance of the current generation.
As a result, "it enables Imagination's partners to deliver amazing user experiences in devices from innovative 'natural' user interfaces to ultra-realistic gaming, as well as enabling new applications never before thought of from advanced content creation and image processing to sophisticated augmented reality and environment-aware solutions," Imagination said in press release.
With Apple as one of those partners, Imagination has created the GPUs built into the central processing units that drive the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Apple TV, notes AppleInsider. Those CPUs include the A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2, and the A4 chip in the iPhone 4 and the original iPad.
A test of the iPad 2's graphics performance found a huge leap in speed over that of the original iPad, offering a healthy boost for games and other graphics-heavy applications.
Apple even owns a chunk of Imagination Technologies, so it's a sure bet the new PowerVR Series6 will find their way into upcoming iPhones and iPads. The question is when.
The next-generation A6 chip that will reportedly power the iPad 3 could include the Series 6 GPUs, speculates AppleInsider. Imagination CEO Hossein Yassaie seems to be eyeing an aggressive rollout for the new graphics processor line, saying that "we have a very clear technology advantage and an exceptional roadmap for the PowerVR Series6 family which our partners can depend on."
But with the next iPad rumored to start shipping in March, the timing will be very tight if Apple wants to take advantage of Imagination's latest technology.