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Analysts clash on cheap iPhone
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_6346686?nclick_check=1
PRODUCT'S LIKELIHOOD HINGES ON WHOM YOU ASK
By Troy Wolverton
Mercury News
Article Launched: 07/11/2007 01:33:40 AM PDT
This fall, Apple will definitely release a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone.
Or it won't.
What Apple's up to seems to really depend on which J.P. Morgan analyst you ask.
Over the weekend, Kevin Chang, who is based in Taiwan, said Apple seemed likely to release soon a phone based on its iPod nano, based on a recently unveiled patent application by Apple and conversations he'd had with suppliers. The nano is Apple's midrange flash-based music player.
"Putting all the information together, we believe there's a strong sign that Apple will come out with a second phone that will replace iPod Nano; or to put it another way, iPod Nano will be converted into a phone because it's probably the only way for Apple to launch a lower end phone without severely cannibalizing iPod Nano," Chang wrote.
Not so fast, retorted Bill Shope, who is based in New York and is J.P. Morgan's primary analyst on Apple. Shope said he couldn't confirm his colleague's reports from suppliers. And he warned not to place too much stock in Apple's patent filings.
"We caution that the potential for a low-end, subsidized phone from Apple seems unlikely in the near term," Shope wrote. "Perhaps Apple will choose to eventually replace its iPod family with phones over time, but it could be premature to assume this will happen in volume any time soon."
Of course, it's likely that few people outside Apple really know. The notoriously secretive company typically doesn't give many hints about unannounced products. Indeed, an Apple representative did not return a call seeking comment on the J.P. Morgan reports.
But Apple's many fans do enjoy speculating about the company's coming products. And Chang laid out a detailed idea about what he thinks is coming down the pike.
Like the iPod nano, the nano Phone would cost $300 or less and would be controlled with a scroll wheel, rather than the iPhone's signature touch-screen interface, Chang said. The new phone would likely be less sophisticated than the iPhone, having only limited Web browsing and music playing capabilities, he said.
Chang didn't let the nano iPhone's still uncertain existence stop him from issuing the obligatory market forecast. Indeed, he predicted that Apple could ship 30 million to 40 million nano iPhones in its next fiscal year, which begins in September.
For his part, Shope didn't doubt the appeal of a cut-rate iPhone. But he did question the timing and the details. Much of Chang's predictions seem to be based on Apple's recent patent application, he noted.
"As many Apple investors already know, however, Apple often publicly files patents that give little information on actual upcoming products," Shope wrote. "This is partly why Apple's products are so difficult to predict."
There's no word yet on Chang's response.
Was out in the 18's, back in in the 17's. The LBO rumor was rampant in the investment community yesterday, I heard the offer was $23/shr. It needs to be higher than that to happen. Depend on who wanted MRVL bad enough, Sehat's family or private equity fund ?
Layoff will occur.
iPhone II win was in the bag. Don't know how soon the analysts will figure out. When they do, watch out.
There is < 50% chance LBO will happen as the future is so bright, especially with iPhone II. IMHO, the offer gonna be ~ $30 before it has any chance.
Do your own DD.
Back in MRVL again. It's too cheap to pass up. I confirmed that MRVL displaced Infineon from baseband and Sam from App processor in iPhone II to be announced at MacWorld Jan 08. MRVL won for HEDGE baseband+Monahans Xscale single-chip.
HEDGE stands for HSDPA/EDGE for data. Of course it also supports quadband GSM for voice as the basic requirement.
MRVL also won the 11g Wifi+Bluetooth 2.0+EDR single chip.
The dollar content per iPhone II due to MRVL is > $50 per chip.
Look for iPhone II's FCC approval in 1Q08 and shipment to follow about a month after.
Apple is testing iPhone II right now through AT&T HSDPA network. iPhone II is making and receiving phone calls as we speak.
BTW, there was a LBO rumor yesterday on the trading floor offering $23/shr. That's why the stock shot up to > $19 on no news.
Do your own DD.
S2, you are pretty savvy. Net, one of Xscale strength is dynamic Volt/freq scaling thereby saving lots of power. iPhone H/W had to settle for less b/c of Intel selling Xscale biz. Apple didn't want such a disruption. They had to play safe. SJ said they went from 3G to 2.5G. That's not what he had in mind to begin with. Stay tune.
That's the interesting discovery I eluded earlier. I will share with you at an importune time. It's time for the board to work on iPhone II which is vastly superior to iPhone I, believe it or not. If iPhone I is great, imagine how the ST. will view iPhone II.
Upon further research, I verified that the S5L8900B01 is indeed mfgr'ed by Samsung. "S5L" prefix is Sam's convention. The part # is 8900 which hasn't been used before. B01 is rev B1.
In tech jargon, the first part is A0. The minor spin is A1, A2,... The major spins for major bug fixes are B0, B1, ...
Therefore, this part has been commissioned by Apple at least a year ago and went through several spins for bug fixes.
This is a special, secret part made by Sam for Apple, unlike the HTC TyTn that SI claimed. HTC TyTn used 400MHz Sam app processor.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/01/iphone-processor-found-620mhz-arm/
Looks like today's morning's firmware leak turned up some well hidden details about the iPhone's hardware engine -- and also confirming some reports we'd previously received. From what we can tell, it looks like the iPhone's got a 620MHz ARM chip running under the hood. Specifics:
ARM1176JZF chip with TrustZone (enables trusted computing environment for media, apps, network, OS, etc. -- very bad for hackers)
Can vary in clock speed up to 700MHz or more, depending on implementation (thanks, Nigma)
ARM Intelligent Energy Manager (claimed to reduce power consumption 25-50% in portables)
16K / 16K cache
Features vector floating point coprocessor ("for embedded 3D-graphics")
ARM Jazelle enabled for embedded Java execution (hmm...)
