Chips

Apple’s 2017 iPad does not support untethered Hey Siri

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

Apple's fifth-generation iPad, which launched in March 2017, does not support tetherless “Hey Siri” functionality even though the device features an embedded M9 motion coprocessor. As first noted by AppleInsider, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is the only Apple tablet the feature is currently available on.

An always-on Siri requires that the device be outfitted with a low-power motion coprocessor embedded into the main chip. This lets iOS listen for the “Hey Siri” wake up phrase on battery power, in the background, without waking up the main power-hungry processor.

TUTORIAL: “Hey Siri” not working? Here's your troubleshooter!

“Hey Siri” made its debut with iPhone 6s, the first Apple device to embed the motion coprocessor in the main processing chip. All iPhones from iPhone 6s onward support “Hey Siri” on battery power, including iPhone SE and the latest iPhone 7 series.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is another Apple tablet without support for tetherless “Hey Siri” despite the inclusion of the M9 chip. It's unclear at the moment if Apple could eventually enable untethered “Hey Siri” in software on the new iPad and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Toshiba warns Western Digital not to interfere in sale of its lucrative chip unit

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2017

Reuters reported Tuesday that Toshiba has now formally warned Western Digital not to interfere in the sale of its semiconductor unit. This follows recent reports that the US-based storage maker held talks with the iPhone maker regarding a potential acquisition of the Japanese giant's highly lucrative NAND flash chip business.

This is interesting because the two companies jointly operate Toshiba's main semiconductor plant. Western Digital accused Toshiba of violating their contract by transferring their joint venture's rights to the newly formed unit, which Toshiba denied.

The Japanese giant is now threatening legal action.

Western Digital's “campaign constitutes intentional interference with Toshiba's prospective economic advantage and current contracts,” reads Toshiba's letter.

“It is improper, and it must stop,” it added.

After Toshiba narrowed the list of bidders to Western Digital’s rivals, the US firm has formally complained to Toshiba because it felt the Japanese conglomerate should negotiate with it first.

Wester Digital even asked for exclusive negotiating rights.

Western Digital is not seen as a favored bidder for Toshiba's chip business because it put in a much lower offer than other suitors, sources with knowledge of the matter have said.

Toshiba is the world's second biggest NAND chip producer.

Among other suitors, technology giants such as Apple’s contract manufacturer Foxconn, flash memory chip maker SK Hynix and wireless chip maker Broadcom are said to be interested in investing into Toshiba's semiconductor business.

iPhone 8 said to offer Bluetooth 5 and wireless charging via Broadcom chip

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2017

JPMorgan said in yesterday's note to clients ahead of Apple's earnings report that iPhone 8 would implement support for the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard and wireless charging via a Broadcom chip. Broadcom's chips support both PMA and Qi wireless charging standards, but it's unclear if iPhone 8 might use either of them or rely on Apple's custom version of these standards.

At any rate, Apple's business could add between $500 million and $600 million to Broadcom's annualized revenues, JPMorgan predicted. Though the note doesn't say which new iPhone models will pack wireless charging, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said before that all 2017 iPhones would offer this feature.

Galaxy S8 is the world's first phone with support for the new Bluetooth 5.0 standard, which promises to double the speed and quadruple the range. Bluetooth 5.0 also allows multiple devices to be used at the same time, meaning iPhone 8 could allow two users to watch a movie on the device with two sets of Bluetooth headphones.

Bluetooth 5.0 was certified by Bluetooth Special Interest Group back in June 2016. Apple is a promoting member of the organization with voting rights.

In February of this year, Apple joined Wireless Power Consortium, potentially giving some credence to rumors about wireless charging in iPhone 8. The Cupertino company is listed as a member on the organization's website.

There are currently 213 members of the consortium.

In 2016 year, 152 different brands registered a Qi-compliant product on the official Wireless Power Consortium website, up from 86 in 2015. The Qi protocol is currently used by more than 200 companies and is in 1343 products you can buy now. Apple Watch uses a bespoke version of the Qi wireless charging standard that’s incompatible with existing Qi chargers.

JPMorgan said this morning that there's a “high likelihood” that Apple will pre-announce and preview iPhone 8 at WWDC next month, ahead of its launch in the fall. But if you ask another investment firm—Deutsche Bank—no new iPhone 8 will arrive this year.

“Several supply chain reports have suggested that key component shortages and technical challenges could delay the release of a high-end iPhone 8 device this fall,” reads Deutsche Bank's report. “We believe this report further underscores the uncertainty around the timing of Apple's next-generation iPhone model”.

