Techcrunch claims that Apple’s brand new iPhone 6 is the best smartphone. I have not had my hands on one to make my judgements on that. But I am interested to see what is inside this new gadget.
iPhone6 is brabd new, but iFixit has already done iPhone 6 Teardown and iPhone 6 Plus Teardown for you to enjoy. iFixit has also conducted a full-blown in-house iPhone u6 analysis with more photos and detail. They have also made a nice iPhone 6+ Teardown Review video:
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown.com Analysis: Apple iPhone 6 Plus
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1324024&
This year’s Apple iPhone release included two flagship phones, the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone 6 Plus, finally moving into the 4.7″ and 5.5″ mobile phone market. The iPhone 6 Plus is a competitive leap forward against such devices as the already released LG G3 and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 — Apple’s toughest competitor, to be released in October.
Preliminary analysis of the iPhone 6 Plus estimates it costs $242.50 to build — an increase of about 15% over the iPhone 5S. The estimated combined cost of Apple’s new A8 processor and Qualcomm’s MDM9625M modem account for $59.50 of the preliminary CoG, while the 5.5″ display/touchscreen assembly costs another estimated $51.00. For the iPhone 6 the preliminary display/touchscreen costs about $41.50 with the iPhone 6 total CoG to be approximately $227.00.
The increase in build cost was expected, considering the larger display, expanded cellular coverage, the addition of Near Field Communication (NFC), and a larger battery.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown: Inside the iPhone 6 Plus
http://edn.com/design/consumer/4434971/Teardown–Inside-the-iPhone-6-Plus
Love it or hate it, there’s no question that Apple’s iPhone line is popular, and while the numbers haven’t officially been announced yet, the company has already broken its record for pre-orders online (roughly 4 million in a 24-hour period compared to the iPhone 5’s 2 million).
Apple packed a large amount of hardware into a relatively small space with some improvements made over the company’s previous flagship 5s.
A larger battery, 401-ppi HD full 1080p Retina HD Display and a redesigned home button with integrated FingerPrint reader are just a few of the improvements integrated into the 6 Plus.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chipworks Disassembles Apple’s A8 SoC: GX6450, 4MB L3 Cache & More
by Ryan Smith on September 23, 2014 1:00 PM EST
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8562/chipworks-a8
this year, as in past years, the honor of being the first to tear apart the SoC goes to Chipworks.
For determining the layout of A8, Chipworks reached out to us to solicit our input on their die shot, and after some rounds of going back and forth we believe we’ve come to a solid determination of some of A8’s features and how it has been configured. So let’s dive in.
A close analysis of the die shot makes it clear that there are only 4 GPU cores available and not 6
Apple is using the smaller 4 core GX6450 on A8, the direct successor to the G6430 used on the A7
On A8 and its 20nm process this measures at 19.1mm2, versus A7’s 22.1mm2 G6430.
Meanwhile opposite the GPU we have the CPU block. Unlike the GPU the CPU block has seen some significant shrinking, which Chipworks estimates is down from 17.1mm2 in A7 to 12.2mm2 in A8.
Overall, Chipworks’ analysis points to A8 being fabbed on TSMC’s 20nm process. This makes A8 among the first SoCs to receive the 20nm treatment. Thanks to this smaller node Apple has been able to build in additional features to the SoC while simultaneously shaving off around 15% of their die size. Chipworks estimates the final die size of A8 to stand at 89mm2, versus the 104mm2 for the Samsung 28nm based A7.
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 6 costs an estimated $200 to $247 in parts and labor to build, 6 Plus $216 to $263; profit margins 69-70%; Samsung supplies 40% of A8 chips
http://recode.net/2014/09/23/teardown-shows-apples-iphone-6-cost-at-least-200-to-build/
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone camera evolution: How does the iPhone 6 camera compare to previous iPhone cameras?
http://snapsnapsnap.photos/how-does-the-iphone-6-camera-compare-to-previous-iphone-cameras/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown Shows Apple’s iPhone 6 Cost at Least $200 to Build
http://recode.net/2014/09/23/teardown-shows-apples-iphone-6-cost-at-least-200-to-build/
Apple spends $200 to $247 in parts and labor to build an iPhone 6, a teardown analysis of the device due to be released later today shows.
For the larger iPhone 6 Plus, the costs begin at $216 for the starting model and go as high as $263 for the 128 gigabyte model. The estimates by the research firm IHS, shared exclusively with Re/code and CNBC* ahead of release, include the cost of labor associated with assembly as between $4 and $4.50 for each device.
iPhone 6 models sell for between $649 and $849 without a contract. The iPhone 6 Plus models with the larger display sell for $749 and $949 without a contract.