SIMD, high perf integer CPU (8-stage pipeline, 675 Dhrystone, 2.1 MIPS)
0.45 mW/MHz power draw (with cache)
Whatever it is Apple's got that thing doing, they're doing it right. Thus far our iPhone battery life tests have far exceeded expectations (more on that soon).
Update: Sascha at Gear Log seems to think given the recently discovered Samsung chip in the iPhone, perhaps the processor in question is a Samsung S3C6400, a recently-produced 667MHz ARM1176JZF-based CPU that seems to fit the bill.
[S5L8900B01 is not the S3C6400 which was sampled in Feb 07. It looked like Apple commisioned Sam to mfgr a special part for iPhone. I still don't know who designed it or whose IP it is. Sam could design and mfgr for Apple. The odd part is the Apple stamp is used on the MCM package. Sam could have put its stamp there since it mfgr'ed the whole MCM. On the other hand, the App is an exclusively commisioned part, not available to anyone else commercially to guarantee Apple's superiority. Therefore, it could make sense that Apple logo is on the MCM.]
I stumbled across some very interesting news while doing this research ... Will share with you at an opportune time.
MRVL could experience some weakness of this final conclusion. Be prepared.]
Yeah, I too expect a short-term pull-back to low $17 as a natural course. Expect 10-Q for last qtr in a few weeks, then Cramer will be in.
That's correct. 3G HSDPA. AT&T is building out HSDPA network. New HSDPA Sam models using Xscale will be sold by AT&T this month.
They will serve as guinea pigs to weed out AT&T NW bugs for iPhone II. Nice !
IFX is only one-night-stand date for APPL.
The bulk of the rev from WiFi is in this current qtr ending 7/07.
Wifi is single chip MAC+PHY+integrated radio. Power Amp+transceiver is the other chip. That's why you saw two chips on the board. There is also an Oscillator chip (silver).
The first costs ~ $3. The second costs ~ $3. The third costs < $1.
Sam won the 8GB flash, 2x 512 Mb DDR Memory. That's all I can confirm for now.
I only do this for CBS, S2, FTC, STLO, YQ. You are great guys. Keep up the good work !
Mogul, Q, Pearl, Ocean Vs. iPhone
http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/070702/tech01.html?.v=1
Techies Rush to Dissect Apple's IPhone
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070702/apple_iphone.html?.v=28
Some researchers said Apple's secrecy surrounding the iPhone's component suppliers is yet another example of the Cupertino-based company's vaunted ability to keep their partners tightlipped even when facing a media frenzy and rampant speculation.
"They're very good at it -- and I think they make a point of holding their suppliers to a standard of secrecy, or you could lose the next round if you slip up," said Howard Curtis, vice president of global services for Portelligent, a research company.
The secrecy continued Monday. Most of the component makers either didn't return phone calls or declined to comment.
Much like the examinations of other much-hyped gadgets, the deconstruction of the iPhone was a mad dash to be the first to post online, with minute-by-minute updates on Web sites and the occasional howls of researchers who wound up destroying their iPhones.
Those that released detailed descriptions of the iPhone's innards included sites such as ThinkSecret.com and iFixit.com as well as research companies Portelligent and Semiconductor Insights. Several analysts also published the results of their own tear-downs.
$327,375 MM Pre-tax Financial Impact Cumulative through 1/28/06
Pre-tax Financial Impact of the Equity Award Review
Approximately 74% of shares granted during the Relevant Period were backdated or resulted in additional accounting charges. Of these re-measured grants, the stock prices on the original grant date were lower than the prices on the appropriate measurement dates for 97% of such shares. Substantially all options granted (99% of shares granted during the Relevant Period) have been evaluated for appropriate re-measurement dates under Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25 "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees" ("APB 25").
The types of grant discrepancies uncovered by the internal review (by both the Special Committee and management) and the additional pre-tax stock-compensation expense arising from these adjustments, quantified under APB 25 for periods through fiscal 2006, are summarized as follows (in thousands):
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/070702/mrvl10-q_a.html
SJ's gag order has expired. Told you so. The empire strikes back. You think it's just a coincidence ?
Xscale PXA3xx supports Intel Wireless MMX™ 2 that can do what VFP can.
http://marvell.com/products/cellular/application/pxa300.jsp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMX
MMX in embedded applications
Intel's XScale processors starting with PXA270 include an extension to the ARM core called iwMMXt whose functions are similar to those of the IA-32 MMX extension. IwMMXt stands for "Intel® Wireless MMX™ Technology". It provides arithmetic and logic operations on 64-bit integer numbers (the software may choose to instead perform two 32-bit, four 16-bit or eight 8-bit operations in a single instruction). The extension contains 16 data registers of 64-bits and 8 control registers of 32-bits. All registers are accessed through standard ARM architecture coprocessor mapping mechanism. IwMMXt occupies coprocessors 0 and 1 space, and its opcodes coincide with the opcodes of an earlier floating-point extension, FPA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture#VFP
VFP technology is a coprocessor extension to the ARM architecture. It provides low-cost single-precision and double-precision floating-point computation fully compliant with the ANSI/IEEE Std 754-1985 Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic. VFP provides floating-point computation suitable for a wide spectrum of applications such as PDAs, smartphones, voice compression and decompression, three-dimensional graphics and digital audio, printers, set-top boxes, and automotive applications. The VFP architecture also supports execution of short vector instructions allowing SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) parallelism. This is useful in graphics and signal-processing applications by reducing code size and increasing throughput.
