The Apple iPhone 4S teardown

The iPad 2 and the introduction of the A5 processor within its casing foretold its use in the iPhone 4S.

EDN staff -- EDN, December 8, 2011

Note: An iPhone 4S Quick Turn Teardown report is available offering an Executive Summary, some disassembly sequence photos, and selected IC Board shots.

Since the June 24^th release of the iPhone 4, Apple's dedicated fans have eagerly anticipated the next iteration of the immensely popular iPhone series of handsets. As rumors, leaked images of parts, and speculation spread across the internet, Apple finally hinted at news of a new phone at an October 4^th conference. As the new CEO, Tim Cook, took the stage, the announcement was made – the next handset would be the Apple 4S. (See the interactive iPhone 4S video teardown, board shots and teardown images, or order the iPhone 4S Quick Turn Teardown report.)

So what differs from the original iPhone 4 to the new iPhone 4S? Firstly, is the design of a singular handset that will work across multiple carrier platforms such as GSM and CDMA. This was not a surprise to us as such a capability was evident in the Verizon version of the iPhone 4. That version incorporated the first use of Qualcomm's MDM6600 – a chipset that was already capable of working across both GSM and CDMA mobile standards. The foundation for a “world phone” was set and our discovery of Qualcomm MDM6610 confirmed our initial speculation that the Verizon iPhone 4 was precursor for this design change. Not only that but it finalizes Apple's switch from Infineon to Qualcomm. Qualcomm was able to secure not only the design win of the MDM6610, but also the RTR8605 RF transceiver and their PM8028 power management device.

Another major winner is Broadcom. Not only did Broadcom maintain their socket from the iPhone 4, they convinced Apple to upgrade to one of their newer devices, the BCM4330 802.11n WiFi/Bluetooth/FM Radio chipset. This is the second major design win for Broadcom who saw the same IC incorporated in the very popular Samsung Galaxy S II handset.

Cirrus Logic and Dialog Semiconductor also found their companies' products upgraded within the iPhone 4S. Apple selected the CLI1560B0 Audio Codec moving from the CLI1495 from the iPhone 4. Apple also upgraded to Dialog's D1881A Power Management IC, moving from the D1815A of the previous handset.

The second biggest change from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S is one that was telegraphed on the release of the iPad 2. The selection of the Apple A5 dual-core processor should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Apple's tendency to use their tablet format as a precursor to a new processor. As the iPad's use of the A4 processor alluded to its use in the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 and the introduction of the A5 processor within its casing foretold its use in the iPhone 4S.

Other winners for design sockets belong to TriQuint, Skyworks, Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics. (See the interactive iPhone 4S video teardown, board shots and teardown images, or order the iPhone 4S Quick Turn Teardown report.)

The Apple A5 Processor
After making its first appearance inside the Apple iPad 2, the Apple A5 dual-core processor has now found its way into the iPhone 4S. The Apple A5 features two ARM cores and supports Low Power DDR2 DRAM memory

Much like the processor found in the iPad 2, this version of the A5 is nearly identical in terms of die width and die length – which is a good indicator that this version of the A5 is manufactured at the 45nm process node again. A cross-section is required to determine if this version of the A5 is manufactured by someone other than Samsung (such as TSMC) but early indications show that this is most likely from Samsung.


The Qualcomm MDM6610
The MDM6610 chipset from Qualcomm is an iteration of the MDM6600 and a member of their Gobi line of connectivity solutions. Much like the MDM6600 that was first used in the CDMA version of the Apple iPhone 4 that was released late in 2010, this chipset features multi-mode - supporting GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA, HSDPA and HSPA+,as well as the 1x EV-DO standard. The MDM6610 really is a single chip, which was evident to see once we decapped the device. Doing so revealed the baseband and transceiver on separate dies. Below are images of the MDM6600 die.


Primary Component Listing
Apple A5 Dual-core processor – Package-on-Package implementation also featuring:

Elpida B4064B2PF-8D-F –Elpida 512 MB of Low-power DDR2 DRAM (SI#26521)

Qualcomm RTR8605 Multimode RF Transceiver

AGD8 2132 - STMicroelectronics L3G4200DH (L3G4200DH datasheet) 3-Axis Digital MEMS Gyroscope Module

33DH - STMicroelectronics LIS331DLH (LIS331DLH datasheet) 3-Axis MEMS Accelerometer Module

Apple 338S0987 – Cirrus Logic CLI1560B0 Audio Codec

TriQuint TQM9M9030 Multimode Quad-Band Power Amplifier Module

TriQuint TQM666052 Bias Control Power Amplifier

Avago ACPM-7381-TR1 (ACPM-7381-TR1 datasheet) UMTS2100 4x4 Power Amplifier

Skyworks SKY 77464-20 Load-Insensitive Power Amplifier module for WCDMA/HSUPA bands

Qualcomm MDM6610 Baseband Chipset Solution

Qualcomm PM8028 Power Management IC

Apple 338S0973 – Dialog Semiconductor D1881A Power Management Chip

Toshiba THGVX1G7D2GLA08 16 GB MLC NAND Flash Memory

Murata SW SS1919013 – Wireless module featuring Broadcom BCM4330 MAC/Baseband/Radio with Integrated Bluetooth and FM Transceiver

For a listing of key components of the iPhone 4S, images of the iPhone 4S deconstructed, and some preliminary estimates on how it compares in pricing in today's market to the cost of iPhone 4, please visit: http://www.ubmtechinsights.com/teardowns/apple-iphone-4s-teardown/?ReportKey=7824&pi_campaign_id=12155 for more information. Order the iPhone 4S teardown report.