Apple iPhone 5S's 64-bit chip opens up new possibilities for developers

Apple announced this morning it is rolling out a 64-bit "desktop-class" chip for its upcoming line of smartphones, the iPhone 5S. The chip, called the A7, will be the first of its kind among smartphones. On display to exhibit the chip was Epic Games' newly announced Infinity Blade III. Apple vice president Phil Schiller said the A7 chip would, under specific conditions, be able to boost CPU performance and graphics processing two times over the iPhone 5. Additionally, the chip will have Xcode and OpenGL|ES 3.0 support and be able to run both 64-bit and 32-bit apps. Apple said that the A7 would afford a "seamless developer transition" to the new 64-bit architecture. A motion co-processor chip, the M7, also affords an expanded range of motion detection, for potential integration in fitness apps and games for health, among other applications. Apple also announced in the course of its presentation that it will be discontinuing the existing iPhone 5 line with the release of the iPhone 5S and its new budget model, the iPhone 5C.