The iPhone 11 launch is just around the corner and the final leaks and rumours are trickling in. The latest bit of information comes via MacRumors and they state that Apple will be adding a new coprocessor that’s codenamed Rose and R1 to the A13 chipset that will be featured on the upcoming iPhone 11 line-up. The report mentions that as of now it’s not clear whether Apple will use the Rose or R1 codenames for its marketing material or simply match the A-series chip by labelling it as R13.
The report states, “Based on evidence from an internal build of iOS 13, the first iteration of the Rose coprocessor, the R1 (t2006), is similar to Apple's M-series motion coprocessor in that it helps inform iOS about where the iPhone is located in space and where it is headed by offloading the processing of that sensor data from the main system processor.”
Where R1 trumps the M-series coprocessor is that it makes use a lot more sensors than the motion coprocessor to produce even more accurate information of where the device is. As of now, the motion coprocessor currently integrates information from the compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, barometer, and microphones.
MacRumors explains the R1 by stating, “The Rose coprocessor will add support for an inertial measurement unit (IMU), Bluetooth 5.1 features, ultra-wideband (UWB) and camera (including motion capture and optical tracking) sensor data to not only tell where the device is but also fuse this sensor data together to find lost Apple Tags and aid in the processing of People Occlusion from ARKit. Given the overlap in sensor data collection and processing the Rose coprocessor may replace the M-series motion coprocessor.”
With Bluetooth 5.1 it will enable Bluetooth direction-finding as it will come with features such as Angle of Arrival (AoA) and Angle of Departure (AoD). By adding these features with other sensor data by the Rose coprocessor, it will aid the iPhones in locating Apple Tags with high resolution.