Other floating-point and/or SIMD coprocessors found in ARM-based processors include FPA, FPE, iwMMXt. They provide some of the same functionality as VFP but are not opcode-compatible with it.
Ifixit misquoted me.
"Samsung manufactured Apple ARM chip."
It should read
"K4X1G153PC-XGC3 is Sam 512Mb Mobile DDR SDRAM Memory packaged together with MRVL 600MHz PXA300 Monahans. The Main memory needs to be very close to the App processor for high speed operation."
The App Processor is Xscale, not Samsung. I am 100% certain of that.
Could someone email this to iFixit.com ? This needs to be corrected before Monday 7/2/007.
I still can't believe that no one sent the chip in question and a good known PXA300 to a failure analysis shop to dissect the MCM, then compare the top layer. This will answer who provides the App processor once and for all.
TIA
Please reference the followings for more reasonings.
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=20884058
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=20888015message_id=20881648
The ARM is MCM - Multi-Chip Module - package. I suggest someone sacrifices the chip, brings it to a reliability shop to open up the package, takes out the dies, look under the microscope.
You also need the good-known-die 600MHz PXA300 as reference. Comparing the top layer is good enough. There are a lot of firms that can do that for a small fee.
AAPL doesn't design this ARM App processor chip by itself for sure.
How many times have I said "It's Monahans, Baby !!". Can someone Shout it louder !
I got a Straight Flush all the way, baby !! Don't bluff me. You don't know SJ, MRVL, BRCM like I do. The only way to beat me is four Aces, or Royal Flush. These won't happen until next year and 5 yrs from now respectively.
I don't think you can draw a higher Straight Flush than I did.
Fold or Up the ante ? I am all-in and not blinking, wink, wink.
You guys are hilarious. I had a very busy day, was pulled in many direction. It's like a story about blind guys touching some parts of an elephant and identifying the wrong anatomy.
Anybody ever designed an ARM derivative has to license ARM. Sam announced a licensing agreement back in '02 and touted that they would hit 1 GHz by '03. Today, the best they got is 600MHz'ish. Their power consumption is worse than MRVL's.
I have explained about MRVL having the highest performance per MHz per mW.
Sam even came out w/ the Upstage smartphone using Xscale to upstage iPhone this month.
A bunch more of Sam PDA/smartphones also use Xscale as STLO and I have shown. It's too much of a conflict of interest for AAPL to use Sam.
The App proc is the best kept secret. I admire SJ for holding his cards close to his vest. It's 600MHz PXA300 packaged together w/ Sam DDR. Why 300 but not 310, nor 320 ? Because 300 suppors 2 mega-pixel digital camera; while 310, 320 support 5 mega-pixel. Furthermore, power consumption is of paramount importance.
BTW, since the Sam NAND flash is soldered to the board, customers can't swap out 4GB for 8GB w/o making address signal connection mistake.
Since the BGA is a hybrid of Xscale and packed Sam's DDR, AAPL can't use Sam's stamp but AAPL's stamp because AAPL does the integration using dies from each co.
If both chips are from Sam, Sam would package itself, then put its stamp on it.
It's Straight Flush all the way as expected. S2, here is your $4 jump next week.
Don't forget that MRVL will get additional boosts in Q4 due to HDD comeback, BB9K, iPhone II. We might hit $30+ in Nov 007. We will trade above $21 in July 007 short term.
K4X1G153PC-XGC3 is Sam 512Mb Mobile DDR SDRAM Memory packaged together with MRVL 600MHz PXA300 Monahans. The Main memory needs to be very close to the App processor for high speed operation.
http://marvell.com/products/cellular/application/pxa300.jsp
The PXA300 processor and its derivatives, with options for stacked NAND flash and mobile DDR memory, integrate the following features:
* Scalable, general-purpose processing up to 624 MHz with a 16-bit DDR memory interface for a richer end-user experience, such as browsing Web content or streaming video.
* Wireless Intel® SpeedStep® technology with Instruction Power Manager software for MIPS/mW power efficiency, delivering long battery life and enabling consumers to spend more time enjoying the rich features their offered by their devices and service providers.
* Intel Wireless MMX™ 2 accelerating technology, a 2D graphics accelerator and a 256 KB frame buffer designed to support video codecs, enhances the user’s experience of popular usage models like video playback, video conferencing, video telephony, and digital TV.
* An enhanced set of peripherals eases connectivity to technologies like Wi-Fi, WiBro, WiMAX, and Bluetooth v2.0, and Intel’s Enhanced Quick Capture technology supports camera sensors up to 2 megapixels (MP) for a richer camera application.
I gonna collect the bottle from CBS
BRCM provides the TouchScreen controller, $2.5.
The best overall pictures are http://thinksecret.com/archives/iphonetakeapart/source/iphone36.html
http://thinksecret.com/archives/iphonetakeapart/source/iphone38.html
You can count the number of pins on the ARM chip then compare to a published pin-out of PXA300 to verify. Could someone do that ?
