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ChandlerXJ

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 3, 2007
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www.iphonefreak.com

iPhone Hardware: Flash, Java, MMS, 3G, GPS and FM Radio Already Unboard
Jul 31, 2007 | Posted by Stephane Dion

Infineon_iphone_3g_gps_mms_java The Infineon chip used in the iPhone has more power under the hood that we first thought. According to a French analyst, Apple used the Infineon technological platform MP-E+ or MP-EU to built the iPhone. And both of them can manage Flash, Java and MMS. Even more interesting, the platform also has the GPS, FM tuner and 3G capabilities already built-in. But what is the good news here? All those features can be activated by a simple firmware update!

This piece of information confirms that the iPhone hardware is really at the cutting edge of mobile device technologies. But this also means that Apple could come up rapidly with firmware updates that could seriously improve the features of the iPhone. That's good news, isn't it?

Excellent news also for iPhone 1.0 owners that are not buying a product that could be completely outdated in six month from now.

[Merci pour l'information Martin]
 
toomer said:
Flash and MMS? Was ther ever a question on whether this was possible? Not in my opinion.
Click to expand...

They might be referring to a chip thats dedicated to handling those tasks, think math coprocessor, rather than leaving it all in software. But yeah, the opinion of a random "expert" doesnt hold much weight.
 
Let me clear this up. We've got non-engineers looking at things that are over their head.

Part manufacturers often come up with what's called a reference design document. It acts as an advertisement, by including everything possible that can be done with their chip.

Obviously the French were looking at this document, which includes one chip in the iPhone:

Infineon Reference Design PDF

In the reference design, Infineon points out that you could also include a keypad, car phone kit, A-GPS, FM radio, SD cards, and more components to go 3G.

The iPhone HAS NONE OF THOSE EXTRA PARTS.

The good thing about the Internet these days is that everyone has access. The downside is that anyone can post total nonsense, and cause false rumors.

Kev
 
kdarling said:
Let me clear this up. We've got non-engineers looking at things that are over their head.

Part manufacturers often come up with what's called a reference design document. It acts as an advertisement, by including everything possible that can be done with their chip.

Obviously the French were looking at this document, which includes one chip in the iPhone:

Infineon Reference Design PDF

In the reference design, Infineon points out that you could also include a keypad, car phone kit, A-GPS, FM radio, and more components to go 3G.

The iPhone HAS NONE OF THOSE EXTRA PARTS.

The good thing about the Internet these days is that everyone has access. The downside is that anyone can post total nonsense, and cause false rumors.

Kev
Click to expand...

Can I kiss you?
 
Look, no matter what the iPhone cannot do 3G or GPS (at least, not regular GPS). FM radio I'm not sure about, but my guess is: no.

However the other things: Flash, MMS and Java, yes the iPhone could do all those things as they're just software. I believe even that the iPhone CPU has some sort of Java acceleration built in. However for whatever reason, Apple has decided to not support any of those technologies on the iPhone.
 
I hate "experts". Look the chip SUPPORTS all these things yes. Software based things you CAN add but anything hardware based is not gonna happen. You still gotta have the needed hardware in the phones for those functions like 3G and GPS to work and none of that is in the phone.
 
Obligitory:

17985675_f69cf32a52_m.jpg
 
kdarling said:
In the reference design, Infineon points out that you could also include a keypad, car phone kit, A-GPS, FM radio, SD cards, and more components to go 3G.

The iPhone HAS NONE OF THOSE EXTRA PARTS.
Click to expand...

I'm not picking on you Kev, I hear what you're saying.

But the evidence to date that the iPhone doesn't have those parts is not conclusive. And to be fair, it's not conclusive if it has them either.

The problem that I have, and apparently others besides the French, is that the other Infineon chip was claimed by EETimes as it "appears to be" a M1817A11. I don't know where they came up with that, as it doesn't jive with the silkscreen on the chip.

Try Googling for an M1817A11 datasheet. A number of folks are saying it's not a known Infineon part.

How can we conclusively say what the iPhone does or doesn't have based on a non-existent data sheet?

