The iFixit team is back at it again, and they have torn down the iPhone 4S for us all to see. Want to know what that A5 chip looks like inside the device, or that new 8MP camera? They take us through it step by step.
- Apple A5 Dual-core Processor (more on this later)
- Qualcomm RTR8605 Multi-band/mode RF Transceiver. Chipworks has provided us with a die photo.
- Skyworks 77464-20 Load-Insensitive Power Amplifier (LIPA®) module developed for WCDMA applications
- Avago ACPM-7181 Power Amplifier
- TriQuint TQM9M9030 Multi-Mode Quad-Band Power Amplifier Module.
- TriQuint TQM66052 (possibly a PA-Duplexer Module)
And yes, 512MB of RAM. So no huge surprises, but hit the links below for more from both iFixit and Chipwor
Source: iFixit
Chipworks Posts Teardown Images of Apple iPhone 4S
Images and analysis to be updated continuously on Chipworks and iFixit web sites.
Ottawa, Ontario, October 13, 2011 – Chipworks announced it has posted initial results of its Apple iPhone 4S teardown and will continuously update images and information as it comes out of its labs over the next 48 hours. The focus of this analysis is on the die level to provide information that is not readily available at the board level.
Images and information from the teardown will be posted at http://www.chipworks.com/en/technical-competitive-analysis/resources/recent-teardowns, and select images are being shared with iFixit at http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone-4S-Teardown/6610/1.
A full analysis will be available on the Chipworks website including de-capsulated images of the chips in the iPhone 4S, die layouts, and information on the process technology used to build some of the devices.
“The iPhone 4S contains a lot of the same devices observed in the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2 making this somewhat of a technology hybrid between the two.” says Jim Morrison, Product Manager at Chipworks, “we’re going to be looking deeper to confirm other similarities and differences. For example, we will confirm whether the A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S is still being fabricated by Samsung or has been moved to TSMC’s 40 nm low power process.”
Chipworks is the recognized leader in reverse engineering and patent infringement analysis of semiconductors and electronic systems. The company’s ability to analyze the circuitry and physical composition of these systems makes it a key partner in the success of the world’s largest semiconductor and microelectronics companies. For more information, visit www.chipworks.com.
Reader comments
iFixit tears down the iPhone 4S, shows us all it has to offer
Booooooo apple, make this phone even more depressing with just 512 RAM smh
Missing one point. 512- the 700ish range is fine for RAM. 1 GB RAM can be too much. There's a "sweet spot" for RAM if you delve into technical know-how.
One could guess the more RAM the better because of examples like HTC Sensation being slower than HTC Evo 3D but much of that has to do with optimizations along with the new HTC Sense being as large a resource hog as iTunes(Well. Not yet. But soon)
And Android isn't all that well optimized for much at all.
Because Apple, while not as restrictive as many would say nor that much more restrictive than Android(WebOS is a much more open, and a middle grounds OS and hardware-wise.), can cater to a specific set of hardware, chips, and OS they're able to optimize it.
I think the 700-800 RAM range would of been a good boost without overkill and honestly should of been in the 4S.
It'll probably go fine at 512 though, it'll run smooth anyways.
The biggest disadvantage 4S users will face is with cache, even without the recent iCloud problems. With even the "multitasking" and other things in the mix the room to cache data becomes very small and having memory cleared is very inconvenient for people who hate reloading things or apps losing cached data ala Instapaper.
Dang, you communist or what! This thing ain't no good if it ain't got no big hammer. You saying a 4 cylinder is better than a V8? Commy BS. What it needs is 2 GIG, minimum, else it ain't no good. Come on Apple, stuff it in there! And what's with the 8mpx, my DSLR's got 18 mpx. Load this thing up, will ya! Oh yeah, and give me 2 months of standby time on the battery please. And an overclocked quad processor and a larger screen with 3d projection. And built in subwoofers and a depth gauge so I can go scuba diving. And ....
There were several blog posts about the 4S having a purposely underclocked 800MHZ A5, but the iFixit teardown says its a 1GHZ. Whats the story there?