The big Samsung K9HBG (MLC 4CHIPS) with the "Secret" as of "Think Secret" is NAND Flash.
http://www.dramexchange.com/CommunityServer/forums/3789/ShowThread.aspx
Don't panic everybody.
The centered white blue chip w/ "MARVELL W8", oscilattor, PA in an EM shield island itself is MRVL TopDog 11g
CSR Bluetooth processor (model 3A06)
The Apple-stamped 33SS0030 ARM is MRVL Xscale 600MHz PXA300 which supports 2MP camera. See how SJ went extra mile to protect his secret.
SKY77340 Power Amplifier Module for Quad-Band GSM / EDGE SKY77340 PAM is designed in a compact form factor for quad-band cellular handsets comprising GSM850/900, DCS1800, PCS1900, supporting GMSK and linear EDGE modulation, and Class 12 GPRS multi-slot operation.
http://www.skyworksinc.com/products_detailpop2.asp?pid=11365
I saw a LLTC (Linear Tech chip) as well.
I saw a big letter M for TopDog from a different source than iFixit.com
AP News:MRVL rumored to be a supplier for iPhone (1 Rating) 36 minutes ago
Marvell Technology Group Ltd. shares rose $1, or 5.8 percent, to $18.21. The chip maker is rumored to be a supplier for Apple Inc.'s iPhone. The device launched Friday.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070629/nasdaq_100_leaders_laggards.html?.v=1
ASUS launches luxury 416MHz XScale A696 ultra slim GPS PDA
http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/8388/9412/ASUS-launches-A696-GPS-PDA.phtml
Asus re-locates GPS PDA in UK
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/27/asus_brings_gps_pda_to_uk/
ASUS A696 Ultra Slim GPS PDA Sparkles with High Quality Feel - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16858109015
Vodafone seen inching ahead for European iPhone deal
http://eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=O0XDRM0IOHOB2QSNDLSCKHA?articleID=200001...
BMW to introduce iPhone connectivity
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/29/bmw_iphone_integration_woz_in_line_fox_news_mic_jackin....
iPhones roll into Apple Store Fifth Ave. in Manhattan (photos)
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/29/iphones_roll_into_apple_store_fifth_ave_in_manhattan_p....
EDGE speed boosts for iPhone 'confirmed'
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/06/29/edge.speed.boost.confirmed/
Wozniak first in line at Valley Fair [photos]
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/06/29/woz.first.at.valley.fair/
Sure CBS.
Broadcom downgraded on HDTV weakness
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7b65AD6501-2778-4B54-B8E4-871A72C8F076%7d&....
[That's an accurate one.]
Qualcomm rejects Broadcom's $6 per phone offer
http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20070629:MTFH08012_2....
Qualcomm Hangs Up On Broadcom
http://www.forbes.com/2007/06/29/qualcomm-broadcom-chips-markets-equity-cx_jl_0629markets07.html?par...
No one has factored in iPhone II content. MRVL should get another boost in Nov-Dec 007. 3-stage booster rocket ?
BBQ, FTC, you are smart. I figured out three Aces. Can you figure out the 4th one - Zune phone ?
Don't wait for the Euro phone which will be shipped by end of 007 if you want to buy the iPhone . You guys already figured out what goes in Euro phone, may I call ePhone ?
Do you believe in miracle ?
We will be over $21 in July 007 ? Fold or up the ante ?
IPhone's Interior Intrigues Investors
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070629/iphone_interior.html?.v=1
Friday June 29, 12:12 pm ET
Investors Speculate on IPhone's Interior
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Much has been made about the exterior of the Apple Inc. iPhone -- its sleek look, touch screen and high-resolution video -- but just as intriguing to investors may be its interior.
Little is officially known about the components that make up Apple's combination cell phone, music player and Internet device, although the guessing already has started. While to some, it may sound like a harmless parlor game, it's actually a high stakes endeavor.
That's because being an iPhone component supplier could significantly boost a company's sales should Apple hit its goal of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008. Even if iPhone sales fall short of Apple's goal, many component makers stand to benefit as other handset manufacturers scramble to come up with their own iPhone-like features.
Among those speculated as iPhone suppliers are Seoul, South Korea-based Samsung Electronics Co., Santa Clara, Calif.-based Marvell Technology Group Ltd., Irvine, Calif.-based chip maker Broadcom Corp. and a host of Taiwanese manufacturers.
Representatives for the companies mentioned in this article did not comment. To date, at least three different analysts have listed these companies in various research notes.
Of all the component makers, Samsung is said to be supplying the pieces, which is ironic because its music player competes with Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple's iPod. Nonetheless, Samsung is supposedly supplying the chips that serve as the device's core processors, effectively the brains of the device, as well as the chips running the video elements.
[How come no one mentions Sam competes against AAPL in smartphone ?]
Marvell is said to be supplying chips to power the iPhone's Wi-Fi connection and could see its sales increase 7 percent in 2008 just from iPhones, according to one analyst's estimate.
"This device is opening up a whole new product category," said UBS analyst Alex Gauna. For instance, the iPhone could boost sales of other cell phones that also contain Wi-Fi wireless capabilities, which would provide a further boost to Marvell as handset manufacturers buy up more of its chips.
Chipmaker Broadcom also stands to benefit, according to testimony Chairman Henry Samueli gave in a trademark infringement lawsuit, during which he confirmed Broadcom chips will be inside the phone. But he failed to identify which ones.
