On the board - top

First, we see a much smaller overall area

than products of the previous generation.
Chips appear more densely populated and
we expect some consolidation into SoCs.
We also see the A4 processor (more on that
later).

Additionally we can see:

• Skyworks SKY77541 GSM/GRPS

Front End Module
• Skyworks SKY77542 Tx–Rx iPAC™
FEM for Dual-Band GSM/GPRS
Apple iPhone 4 mainboard top (image courtesy iFixit)
(click image to enlarge)
Skyworks SKY77542 Tx–Rx iPAC™ FEM for
Dual-Band GSM/GPRS: 880–915 MHz &
1710–1785 MHz bands.
Skyworks SKY77541 GSM/GRPS Front End
Module
STMicro STM33DH 3-axis accelerometer
TriQuint TQM676091 338S0626
 On the board - bottom

The most obvious device is the Intel marked,

36My1EE. This is a Numonyx Nor and
mobile DDR. Next to it is what looks like an
Apple white-labeled Infineon transceiver
chip. The rest of the interesting bits appear
to be covered up.

Apple iPhone 4 mainboard bottom (image courtesy

iFixit) (click image to enlarge)
Under the backside cover

Here we see the touchscreen controller with

die markings 343S0499. This is the same
one seen in the iTouch and Magic Mouse.

Other devices:

• Samsung K9PFG08 flash memory

Apple iPhone 4 mainboard bottom with cover off (click
image to enlarge)
• The Cirrus Logic 338S0589 audio
codec (Apple branded)
• The AKM8975 - newest magnetic
sensor that promises to improve
performance over the prior generation
• The Texas Instruments 343S0499
Touch Screen Controller

Samsung K9PFG08 flash memory

Cirrus Logic 338S0589 audio codec (Apple
branded). This is the same part as in the
iPad.
AKM8975 - newest magnetic sensor that
promises to improve the performance over
the prior generation.
Texas Instruments 343S0499 Touch Screen

Annotated die photograph of the Apple / TI Touch
Screen Controller (click image to enlarge)
Controller
36MY1EE Numonyx NOR and mobile DDR
Touch screen controller
As expected, Texas Instruments has won
the touch screen controller socket with
an unbranded chip marked
343S0499. Apple has followed a fairly
predictable evolution in the use of touch
screen controllers. The first generation of
hand held products from Apple used a
five-chip solution, the next generations used
a three-chip solution, and this generation
uses an all-in-one chip from TI.
This device should have die markings for
Texas Instruments (F761586C) and be a 3 x
3 mm die, with circuitry going across six
metal layers. The device functions by
measuring the changes in an electrical
charge on the touch screen (in a
grid-array), hence, the logic on the chip is
able to discern what type of multi-touch or
gesture is happening. The way in which
the screen itself functions is well
documented.
In order to have such a powerful chip you
need both the analog circuitry to drive the
grids on the screen and the digital logic to
quickly interpret them. This chip features
close to 50% digital circuitry in the form of
logic and memory, in a 90 nm process
technology. The industry follows a roadmap
of what is referred to as process technology
generations. This 90 nm technology
generation was introduced in 2004,
but many devices are still made with this
geometry today. Of course, the processes
have been subject to continuous innovation
and improvement (more on the scale of a nm
later).
 Design Win for OmniVision

Although we have yet to completely tear

down the image sensor module (coming very
shortly), industry sources tell us that the 5
MP camera is another win for OmniVision.
Apple already disclosed that the sensor used
backside illumination (BSI) technology and
therefore, it is likely that the device is the
OmniVision OV5642. We will of
course confirm that once the device gets out
of the teardown lab and into the chip reverse
engineering lab.

OmniVision is one of the few players to have

OmniVision OV5642 die photograph with annotated
pixel array
a proven successful implementation
of a state-of-the art BSI process. This
technology helps to maximize the ability of
each pixel to collect light and
deliver improved quality in a smaller sized
camera. However, to focus only on the BSI
would be to under sell the innovation that
goes into this CMOS image sensor.

The image sensor market is one of the most

hotly contested markets, with over 20
players competing for multiple applications.
This competition has resulted in significant
OmniVision pixel array showing the microlens structures
innovation in a CMOS-based technology,
(click to enlarge)
that only a few years ago was the poor sister
of CCD technology. Therefore, these
devices are not only interesting on a
competitive basis, but are great
demonstrators of semiconductor
innovation. For instance, what does it mean
to fit five million little pixels into a die area
that measures a mere 10 mm2, or roughly
the size of a pea?