(And yes, I'm an engineer.) ;)
 
ChandlerXJ said:
Infineon_iphone_3g_gps_mms_java The Infineon chip used in the iPhone has more power under the hood that we first thought. According to a French analyst, Apple used the Infineon technological platform MP-E+ or MP-EU to built the iPhone. And both of them can manage Flash, Java and MMS. Even more interesting, the platform also has the GPS, FM tuner and 3G capabilities already built-in. But what is the good news here? All those features can be activated by a simple firmware update!
Click to expand...

Just because the chipset supports GPS, FM Tuner, and 3G does not mean the hardware is present.

I have computers with onboard graphics cards that support dual monitor output with extended displays (not all GPUs do) in the spec sheet but lack the physical output port to hook up a monitor.

The hardware specs, the processor might on a spec sheet support GPS, FM, and 3G. It might be designed to support that hardware. But Apple might not have actually included that hardware in the package, and realistically, probably didn't.
 
ChandlerXJ said:
www.iphonefreak.com
This piece of information confirms that the iPhone hardware is really at the cutting edge of mobile device technologies. But this also means that Apple could come up rapidly with firmware updates that could seriously improve the features of the iPhone. That's good news, isn't it?
Click to expand...

Please, apple can't even issue service pack 1 for the iphone for the simple stuff, how would one expect an aggressive software release (java & flash) any time soon?
 
Gonzlobo said:
Please, apple can't even issue service pack 1 for the iphone for the simple stuff, how would one expect an aggressive software release (java & flash) any time soon?
Click to expand...

Hey! This is a Mac forum. "Service Pack 1?" That's Windows talk. Yuck! Many of us here don't do Windows and in fact we switched to the Mac to get away from Windoze....

Perhaps you meant to say, "software update...."
 
Hey! This is a Mac forum. "Service Pack 1?" That's Windows talk. Yuck! Many of us here don't do Windows and in fact we switched to the Mac to get away from Windoze....

Perhaps you meant to say, "software update...."
Click to expand...

+1

Please, apple can't even issue service pack 1 for the iphone for the simple stuff, how would one expect an aggressive software release (java & flash) any time soon?
Click to expand...
And why not?
Apple did a hell of a job with their first update! Sure it isnt as soon as some would of liked, but it was faster than any other cell company!

Jobs has already said absolutely NO java! THANK GOD!
but flash would be nice sometime, but I can live without it!
 
ChandlerXJ said:
false rumors...

some sort of borderline oxymoron type thing.
Click to expand...

Taking a jab at another poster because you're embarrassed that other posters accused you of being poorly informed isn't really very good etiquette. Also, it is common syntax to refer to a 'false rumor' or a 'true rumor.'
 
mrJnC said:
How can we conclusively say what the iPhone does or doesn't have based on a non-existent data sheet?
Click to expand...

You're quite right, it's hard to prove conclusively.

Especially with the Infineon chip, which I personally believe is a composite model with h.263 decoding, but very poor video camera capability.

However, since some groups went so far as to take off the chip tops and microscope the dies, you'd think that any extra capabilities would be obvious.

Ran across something new and interesting, btw. An interview with Infineon last Fall, with reporters prying to see if they were the iPhone chip. You could take it two ways:

http://chip.seekingalpha.com/article/20942

Be sure to follow their link and read the original conference call as well.

Regards, Kev
 
Chaszmyr said:
(about: "false rumors... some sort of borderline oxymoron type thing")

Taking a jab at another poster because you're embarrassed that other posters accused you of being poorly informed isn't really very good etiquette. Also, it is common syntax to refer to a 'false rumor' or a 'true rumor.'
Click to expand...

Thanks for the support!

But I didn't take it as a jab. I thought it was a pretty funny observation of my phrasing.

Also, I wasn't accusing him of being poorly informed, but of the Frenchman being so.

We should try never to shoot the messenger ;-)
 
I heard from a dude in Germany that there may also be a can opener as well.



ash =o)
 
I'm a ninja level lipreader, and he's definitely saying

"JOBS! GIVE ME MY 3G NOW!!"

a bit o/t :rolleyes:
 
I hope Apple never puts those things in the iPhone just to annoy teh internetz, god I hate teh internetz.
 
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