UBS' Gauna believes Broadcom's supplying the chips controlling the device's touch screen, perhaps its most unique feature. As a result, Broadcom could see up to a 7 percent boost in sales in 2008 should Apple hit its iPhone sales goal, he estimates.
Other supposed iPhone component suppliers are Infineon Technologies AG, a Munich, Germany-based maker of baseband technology, and Great Britain-based Cambridge Silicon Radio, which is supposedly supplying the device's bluetooth connectivity.
Taiwanese manufacturers are also said to be big winners, including Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. and its subsidiary FoxConn Technology Co., which have been pegged as assembling the device and providing some of the mechanical parts, according to three analysts.
These secrets are sure to spill out eventually, and possibly within hours of the phone going on sale.
While most who buy the $500 device wouldn't dare dream of it, there's a contingent planning to crack their new toy open, and for posterity's sake, take a look at what components are inside.
"If nobody does, I will," said Gauna.
CBS, you are very smart. How much does the best champagne cost ? Guess when pics, teardown report will be avail. It'd better come out before 7/4/007 for the fireworks show.
Eager iPhone buyers line up
SOME WAIT FOR CASH, OTHERS FOR COLLEAGUES, OTHERS FOR KIN
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6261313?nclick_check=1
Perk for U.S. Apple workers: free iPhone
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_6259408
Mixed signals by tech elite on iPhone
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_6259397
The technorati on the iPhone
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_6259398
Thousands line up to buy Apple iPhones
http://www.mercurynews.com/businessheadlines/ci_6258374
HSDPA+Monahans single chip is used in BB 9K (biz model) to be shipped Dec 07 or Jan 08, BB 9.1K (consumer model) 1Q08, iPhone II for Europe, U.S., Canada by 1Q08, probably will be announced at Jan 08 MacWorld.
11g Wifi+Blue single chip will be used as well.
iPhone has separate 11g (by MRVL) and Blue (by CSR). iPhone App processor has been researched extensively and identified as 600MHz PXA300 by many contributors here. It was a great team work.
I have been emphasizing that MRVL strength is about integration to reduce area, cost, power, and improve performance.
MRVL has most of the puzzle pieces except GPS. BRCM acquired Global Locate (GPS) to provide a solution by 09.
Internal Apple Stevenote: iPhone, iPods with OS X, and "off the charts" Macs in the pipeline
http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/06/28/internal-apple-stevenote-iphone-ipods-with-os-x....
Jobs hints at iPhone corporate e-mail support
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/28/jobs_hints_at_iphone_corporate_e_mail_support.html
Apple sets two iPhone limit; says stores will operate till midnight
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/28/apple_sets_two_iphone_limit_says_stores_will_operate_t...
S2 posts today were right on. If I am not worried, then you shouldn't be. If you have been holding MRVL this long, then a few more days don't hurt. It would hurt you much more if you sell it just before the rocket launch. Think 20%+ a day. Think $22 - $25.
BB is doing extremely well. Both RIMM and APPL are hitting all-time high at the same time meaning they don't compete directly much. MRVL provides chip for two fastest horses. Therefore, it will be traded much higher.
You ain't see nothing yet. Straight Flush now is nice now but I set my sight on my four Aces (BB 9K, iPhone, iPhone II, Zune phone) which could take MRVL above $30 or all-time high.
Watch the fireworks in July ! Don't kick yourself in the butt.
Often-Asked iPhone Questions
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/28/technology/circuits/28pogue.html?ei=5090&en=6db6ecaa7a2c97d0&a....
Great article. Excerpts follow.
Can you make phone calls while you’re on the Internet? Yes — if your iPhone has a Wi-Fi connection. When it’s using AT&T’s Internet network, no.
Why didn’t Apple use AT&T’s faster 3G Internet network? Apple says that today’s relatively unpolished 3G (third generation) radio chips would drain the battery too fast — and at this point, wouldn’t provide enough of a speed boost to justify that trade-off. Apple will release a 3G iPhone model when the time seems right.
Can the iPhone replace a BlackBerry? It’s not really even in the same category. For example, only Yahoo Mail accounts offer “push” e-mail like a BlackBerry, in which new messages appear in real time. For other accounts, the iPhone checks either periodically (every 15, 30 or 60 minutes) or when you tap the Check button. Similarly, you can view e-mailed Word, Excel and PDF attachments on the iPhone, but you can’t create or edit them. The iPhone doesn’t work with corporate Exchange e-mail systems, either, unless the administrator turns on IMAP (the administrator presumably knows what that is).
Does the keyboard rotate when you rotate the iPhone? Only in the Web browser. That’s a shame, because the rotated keyboard, stretching the full length of the screen, is much bigger and easier to use than the narrow version.
In Web mode, the iPhone keyboard can fill the length of the screen. See pics in the above link.
You are right. A huge design win begets more design wins. Others have to scramble to catch up. RIMM won't be affected for biz like the instantaneous push email technology. RIM accomplishes that by colocating their custom HW at central offices. This is their secret. You probably haven't heard of this before.
RIM also uses Qwerty keyboard which makes biz more comfortable - no learning curve required.
Net, Infineon won the iPhone GSM/EDGE baseband which is separate from MRVL.
MRVL has been shipping separate HSDPA baseband and Xscale. Now MRVL is sampling single chip integrating the above functions.
Let's dig into iPhone II which will have 3G HSDPA, dual screen (top and bottom),...
iPhone III will certainly have GPS HW.