Photo: ON Charge magnetic wireless charging solution for current iPhones

Samsung’s Q1 results: mobile business declines, worries about iPhone 8, Note 8 coming

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 27, 2017

Samsung Electronics on Thursday posted financial results for the first calendar quarter ended March 31, 2017. While the South Korean conglomerate increased both revenue and profit from the year-ago quarter, the growth is attributed mainly to Samsung's lucrative components business as its mobile segment actually shrank year-over-year.

The firm appears worried about Apple's upcoming iPhone 8, cautioning that its mobile unit could suffer as “market competition is expected to intensify” in the second half of 2017.

Western Digital held talks with Apple regarding acquiring Toshiba’s chip business

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

Toshiba has narrowed the list of bidders for its lucrative semiconductor business to a small group that includes Western Digital’s rivals such as Apple's favorite contract manufacturer Foxconn, memory chip maker SK Hynix and wireless chip maker Broadcom. Western Digital, however, feels that Toshiba should negotiate with it first.

In a new Bloomberg report Thursday, Western Digital has confirmed it's currently in talks with Japanese government-backed investment funds regarding a potential deal with the Japanese conglomerate. Mark Long, Western Digital's CEO, hinted that his company has held discussions with Apple as it tries to win a battle for Toshiba’s flash memory unit.

Apple to slash royalty payments to GPU designer Imagination by two-thirds

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2017

As Apple is winding down its supply deal with UK-based GPU designer Imagination Technologies over the next two years, a new report alleges that the Cupertino firm is about to slash payments to Imagination to just one-third of its current royalty rate.

Reuters cited UBS analysts as predicting that Imagination could very easily become a loss-making company by fiscal 2019 without any Apple royalty contributions. The British GPU designer may even have to axe jobs and consider other potential cost-cutting moves in order to weather the storm ahead.

Apple suppliers prepping to stockpile A11 chips for upcoming iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 25, 2017

Quarterly chip demand for iPhone is predicted to surpass 50 million units in the second half of this year as Apple begins to stockpile next-generation processors and other chips for 2017 iPhones, trade publication DigiTimes said Wednesday. Chip orders should hit a total of between 220 million and 230 million units between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. This implies strong projected demand for the OLED-based iPhone 8 and the iterative LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus updates.

iPhone modem supplier Qualcomm countersues Apple

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

iPhone modem supplier Qualcomm is countersuing Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, saying the Cupertino company could not have “built the incredible iPhone franchise” without its fundamental cellular technologies. The chip maker accused Apple of contributing “virtually nothing” to the development of core cellular technologies.

Analyst predicts Apple will build its own power management chips for iPhones by 2019

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

Apple's been designing mobile chips for iOS devices in-house since 2010 and could soon be making its own GPUs as well. But one analyst predicts that the California company is set to build its own iPhone power management chips, too, within two years.

Analyst Karsten Iltgen with German investment bank Bankhaus Lampe wrote in a note to clients Tuesday, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg, that there is “strong evidence” that Apple is developing its own power-management integrated circuits that should replace the chip made by Dialog Semiconductor “at least in part”.

Three major Apple suppliers have submitted preliminary bids for Toshiba’s flash chip business

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 10, 2017

In the coming weeks, Toshiba will unveil a final decision concerning selling a majority stake in its lucrative memory business. Bloomberg reported this morning that iPhone manufacturer Foxconn's preliminary bid for Toshiba's semiconductor unit is valued at a whopping $26.93 billion. According to Bloomberg's sources, that amount is in part to force negotiations, using a bid that's too high to ignore.

SK Hynix unveils 72-layer 256Gb 3D NAND flash memory chips suitable for future iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 10, 2017

Apple supplier SK Hynix unveiled 72-layer, 256-gigabit (Gb) 3D NAND flash memory chips based on triple-level cell arrays. By stacking 1.5 times more cells than the company's previous 48-layer technology, a single 256Gb NAND flash chip can represent 32 gigabytes of storage with two times faster internal operation speed and twenty percent faster read/write performance than a 48-layer 3D NAND chip.

Apple is developing its own GPU chips

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

In a bombshell press release issued Monday, UK chip designer Imagination Technologies said Apple told it that it would end a fruitful deal to use Imagination's blueprints for customized graphics cores in its own A-series chips powering iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch and Apple TV devices.

Apparently, the Cupertino company is now looking to create independent GPU designs that could be ready in about two year's time. Shares of Imagination immediately plunged over 70 percent to their lowest level since the financial crisis in 2009, wiping over $625 million off the company's market value.