InvenSense, Bosch, NXP winners in iPhone 6
And there are plenty of winners this time around: including InvenSense, Bosch Sensortec, NXP Semiconductors and Murata. But there appear to be no inertial MEMS components from STMicroelectronics – again; ST was also absent from the iPhone 5s and 5c. But maybe ST at least got some sales in to the iPhone 6 with its MEMS microphones. So far the microphone winners have not been exposed.
Major component list, design wins in iPhone 6. Source: Techinsights
The listing from Techinsights doesn’t quite give full credit to Cirrus Logic, which according to iFixit is responsible for the Apple 338S1201 audio codec – Cirrus Logic has been successful with Apple over many iPhone iterations. Nor does the Techinsights chart credit Dialog Semiconductor plc for the Apple 338S1251-AZ power management IC although iFixit describes it as an Apple/Dialog chip. Also Techinsights didn’t give a name check to an AMS chip on the back of the main logic board. The AS3923 from AMS is a booster IC that employs active load modulation to improve performance of existing NFC controllers in challenging environments such as mobile and wearables. The NFC controller design win went to NXP Semiconductors which has garnered much comment because the NFC system is what enables Apple’s system of payment by smartphone. NXP also provided its LPC18B1 microcontroller as the M8 motion coprocessor sensor hub.
It can be seen that Qualcomm supplied much of the high frequency RF and the baseband modem while Murata provided a module for WiFi 802.11abgn, Bluetooth and FM radio although that module may itself contain a Broadcom IC as it did in the iPhone 5 series.
And with regard to the camera system both iFixit and Techinsights comment that is has been kept at the same resolution as the iPhone 5 generation at 8 megapixel front facing and 1.2 megapixel rear facing although the iPhone 6 Plus had added optical image stabilization to the front-facing image sensor. But the expectation is that Sony has maintained its position as the image sensor provider.
While the A8 application processor may have 2 billion transistors with even greater numbers of transistors on the DRAM and NAND flash memories, the analog, MEMS, sensors and RF ICs are responsible for comparable part of the bill of materials.
Estimated cost comparisons for the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Source: Techinsights.
Related links and articles:
News articles:
Apple design wins lift Bosch to top of MEMS ranking
ST adds piezoelectric MEMS to process portfolio
ST, Invensense settle patent clash
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