BB 9K will certainly use MRVL HSDPA+Xscale single chip and 11g+Blu single chip.
Remember that whay makes iPhone tick is the great MAC OS X and GUI allowing iPhone to function as a pocket computer. HW alone won't make a product great. It's the user experience as the Wii has taught PS3 and Xbox 360 a lesson.
Four Aces: iPhone, iPhone II, BB 9K, Zune phone. MSFT is not sitting still. Remember MSFT surface computer skunk work ?
Wonder when will we have pics, probably 7/2/007.
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/10467/
All Things iPhone: What’s Inside, Pricing, and Dates
Note that, MRVL provides the 11g Wifi, not BRCM.
MOT TTPCom stack to PXA800 and PXA900 allows MRVL to penetrate cellphone baseband biz
Exactly one yr has passed when MRVL acquired Xscale on 6/27/06
Marvell unlocks former Intel mobile business
By Richard Wilson -- Electronics Weekly, 2/20/2007
Is Marvell turning the former Intel mobile handset chip business into a mainstream supplier for the high volume 3G mobile phone market?
Last week’s license deal with Motorola indicates that it is and it is another example of how Marvell seems set on unlocking the potential of its expanded chip business.
Since Marvell bought Intel’s cellular handheld group last June, according to one senior executive in the company, the rate of design wins has gone up, investment in R&D has gone up, and the rate of new product introductions has gone up.
According to Stuart Robinson, director of the handset component technologies at Strategy Analytics: "Marvell has a good track record in the fabless chip business. It can supply high volume consumer chips profitably, despite aggressive price pressure. Marvell now commands two ARM-based designs, its existing Feroceon and Intel's XScale, giving it greater potential to penetrate the 3G handset market."
This latest deal covers the Motorola TTPCom cellular protocol software stack, developed in the U.K. that will allow it to offer hardware and software platforms for higher volume 3G smartphone manufacturers.
“As the protocols stack is the heart of the phone’s communications engine, it is critical to Marvell’s strategy of providing a complete smartphone platform to our customers.” said Sam Arditi, senior VP and general manager of Marvell’s cellular and handheld business group.
“The Marvell PXA family of communications processors has been running the Motorola TTPCom protocol stack for years. We know the code,” added Arditi.
Marvell PXA processors are currently shipping in volume in popular handheld devices like Motorola Q, Motorola A1200 Ming, Motorola ROKR2, and RIM Blackberry Pearl.
The software stack Marvell is licensing supports the design of dual-mode, low cost 2.5 and 3G handsets and so will open up low-cost, higher volumes designs for the chip firm.
Marvell has experience of porting the Motorola TTPCom stack to its PXA800 and PXA900 series of communications processors, which are already shipping in high volume. With this agreement Marvell will provide complete designs based on its wireless communications processors and platforms.
In June, Marvell acquired from Intel comms processors, based on the XScale technology, including the Intel PXA9xx communications processor which is used in Research in Motion’s (RIM) Blackberry 8700 device.
The terms of the agreement provide Marvell with a complete manufacturing and distribution license.
iPhone retail packaging revealed in video review (images)
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/27/iphone_retail_packaging_revealed_in_video_review_image....
iPhone Dual Dock; Apple Store downtime; new Apple video
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/27/iphone_dual_dock_apple_store_downtime_new_apple_video.....
Apple iPhone may capture 26 percent of smartphone buyers - report
While it has yet to ship its first cellphone, Apple is already tied with BlackBerry producer RIM in desirability, a just-published study reveals.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/21/apple_iphone_may_capture_26_percent_of_smartphone_buye....
Apple IPhone Reviewers Say Handset Lives Up to Hype (Update4)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=ad4Nhbj4p8JE&refer=home
Marvell recently placing major orders for nown-good-die-memory
Etron to have strong sales in June
Hans Wu, Taipei; Rodney Chan, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 26 June 2007]
http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/NewsSearch.asp?DocID=PD000000000000000000000000002129&query=MA....
[CBS, I paste the article here for digitimes requires membership for 2-day old article.]
Etron Technology is likely to see strong sales in June, driven by continued increases in orders for LCD TV-use memory ICs, and system-on-chip (SoC) solutions for small-to-medium-size panels, according to market sources.
Etron's revenues for June will hit the highest level so far this year, while revenues for the full year 2007 will grow 20-30% to as much as NT$13 billion (US$396.44 million), the sources said.
The company saw its gross margins climb to 16.9% in the first quarter, while operating incomes rose to more than 10%, the sources indicated.
Its known-good-die-memory (KGDM) shipments rose to more than 20% of total shipments for the first quarter, while LCD TV-use memory ICs and small-to-medium-size panel SoCs also had a combined share of more than 20% of its first-quarter revenues, the sources pointed out.
Etron's KGDM technology has helped expand the company's market, with Marvell recently placing major orders, the sources noted. The shipment proportion of KGDM will continue rising through the year, the sources added.
http://www.etron.com/kgd.php
The company offers cutting-edge Known-Good-Die (KGD) and packaged ICs, which cover low-power RAMs, including SRAMs, Pseudo SRAMs and DRAMs among other DDR and SDR DRAMs, and system chips.
