Does the 3G iPhone have a 3.5G chipset?
How much faster than the original iPhone will the new iPhone be?
Up to 30 times faster, based on evidence discovered in the latest software update. Poking through the iPhone software developers kit (SDK) version that Apple (AAPL) issued on Monday, programmers at ZiPhone discovered the word “SGOLD3″ in the firmware that refers to the new device’s chipset.
AppleInsider’s Aiden Malley did some sleuthing and concluded this is a reference to an Infineon chipset, the S-GOLD3H (PDF), which, among other things, serves as the device’s cellular modem.
The first iPhone used a predecessor chip, the S-GOLD2, which supports AT&T’s EDGE network. EDGE is rated at up to 236.8 kbits over 4 timeslots, although benchmark tests found actual throughput on the original iPhone to be in the 50 to 90 kbps range (see here).
The new chip, which Infineon (IFX) describes as 3.5G, supports the so-called HSDPA (high-speed download packet access) protocol and promises throughput of up to 7.2 Mbps. That’s 30 times the maximum 236.8 kbits throughput of EDGE.
Wi-Fi, by comparison, offers data transfers ranging from 6.5 to 20 Mbps.
In other words, in areas where AT&T supports 3G, the new iPhone could offer cellular data throughput comparable to an 802.11b Wi-Fi network.
at&t doesn’t show their 3G at the national level. Only at the city level to date. But if you click on (in selected areas) link in the coverage legend below the map it will pop up a page showing States and cities covered. Don’t know why they don’t show this at the national level.
threegee - u r the bird brain; the dude is just pointing out that we are quite behind using a figure of speech - you may want to brush up on what mobile landscape looks like elsewhere.
“all other countries are already decdes ahead of the US in terms of network speed”
Wow, “decdes ahead”? All of them? As in, over 20 years ahead?
No one is arguing that the US (or Apple) is on the forefront of network speeds available. But try not to sound like a jackass about it.
800K will be the typical 3G performance on AT&Ts network. At least until Long Term Evolution (LTE) is adopted.
I think we need to be careful about assuming that we’ll see that maximum 7.2Mbps throughput the chipset offers. Theoretical maximums are rarely reached and expecting 802.11b network speeds is probably setting yourself up for disappointment.
That said, I’ll be first in line to get a 3G iPhone.
Att is in the US alone so 3G is for the US
all other countries are already decdes ahead of the US in terms of network speed
It would be of significant value to add a picture of the nation highlighting where ATT can support the 3G Phone at the 3G rated speeds.
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Silicon Valley veterans like to joke that Steve Jobs must be surrounded by a reality distortion field; if you get too close to him, you start to believe what he's saying. Thanks to the success of the iPod, the launch of the iPhone and the renewed interest in the Mac, Apple has made believers out of millions of customers - and made a lot of investors rich. But Philip Elmer-DeWitt believes that an ounce of skepticism never hurts when writing about the company. He should know. He's been covering Apple - and watching Steve Jobs operate - since 1982, first for Time Magazine, then for Business 2.0, and now for Fortune.
Up to 30 times faster. This is the first time I have heard any concrete figures on the differences in speeds before. It’s all been speculation before or just called “faster”.
We’ll see if it truly is that much faster soon enough.
Thank you Phil.