Apple charges $100 to $200 more for iPhone models with higher memory capacity. But Apple’s cost for the additional memory is about $47 more for the 128GB versions than for the 16GB versions.
“They seem to be configured and priced to encourage you to buy the models with the higher memory,”
The iPhone’s main processor is the A8, designed by Apple. Rassweiler said the processor he saw during the teardown was manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the massive chip-factory-for-hire based in Taipei. TSMC, he said, is one of the few companies with the capability to manufacture 20-nanometer chips. Apple had previously used South Korea-based Samsung as its chip manufacturer, despite the acrimonious patent litigation between them.
IHS estimates that the A8 processor plus an attached co-processor that handles information from the iPhone’s many sensors cost a combined $20, or three dollars more than on the A7-based iPhone 5s.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown.com Analysis: Apple iPhone 6 Plus
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1324024&
It is interesting how times have changed. Back in 2007 when the original iPhone was released with a 3.5″ display, it was considered a “large” phone. As Apple’s competitors started delivering devices with larger displays, Steve Jobs himself thought it unimaginable for an iPhone display to be larger than 3.5″. (He would later introduce the iPhone 4 with a 4″ display and a large smile.)
Preliminary analysis of the iPhone 6 Plus estimates it costs $242.50 to build — an increase of about 15% over the iPhone 5S. The estimated combined cost of Apple’s new A8 processor and Qualcomm’s MDM9625M modem account for $59.50 of the preliminary CoG, while the 5.5″ display/touchscreen assembly costs another estimated $51.00. For the iPhone 6 the preliminary display/touchscreen costs about $41.50 with the iPhone 6 total CoG to be approximately $227.00.
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 6 Plus Users Are Sitting On And Bending Their Enormous New Phones
http://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/iphone-6-plus-users-are-sitting-on-and-bending-their-enormou#4eg99hn
STOP SITTING ON YOUR HUGE DANG PHONES, PEOPLE!
The iPhone 6 Plus, with its 5.5-inch display is big. Really big.
But, size be damned, people are buying these phablets (ugh) and forcefully jamming them down their skinny jeans. After that, it’s business as usual: walking, sitting, driving, you name it. The iPhone 6 Plus doesn’t like that one bit
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inside the building where Apple tortures the iPhone 6
This is where iPhones never want to go
http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/25/6845611/inside-apples-iphone-6-torture-building
A few blocks away from Apple’s bustling campus in Cupertino is a rather nondescript building. Inside is absolutely the last place on earth you’d want to be if you were an iPhone. It’s here where Apple subjects its newest models to the kinds of things they might run into in the real world: drops, pressure, twisting, tapping. Basically all the things that could turn your shiny gadget into a small pile of metal and glass.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple Rebuts Complaints of Bending iPhones
Tech Giant Says Only Nine Customers Have Complained About Bent iPhones
http://online.wsj.com/articles/apple-defends-against-complaints-of-bending-iphones-1411668618
Apple’s new iPhone 6 Plus model, which went on sale Friday, has faced criticism from some customers who say the phone has bent in their pocket.
Since going on sale Friday, Apple said only nine customers have contacted the company about a bent iPhone 6 Plus—the larger and more expensive of its two new iPhones. Apple said both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus passed a series of tests meant to check the products’ strength and durability through everyday use.
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 6: Comparing InvenSense & Bosch Accelerometers
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1324098&
Quite a bit of chatter is bubbling up over the new iPhone’s accelerometers, speculating why it has two of them.
The iPhone 6 contains a six-axis InvenSense combination gyroscope-accelerometer and a Bosch BMA280 three-axis accelerometer. There has been some considerable debate in the blogosphere as to why Apple might have incorporated the extra accelerometer functionality. We speculate that the two devices are incorporated to improve the overall user experience, while minimizing power consumption.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The iPhone 6 Review
by Joshua Ho, Brandon Chester, Chris Heinonen & Ryan Smith on September 30, 2014
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8554/the-iphone-6-review
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 6 Plus Teardown (1)
Nikkei Technology Online Teardown Squad
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20141230/396820/
A rechargeable battery occupied the largest area. And components such as the main board and camera were located in the remaining L-shaped area.