KGDM Products
* SDRAM: 16Mb, 64Mb, 128Mb
* LPSDRAM: 16Mb, 64Mb, 128Mb
* DDR SDRAM: 64Mb, 128Mb, 256Mb
* PSRAM: 8Mb, 16Mb, 32Mb
* LPSRAM: 2Mb, 4Mb and 8Mb
Applications
*
Digital TV
*
Projector
*
Digital Camera
*
DSC Module
*
Hard Disk Drive
*
Micro Drive
*
Wireless Chipset
*
DSL Chipset
*
PDA
*
Cellular Phone
*
MP3 Player
*
Portable DVD Player
*
Others
Early reviews: iPhone up to hype
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6239163?nclick_check=1
Excerpts follow.
Some of the top tech reviewers weighed in Tuesday on the iPhone - what one described as the most widely anticipated gadget he had ever seen - and answered the question with a qualified "Yes."
Most praised its easy-to-use software and impressive touch screen - even while panning the AT&T service it uses. The reviews also provided new details about what the gadget will and won't do.
These influential reviewers, including Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal and David Pogue at the New York Times, were given exclusive early access to the tightly controlled device by Apple. The iPhone won't go on sale until Friday at 6 p.m.
While these early reviews probably won't sway early buyers, they could influence consumers sitting on the fence, analysts say, as they decide whether to plunk down $500 to $600 for the phone plus the cost of a two-year service plan.
Their praise was in general lavish, especially of the device's software interface.
Newsweek's Steven Levy, for instance, noted that his own Motorola phone can do many of the same things the iPhone can. But while he was able to figure out how to surf the Web and check e-mail on the iPhone easily, he hadn't figured out how to do many of those functions on his Motorola phone even after owning it for two years.
"And there it is: One of the most hyped consumer products ever comes pretty close to justifying the bombast," Levy said.
On the plus side, the reviewers gave the touch screen, which many feared would scratch easily, high marks for resiliency. Most found the iPhone's virtual keyboard easy to use. And most were impressed with the iPhone's battery life, although they noted it didn't appear to last quite as long as Apple has promised.
Given the largely positive nature of the reviews, "a lot of people who might hesitate to buy (an iPhone) are going to feel encouraged," said Roger Kay, founder and president of Endpoint Technologies, a high-tech consulting firm.
"The bottom line is those guys are kind of taste makers. What they say matters."
For their part, the reviewers raved about both the iPhone's physical design and the software at its core. Most noted how sleek and thin it looks. Mossberg, for instance, said the phone was thinner than the Samsung BlackJack, a recently released smart-phone.
The iPhone is "a classic example of the Apple look: slim, shiny and elegant," Levy wrote. "As it did with MP3 players, Apple has made even its most stylish competitors look like Soviet-issue contraptions."
The iPhone's software "sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry," added Mossberg and Katherine Boehret in their joint review for the Journal.
Most reviewers gave high marks to the iPhone's Web browsing capabilities. But they unanimously lambasted the speed at which the device accesses the Web over AT&T's network.
The gadget can access the Internet using a relatively fast WiFi connection, but those can often be hard to find. When users don't have one near by, they can jump on the Internet only through the company's EDGE data network, which is considerably slower than its newer 3G Broadband Connect.
Still, all in all, the reviewers gave the iPhone high marks.
"Expectations for the iPhone have been so high that it can't possibly meet them all," Mossberg said. "But, despite its network limitations, the iPhone is a whole new experience and a pleasure to use."
Secrecy gives APPL a competitive advantage for it takes ~ 2 years to develop a new platform and go through field trials.
Competitors can't figure out the unique combination of parts (BOM) that makes iPhone great, i.e. performance per MHz per mW per mm2 per dollar. The SW is another important factor. That's why Japanese devices lag far behind Apple's.
Two and five year headstarts in HW and SW respectively is enormous in smartphone biz.
Also, keeping secrecy adds alure, mystique to iPhone - a great mktg ploy mastered by SJ.
The following explains SJ's mktg genius, the greatest mankind has ever known. Something every MBA school should case-study.
As iPhone Week dawns, one thing is clear: marketing is a lot easier--and cheaper--if you let other people do it for you.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-6193168.html
More Official iPhone Reviews
http://www.macrumors.com/
Newsweek: Steven Levy
- bottom line is that the iPhone is a significant leap
- The iPhone is the rare convergence device where things actually converge.
- e-mail looks more like you’re working on a computer than a clunky phone
- YouTube videos work great on Wi-Fi, but can display in a lower quality when you’re not at a hotspot and are using AT&T’s EDGE network
- unless I did a lot of video watching or Web browsing, [the battery] could generally last the day
- I’ve been jamming it in my pocket with keyrings, coins and pens, and so far it’s nearly as good as new.
USA Today: Edward Baig
- Apple's iPhone isn't perfect, but it's worthy of the hype
- The revelation is that it's also comfortable to hold and touch.
- I expected to miss the tactile feel that a physical keyboard provides. I didn't.
- You can hold a conference call with up to five people.
- No voice recognition or voice dialing
- halfway decent internal speakers for listening if you set the thing down
- iPod games are not compatible with iPhone
- our company tech department raised questions about the security settings Apple required with our Microsoft Exchange servers.
- Battery life didn't prove to be a big problem in my unscientific tests
Apple's battery life dovetails with WSJ's Mossberg test
"Its battery life is excellent. In our tests, it got seven hours and 18 minutes of continuous talk time, while the Wi-Fi was on and email was constantly being fetched in the background."
Under the same conditions, Walt got 22 hours of music playback, over 9 hours for Internet usage, and seven hours -- enough to watch 4 average movies -- for video.