OmniVision pixel circuitry (only one of the four layers) - It means putting in the circuitry necessary to
there are five million of these (click to enlarge) get the signal from the sensor array, the lens
for focusing the light, the color filter, the
photo cathode to collect the light, and the
isolation to avoid electrical noise into

ST three-axis accelerometer in tilt view (click image to
enlarge)
5,000,000, 1.4 µm diameter pixels. This
device is manufactured at 130 nm process
generation, so when you think about it, this
success isn't even at the smallest possible
technology in the semiconductor world.
If you are interested in more details on
OmniVision's technology, then you can
visit our report library to learn about our full
reverse engineering reports.
Inertial Sensors/Movement Sensing
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
are used to sense the motion of the device. It
is another red hot sector in the
semiconductor industry fuelled by their
relatively recent inclusion in consumer
portable electronics.
Based on industry sources, we believe that
the AGD1 part is the new three axis
gyroscope designed for Apple by
STMicroelectronics. These markings don't
link it to the commercial version, known as
the L3G4200D, and it is another piece of
silicon that we will be going inside of to show
the die images.
The other sensor is the STMicroelectronics
STM33DH three-axis accelerometer.
By combining the two sensor types the
iPhone provides a level of sensitivity and
accuracy to translate pretty much any motion
into an electrical signal. We can't wait for the
"iPitch" app which will allow budding
young baseball pitchers to measure the
forces on their curve balls by whipping their
iPhones toward home plate.

Broadcom BCM4329 die markings
Broadcom BCM4750
Other Networking
As expected, Broadcom won the slot for
multiband low power 802.11a/b/g/n with
Bluetooth. This amazing little chip combines
several proven wireless technologies with a
CMOS PA, while consuming very little
power, due in part to being made in a 65-nm
process. Interestingly, it includes an FM
radio - something Apple has not yet taken
advantage of.
In addition to this chip, Broadcom has also
scored a win for the BCM4750 single chip
GPS receiver IC, fabricated at 90 nm
RFCMOS.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS are all provided
by Broadcom and located beneath EMI
shields on the front side of the board.
Broadcom BCM4329FKUBG 802.11n with
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and FM receiver.
Broadcom BCM4750IUB8 single-chip GPS
receiver.

Apple A4 microprocessor (click to enlarge)
TEM of Samsung 45 nm transistor in cross section (from This chip represents the glamorous part of
Xilinx Spartan 6)
(click image to enlarge)
Samsung 45 nm SRAM cell and logic in topographical
view (click image to enlarge)
The Microprocessor 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8
core
The news much of the world is waiting for is
whether Apple has released yet another new
microprocessor. It turns out that the A4, first
seen in the iPad, is used again (as
expected) in the iPhone 4. Date codes show
it to be a newer 'batch' but the device
remains the same, with the exception that
there is double the memory. This is a
package-on-package, and inside we should
see 4 Gb (512 MB) of SDRAM die and the
processor. Later analysis will show us
whether it is one or two SDRAM dies.
Since Apple does not manufacture its own
silicon, we assume that they have continued
to outsource the fabrication of this design to
Samsung, who are using a very advanced
45 nm technology. Until we get it back
to our reverse engineering lab, we cannot be
100% certain either way. However, we have
not heard about any dual-foundry strategy
employed by Apple so it is a fairly safe bet to
affirm our original assumption.
semiconductor technology - the smallest of
the small. To understand how technology
generations/shrinks are classified you need
to be a semiconductor process junkie.
Suffice to say, that only a few companies in
the world have the R&D, manufacturing, and
volume needed to manufacture products at
these very small sizes.
But what does this mean? Well, basically a
transistor is logic that amplifies or switches
electronic signals. An integrated circuit
contains millions and millions of these.
Samsung's 45 nm process was observed
fully in a Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA reverse
engineering analysis we did, which showed
a gate length of 47 nm with a full transistor
width of about 200 nm. If we were to say that
the average a human hair is about 100 µm in
diameter (100,000 nm), then that would
mean that you can fit over 2000 of these
gates across it.