Tomi Engdahl says:
iFixit: New iPhones have smaller batteries, LPDDR4, are fairly easy to repair
Battery life stays about the same despite the decreased capacity.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/09/ifixit-new-iphones-have-smaller-batteries-lpddr4-are-fairly-easy-to-repair/
Part of the fun of any new gadget is the painstakingly detailed iFixit teardowns, which often tell us things about the devices we couldn’t otherwise find out. The new teardowns of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are no exception.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Strongest Glass on any Smartphone”? SquareTrade Tests the New iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAOCVKPV9A
After dunking, dropping, bending and freezing the new iPhones, as well as the new Samsung Galaxy Note5, SquareTrade got its answer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s iPhone 6s Plus Costs an Estimated $236 to Make — $749 to Purchase
http://recode.net/2015/09/29/apples-iphone-6s-plus-costs-an-estimated-236-to-make-749-to-purchase/
It costs Apple an estimated $236 to make and assemble its new iPhone 6s Plus, roughly one-third the $749 retail price of the smartphone, according to a teardown analysis by IHS Technology.
The research firm pulled apart Apple’s newest device to get a closer look at its components and analyze the likely cost of materials and manufacturing, drawing from its knowledge of the electronic component industry.
Though IHS did not have time to conduct a similar teardown of the iPhone 6s, it estimates the cost of materials to be $211.50 — roughly $20 less than the bigger iPhone 6s Plus.
Rassweiler said Apple’s decision to offer an enhanced, 12-megapixel camera serves two purposes — it differentiates the “s” generation of iPhones from last year’s model, with its 8-megapixel camera. But the larger images also push consumers to buy smartphones with more memory — and that’s pure profit for Apple.
IHS estimates that flash memory is incredibly cheap — about 35 cents a gigabyte. So coaxing consumers to upgrade from, say, a smartphone with 16 gigabytes of memory to 64 gigs costs Apple about $17 more in component costs. But at retail, consumers pay an additional $100 for the extra storage — a tidy windfall.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The newest iPhone is more expensive to manufacture than previous
Apple is known about the iPhone smartphone margin has been squeezed very high. However, the reforms made by the Group affect the cost of the equipment. IHS estimates that the iPhone 6s Plus model components cost $ 16 more than its predecessor, namely the iPhone 6 Plus.
IHS’s analysis suggests that the iPhone 6s Plus’s components cost $ 231.50. The assembly and testing costs $ 4.50 device, so Apple’s total expenses are $ 236 each.
Apple’s profit margins are still in place, because without cell phone operator compensation iPhone 6s Plus the price is 16 GB of memory for $ 749.
new iPhone manufacturing and material costs have been kept very reasonable.
5.5-inch screen is still the most expensive part of the machine at $ 52.50 price
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3394:uusin-iphone-on-kalliimpi-valmistaa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone 6S battery life may vary, depending on which A9 chip is inside
Owners say that TSMC A9 SoC delivers two hours more battery life than Samsung’s A9.
http://arstechnica.co.uk/gadgets/2015/10/iphone-6s-battery-life-may-vary-depending-on-which-a9-chip-is-inside/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dry Ice is Nice for Separating Broken Phone Screens
http://hackaday.com/2016/02/11/dry-ice-is-nice-for-separating-broken-phone-screens/
Smartphones are the opium of the people. If you need proof, just watch the average person’s reaction when they break “their precious”. Repairing smartphones has become a huge business. The most often broken item on phones is of course the front glass. In most cases, the screen itself doesn’t break. On newer smartphones, even the touchscreen is safe. The front glass is only a protective lens.
The easiest way to repair a broken front glass is to swap the entire LCD assembly. For an iPhone 6 plus, this will run upwards of $120 USD. However, the glass lens alone is just $10. The problem is that the LCD, digitizer and front glass are a laminated package. Removing them without breaking the wafer thin LCD glass requires great care. T
The hardest part is breaking down the optical glue securing the glass to the LCD. In the past that has been done with heat. More recently, companies from China have been selling liquid-nitrogen-based machines that cool the assembly.
