UBM TechInsights has dissecting the latest handset from Apple, and what we found was both interesting and surprising at the same time.
UBM TechInsights was surpised by the fact that many chips on the iPhone -including the the A4 processor - were also found on the iPad. Amongst them was a commonality in the choice of memory (both using the same Intel and Samsung packages) and the use of the same GPS and Bluetooth receivers from Broadcom.
What was interesting was the AGD1 3-axis gyroscope from ST Microelectronics (STMICRO).
Here is what the teardown found:
AGD1 - STMicroelectronics (STMicro) 3-axis Digital Gyroscope
Apple's choice to bring a gyroscope into the iPhone 4G opens up many new applications that require accurate motion sensing. 3-axis of linear acceleration measured (provided by the LIS331DH accelerometer) combined with 3-axis of angular acceleration measured (provided by the gyroscope) can paint a pretty good picture of the movement and orientation of the iPhone.
Apple 337S0626 ? Infineon GSM/W-CDMA Transceiver
Decapping the 337S0626 revealed another major design win for Infineon. Infineon transceivers have been a staple of Apple wireless products going back to the original iPhone.
Apple 3383 ? Infineon X-Gold 61x Baseband Processor
Another design win for Infineon, as a peek inside this package revealed the X-GOLD 61x baseband processor. This processor has HSDPA/HSUPA capabilities of 7.2Mbps/2.9Mbps and the ability to connect to cameras with up to 5 MPixels like the one found on the iPhone 4G (the X-GOLD 618 version).
Intel 36MY1EF ? Dual package memory package
Taking a look inside this package revealed two die. The first being a Intel-marked NOR device (which now belongs to Numonyx) of 128 Mb and the second being an Elpida Mobile DDR SDRAM of 16MB. A similar two-die package was found in use on the iPad.
Omnivision OV5650 5 Megapixel color CMOS QSXGA image sensor with OmniBSI
By examining the image sensor package and by comparing the die photo and specifications to our die image library, UBM TechInsights have identified the 5 MP image sensor as the Omnivision OV5650 with backside illumination technology.