In case you were wondering about the bill of materials for the iPhone 3GS then we have the answer for that too. iSuppli has estimated that the new iPhone costs only $178.96 which is only about $4 more than what the iPhone 3G costs to make. And that’s only about $8 more than the Pre’s BOM.

Considering that Apple has upgraded some of the internal components and that the company has already sold more than 1 million units of the new phone already I’d say that Apple is going to profit yet again from its latest creation.

The iPhone 3GS has inside a Broadcom single-chip Bluetooth/FM/WLAN deives and a Dialog chip which replace the previous the Marvell Technology Group WLAN chip and the Cambridge Silicon Radio Bluetooth Integrated Circuit and the NXP Semiconducters respectively. Now that we’ve cleared the air around the 3G feature of the iPhone 3GS we can move right ahead to that digital compass. All that is possible thanks to STMicroelectronics’ accelerometer and AKM Semiconductor’s electronic compass. That new chip is provided by Infineon, and the PMB8878 baseband chip should get the job done. As for the 3G power amplifier module supplier that’s still coming from TriQuint. The storage solution comes from Toshiba’s 16GB Multilevel-Cell NAND flash while Samsung supplied the applications processor supplier clocked at 600MHz which is better than the previous 400MHz ARM RISC processor used in the 3G phone.

Now that you know what’s inside, are you even more tempted to buy a 3GS phone?

via Press

Tags: 3gs, AKM Semiconducter, Apple, Apple, BOM, Broadcom, Dialog, Infineon, iPhone, iSuppli, marvell technology, Mobile News, Mobile Software, Other Brands, Samsung, stmicroelectronics, Toshiba, TriQuint

We may soon see some motion sensing add-ons on portable devices as STMicroelectronics has expanded its portfolio of ultra-compact, high-performance MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) sensors with a 3-axis accelerometer with absolute analog output. ST’s LIS352AX is a perfect fit for motion-sensing applications in space- and cost-constrained battery-operated devices.

ST’s newest 3-axis motion sensor has been designed to provide acceleration values in the form of absolute analog outputs. Taking advantage of internal regulated voltage, the measurements are insensitive to the typical variations in power-supply voltage that occur in battery-operated devices, such as mobile phones and other portable devices.

Benefits of this unique approach are twofold: equipment manufacturers can save space and cost by connecting the sensor directly to the battery without a separate voltage regulator; they also gain design flexibility, since the sensor is compatible with any power supply voltage used in a given application.

The LIS352AX boasts high stability over a wide temperature range for both zero-g offset and sensitivity. With the offset drift (temperature variation) around plus or minus 0.3mg/degree Celsius, ST’s new sensor is one of the most stable devices in the market, eliminating the need for further temperature compensation in the application.

Samples of ST’s LIS352AX are available now, with volume production starting in June 2009. Unit pricing is $1.3 for quantities over 10,000 pieces a year.

(Source) Press

Tags: acceleration values, Accessories, analog output, analog outputs, application samples, axis accelerometer, axis motion, Business, degree celsius, design flexibility, mechanical system, micro electro, Portable Devices, power supply voltage, stmicroelectronics, system sensors, temperature compensation, typical variations, voltage regulator, volume production

If it is not yet obvious, critics say that by 2010, most phones will feature a slot for removable memory cards. These days, we see a wide array of phones catering to that and surely, this prediction is well on its way to being realized.

And to make sure that there will be a supplier for SD cards by that time, STMicroelectronics has gone ahead and ensured that no modifications will be needed with its EMIF06-mSD02N16 SD Card interface IC.

Removable memory is an exciting feature for coming generations of handsets, enabling downloading, transferring and sharing of media as well as purchasing of content such as e-books. SD formats already dominate mobile phones and other consumer electronic platforms, and iSupply predicts MiniSD and MicroSD will make up 90% of all card slots in 2010.

In addition, the SD Card Association has recently extended its roadmap by announcing Embedded SD, which will enable removable and embedded memory to share a common interface leading to simpler system design.

The EMIF06-mSD02N16 enables mobile phone suppliers and users to benefit from the SD format’s powerful positioning, and is available immediately priced at $0.32 each in quantities of 10,000 units.

(Source) Press

Tags: Accessories, card slots, generations, Mobile News, mobile phone suppliers, mobile phones, quantities, removable memory cards, sd format, stmicroelectronics