[JerryRigEverything] doesn’t have several thousand dollars for a liquid nitrogen machine, but he does have a $5 block of dry ice.
fter laying the phone screens down on the ice for a few minutes, [Jerry] was able to chip away the glass. It definitely takes more work than the nitrogen method.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s Chipgate highlights semiconductor process variances
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4441789/Apple-s-Chipgate-highlights-semiconductor-process-variances-?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20160413&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20160413&elqTrackId=3a999bfcf04e43b9b18b26506dcae751&elq=41acf75e50dd48238e3ec1028bae73b9&elqaid=31810&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=27771
I don’t know about you, but the recent controversy regarding the Apple A9 SoC inside the company’s latest iPhone 6s and 6s Plus smartphones was fascinating to me. Here’s a brief summary, in case you didn’t catch the October 2015 kerfuffle. The application processor is dual-foundry-fabricated, from both Samsung and TSMC (the A9X derivative found in the iPad Pro does not, at least yet, seem to be similarly split-sourced). Quoting from Wikipedia:
The Samsung version is called APL0898, which is manufactured on a 14 nm FinFET process and is 96 mm2 large, while the TSMC version is called APL1022, which is manufactured on a 16 nm FinFET process and is 104.5 mm2 large.
To wit, when running Geekbench, a well-known and CPU-intensive benchmark utility, a TSMC A9-based iPhone 6s delivered roughly 33% longer battery life than the Samsung-fabricated alternative (~8 versus ~6 hours), as well as delivering slightly higher performance.
Various techniques are available to tell you which version of the A9 is in your smartphone. And predictably, TSMC-based variants are being explicitly identified (and resold for a premium) on Ebay and elsewhere
Indeed, a short time after news of the SoC issue broke, Apple issued a rare response to “Chipgate”, claiming (and backed up by independent testing) that in normal usage, the battery life discrepancy was only a few percentage points’ difference.
Is this controversy an isolated incident in tech? History suggests it’s not. Looking only at Apple, I came across plenty of other examples, such as:
Antennagate: the iPhone 4 antenna design led to transmission-and-reception degradation when the smartphone was held in certain ways, and
Bendgate: the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were susceptible to bending when pressure was applied to the chassis (such as when putting it into a rear pocket and then sitting down)
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone NVMe Chip Reversed with Custom Breakout Boards
http://hackaday.com/2016/11/18/iphone-nvme-chip-reversed-with-custom-breakout-boards/
Ever so slowly, the main storage in our computers has been moving from spinning disks, to SSDs over SATA, to Flash drives connected to a PCI something or other. The lastest technology is NVMe — Non-Volitile Memory Express — a horribly named technology that puts a memory controller right on the chip. Intel has a PCI-based NVMe drive out, Samsung recently released an M.2 NVMe drive, and the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are built around this storage technology.
New chips demand a reverse engineering session, and that’s exactly what [Ramtin Amin] did. He took a few of these chips out of an iPhone, created a board that will read them, and managed to analize the firmware.
Demystifying the i-Device NVMe NAND
(New storage used by Apple)
http://ramtin-amin.fr/#nvmepcie
Tomi Engdahl says:
iPhone Brain Surgery
http://hackaday.com/2017/02/24/iphone-brain-surgery/
You think you’re good at soldering? Can you solder a CPU? A CPU inside an iPhone? A decapped CPU inside an iPhone? Can you solder inside a decapped CPU inside of an iPhone?
Repair iphone6 plus CPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nap0gtds5tQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
Defeat the Markup: Iphone Built by Cruising Shenzhen
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/13/defeat-the-markup-iphone-built-by-cruising-shenzhen/
[Scotty Allen] from Strange Parts, has just concluded a three month journey of what clearly is one of the most interesting Shenzhen market projects we have seen in a while. We have all heard amazing tales, pertaining the versatility of these Chinese markets and the multitude of parts, tools and expertise available at your disposal. But how far can you really go and what’s the most outrageous project can you complete if you so wished? To answer this question, [Scotty] decided to source and assemble his own Iphone 6S, right down to the component level!
How I Made My Own iPhone – in China!
https://strangeparts.com/how-i-made-my-own-iphone-in-china/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This is an interesting video on the process to upgrade iPhone 6s memory from 16GB to 128GB.
This process involves BGA chip desoldering, reballing and soldering.
How I Upgraded My iPhone Memory 800% – in Shenzhen, China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHP-OPXK2ig
Tomi Engdahl says:
How I Made My Own iPhone – in China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leFuF-zoVzA
I built a like-new(but really refurbished) iPhone 6S 16GB entirely from parts I bought in the public cell phone parts markets in Huaqiangbei. And it works!
Making a CUSTOM iPhone – in Shenzhen, China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQszF2iKhx0
Enough of these boring looking iPhones – let’s make a custom Strange Parts iPhone here in Shenzhen, China. I headed out to the cell phone parts markets in Huaqiangbei, to find a custom iPhone back. I then headed off to the laser engraving booths to have them etch a custom design in the iphone back. I think it came out pretty well!