Apple's claimed Internet usage is more conservative than WSJ's.
iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/pr/20070618iphone.html
WSJ's Mossberg calls iPhone a 'breakthrough handheld computer'
By AppleInsider Staff
Published: 07:00 PM EST
Despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthrough handheld computer, writes the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg, who on Tuesday published the first official review of the inaugural Apple handset.
"Its battery life is excellent. In our tests, it got seven hours and 18 minutes of continuous talk time, while the Wi-Fi was on and email was constantly being fetched in the background."
Under the same conditions, Walt got 22 hours of music playback, over 9 hours for Internet usage, and seven hours -- enough to watch 4 average movies -- for video.
"While its two megapixel camera took excellent pictures in our tests, it can't record video."
When you have access to Wi-Fi, the iPhone flies on the Web. "Not only that, but the iPhone automatically switches from EDGE to known Wi-Fi networks when it finds them, and pops up a list of new Wi-Fi networks it encounters as you move."
The iPhone's virtual keyboard "turned out in our tests to be a nonissue." After five days of use, Walt "was able to type on it as quickly and accurately as he could on the Palm Treo he has used for years."
[It's a Must Read - very impressive. Does it sound like 600MHz PXA300 and TopDog 11g inside ?]
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/26/wsjs_mossberg_calls_iphone_a_breakthrough_handheld_com....
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/26/nyts_david_pogue_atts_edge_network_is_excruciatingly_s....
The iPhone Matches Most of Its Hype
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/technology/circuits/27pogue.html?hp
[This is the most balanced article about iPhone user experience.]
Apple basks in iPhone buzz
As iPhone Week dawns, one thing is clear: marketing is a lot easier--and cheaper--if you let other people do it for you.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-6193168.html
Customers line up for iPhone launch
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1700AP_IPhone_Lines.html
Himax and Novatek land second-generation iPhone LCD driver IC orders, says paper
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20070621PB200.html
EDN, June 21; Esther Lam, DIGITIMES [Thursday 21 June 2007]
Himax Technologies and Novatek Microelectronics are said to have landed second-generation iPhone LCD panel driver IC orders, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.
The report cited investors as saying that both the IC design houses have landed LCD driver IC orders for second-generation iPhones, while AU Optronics (AUO) and Innolux Display are to be the new panel suppliers. The first version of iPhone adopts an LCD driver IC produced by Renesas Technology and Seiko Epson, the paper cited IC design houses as saying.
[Can anyone guess who landed iPhone II's HSDPA baseband, App processor, Wifi, Bluetooth ? Let's start the iPhone II discussion in earnest. I wasn't pulling your legs when mentioning iPhone II more than a month ago. We need to be three steps a head of the herd.]
http://seekingalpha.com/article/35907
During the quarter, O2 in Europe became another major carrier to launch a 3G phone based on our advanced solutions following the Vodafone launch in February. We also continued to work closely with RIM to support their ongoing product launches and strong business strength.
Also during the quarter, we commenced sampling our first highly integrated single chip communication processor, which combines an HSDPA, 3G based band with a high-speed application processor.
David Woo - Global Crown Capital
Yes, good afternoon. Sehat, can you just maybe answer two questions. The first one is I didn't understand whether the HSDPA base span in the application processor that you are sampling, are they two dyes on one chip, or are they integrated at this point already? That's the first one.
Sehat Sutardja
Okay, all right. The answer to that is very clear. If it's a single chip device, one dye consisting of a stand alone application processor with integrated HSDPA edge, basically full, full 2G, 3G modem in a single piece of silicon. So it's not a 2-chip solution. A 2-chip solution, we already have actually its shipped, we have been shipping it a 2-chip solution for quite a while, already. This is the first time we have shipped very high performance application processor together with HSDPA functionality.
David Woo - Global Crown Capital
I see. So that's currently sampling?
Sehat Sutardja
That's correct. Currently sampling, making phone calls in IOT, progressing very, very well. And we will expect customers to be shipping in volumes by the end of the year.
David Woo - Global Crown Capital
In the one Chip?
Sehat Sutardja
One Chip solution.
In regards to our application processors, we continue to see diverse design activity beyond just cell phones and smart phones. Our customer base is very large and we have high volume shipments into many different applications such as GPS, PDAs, VOIP phones and a variety of handheld devices for the mobile work force.
Many of these applications are beginning to also incorporate the benefits of wireless LAN and Bluetooth, which bodes well for incremental growth of content and future integration.
In regards to wireless LAN and Bluetooth, we continue to receive very solid design wins and are on track to start shipping our integrated wireless LAN and Bluetooth Single-Chip Solution in high volume in the second half of this year.
Additionally, during the quarter, we introduced a second Bluetooth device with an integrated FM radio. All of our Bluetooth solutions are completely certified to support extended data rates, 2.0.
As the clear leader in the embedded wireless LAN market, we are in a strong position to leverage these designs to now include the Bluetooth and FM functionality. We are seeing great interest and exciting designs in high volume applications, such as MP3 players, cell phones and gaming.
Insanity: First iPhone line forms in Manhattan (four days early)
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/25/insanity_first_iphone_line_forms_in_manhattan_four_day....
CBS, You got to read this. R U there ?
Combined iPhone service and data plans to start at $60 per month
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/26/combined_iphone_service_and_data_plans_to_start_at_60_....
Existing phone numbers transferable to AT&T through iTunes
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/06/26/existing_phone_numbers_transferable_to_att_through_itu...