iPhone 3GS dismantling Report: Broadcom and Toshiba to win orders

The third generation of Apples iPhone teardown analysis showed that, in part because using a Broadcom chip and AD7840JP datasheet and Toshiba, this phone more integrated, and AD7840JP price and may cost less. Therefore, an analyst quipped, iPhone 3GS the "S" might represent "Savings (savings)." Elpida for the first time into the iPhone 3GS, the DRAM die in the two chips being stacked. Elpida, Samsung and AD7840JP suppliers and Toshiba have been replaced as the phones flash memory and DRAM suppliers.

Semiconductor Insights Young Choi, a senior engineering manager, said, "iPhone 3GS most surprising is the non-CSR Marvell Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips," and the previous iPhone, contain these chips. He dismantling of the two mobile phones, and the main chip inside the machine are analyzed.

Apple iPod Touch used previously for the Broadcom BCM4325 integrated 802.11abg and Bluetooth, you may save space and cost. iPodTouch "now seems to be the follow-up of new suppliers into the iPhone and the main way to improve integration," professional disassemble companies Portelligent (Austin), said David Carey, president.

Analysts are still arguing iPhone 3GS apple production costs. Carey said that as the re-use of many existing components and memory prices decline, "it costs less than first-generation iPhone 3G."

iPhone 3GS use Broadcom BCM4325

Supply Toshiba and Elpida Memory

Toshiba flash memory device to a 16GNAND help Apple in a tight space to accommodate more storage capacity - it is stacked in a single package of four 32Gbit die. The 32G version of the phone is expected to be in a similar package to accommodate eight die.

Choi said the Toshiba device is the first he had ever seen a four 32Gbit flash memory die stacking. Intel and Micron in January launched the first 32Gbit device, using 34 nm process. Toshiba is a 210 mm2 die, may be using the companys 43-nanometer process, the use of its existing all-bit-line architecture, which is about 18 months previously announced.

An Intel / Numonyx (permanent memory) devices for the Apple phone has baseband processor memory. Choi said that although he has not detailed the device chip-level analysis, but he believes that the device includes a die and a 512Mbit 16MNOR Elpida DRAM die.

3GS one of the biggest mysteries is its application processors, it is widely anticipated iPhone in the first two generations of 90 nm using an upgraded version of Samsung devices. The design as early as the package above the chip and the Samsung logo in the product mix anything not directly related.

Choi said that there are Apple and ARM package above the logo, above the number display is a Samsung multi-chip package memory. He plans to conduct a detailed analysis of the chip, measuring the transistor size and other key dimensions.

Many observers speculated that the device includes a 600MHz ARM CortexA8 and the Imagination Technologies PowerVR SGX graphics core company, located in a 65-nanometer system chips. The chip will be comparable with the Texas Instruments OMAP 3430, which is being used for Palm Pre.

"This is based on speculation and the media message," Choi said, "We have not identified any functional module, sufficient to determine (Samsung components) in the end is." In fact, even the application of processor (see below) did not die above description of her birth identity.