Hacker uncovers evidence of Qualcomm baseband for Apple's next-gen iPhone, iPad
A hacker claims to have discovered evidence pointing to an upcoming Qualcomm cellular baseband inside the code for Apple's iTunes software, possibly indicating that the iPhone maker plans to incorporate the CDMA giant's baseband into the next generation of iOS devices.
Notorious Italian hacker Zibri published a section of code on his blog Friday that hints at Qualcomm as the baseband provider for the iPhone 5 or iPad 2. Zibri obtained the code by decompiling the latest version of iTunes.
According to the post, the code is a "definitive answer" to rumors from last week that named Qualcomm as the baseband provider for the iPhone 5. As the inventor of CDMA -- the cellular standard used by the Verizon and Sprint wireless networks, Qualcomm may also already provide the radios for the CDMA iPhone 4, which will arrive on the Verizon network on Feb. 10.
According to Zibri, the files "partition.mbn" and "AMSS.MBN," which were discovered in the iTunes code, mean "only one thing: QUALCOMM. Those files are the building blocks of any Qualcomm baseband," the post noted.
"So I can tell you that the next wave of iProducts will be using a QUALCOMM baseband," Zibri wrote. "Which one I don't know... maybe the iPad2, maybe the iPhone5 most probably all of them. What is clear is that they are testing them using the same iTunes you have on your hard drives."
However, if Qualcomm is indeed the supplier of the baseband for the upcoming Verizon iPhone, references to a Qualcomm baseband in the iTunes code may simply point to the CDMA iPhone, rather than the next-generation iPhone or iPad.
Reports of a Qualcomm baseband for future iPhone models have persisted for some time. Apple and Qualcomm reportedly met in late 2009 to discuss "future cooperation." In August of last year, AppleInsider discovered a job posting on the Qualcomm website for an "iPhone developer guru."
Last September, several reports out of the Far East (1, 2) suggested that Apple would abandon Infineon's baseband chips in favor of Qualcomm's. Qualcomm is rumored to be working on a dual model GSM/CDMA baseband chip.
Notorious Italian hacker Zibri published a section of code on his blog Friday that hints at Qualcomm as the baseband provider for the iPhone 5 or iPad 2. Zibri obtained the code by decompiling the latest version of iTunes.
According to the post, the code is a "definitive answer" to rumors from last week that named Qualcomm as the baseband provider for the iPhone 5. As the inventor of CDMA -- the cellular standard used by the Verizon and Sprint wireless networks, Qualcomm may also already provide the radios for the CDMA iPhone 4, which will arrive on the Verizon network on Feb. 10.
According to Zibri, the files "partition.mbn" and "AMSS.MBN," which were discovered in the iTunes code, mean "only one thing: QUALCOMM. Those files are the building blocks of any Qualcomm baseband," the post noted.
"So I can tell you that the next wave of iProducts will be using a QUALCOMM baseband," Zibri wrote. "Which one I don't know... maybe the iPad2, maybe the iPhone5 most probably all of them. What is clear is that they are testing them using the same iTunes you have on your hard drives."
However, if Qualcomm is indeed the supplier of the baseband for the upcoming Verizon iPhone, references to a Qualcomm baseband in the iTunes code may simply point to the CDMA iPhone, rather than the next-generation iPhone or iPad.
Reports of a Qualcomm baseband for future iPhone models have persisted for some time. Apple and Qualcomm reportedly met in late 2009 to discuss "future cooperation." In August of last year, AppleInsider discovered a job posting on the Qualcomm website for an "iPhone developer guru."
Last September, several reports out of the Far East (1, 2) suggested that Apple would abandon Infineon's baseband chips in favor of Qualcomm's. Qualcomm is rumored to be working on a dual model GSM/CDMA baseband chip.
Comments
You forgot to mention if the CEO of Qualcomm is gay or not, and how about that Zibri guy, gay?
That Tim Cook story isn't going to die easily... is it?!
A hacker claims to have discovered evidence pointing to an upcoming Qualcomm cellular baseband inside the code for Apple's iTunes software, possibly indicating that the iPhone maker plans to incorporate the CDMA giant's baseband into the next generation of iOS devices.
Wait, what?! Don?t we already know about this with the iPhone 4 CDMA? What am I missing?
iPhone 4 or 5 on VZ? When to buy?
If the Androids come LTE - 4G ready, backward compatible to 3G, around July, 20111, then iPhone 5, if it's to be announced in June, 2011 at WWDC, will be perceived as outdated upon arrival...
From what I've read, it'll take VZ and ATT 1-2 years before they can claim full 4G Coverage, thus there will have to be backward compatible to 3G option. Will Apple "sit out" that 1 year, as Androids pound on it with advertising, bragging about having Quad 4G/3G/GSM/CDMA Capability, while iPhone doesn't?
My guess is that Verizon iPhone 4 Form Factor is a Preview of iPhone 5, and last minute Apple can decide on Quad 4G/3G/GSM/CDMA, since the rest of the phone is probably identical. Maybe they can have a Virtual OS, ala Parallels/VMwear on the same chip that can be wiped out, and thus same hardware for all carriers worldwide?
Off Topic, since earlier comments brought it up...
I am a big fan of Apple Insider Forums etc., but for them to repeat the Rumor Article about T Cook being Gay or not, is a huge disappointment to me! Other Apple related media seems to have ignored that ugly article as of 2 days ago, and Apple Insider decided to repeat it? Very sad....
That Rumor Article was a below the belt kick, payback for the Stolen iPhone 4 Saga... Will that article effect AAPL stock, I don't know...
What is next, those "journalists" going after the children of the Apple's corporate execs? The point of that Ugly Article was not to question Cook's Qualifications, or any Apple Gay employees, but to hurt Apple by any means possible!!!
Those "journalists" didn't imply that Gay = Incompetent, Irresponsible! The fools out there are free to infer whatever they like. I feel that "bedrooms" should be off-limits, a line not to be crossed! There is already too much of that in the media. Mac "Universe" should be "classier" than such shameful "journalism"!!!!
All Tech Media should condemn such Low Ugly Terrorism-like tactics! Or is the rest of the Tech Media afraid of that those "journalists" will go after them too, or after their families, including children? Peeping Tom-like Extortion, Intimidation under the Shield of Freedom of the Press?
Is AI so hungry for clicks-traffic? AI should have ignored that Ugly Article, as did other media, that sometimes repeats each other's stuff, in order to keep themselves in the news... What a cheap sad game... I thought AI was a lot classier than that...
Please let's keep private lives, religion and politics off AI Pages.... We all love Macs, iOS etc..., that's why we come to AI site!
Wait, what?! Don?t we already know about this with the iPhone 4 CDMA? What am I missing?
I think the big news is that Qualcomm is providing the baseband, and not really that the phone is CDMA.
BTW, how good is Qualcomm with GSM? I am not familiar with them outside of CDMA.
That Tim Cook story isn't going to die easily... is it?!
I just wanted one dig at them for that.... just to show the irrelevance and crassness of the way they handled it. I'm done now
This article seems to be a non news story in itself
A little OT but I just love the fact that we (US) are actually exporting something (even if it's actually made in China) and bringing some $$ back to the US which should help our economy. If Apple do create a true "World phone" then that has to be good for the US as a very valuable worldwide export.
Zibri a hacker? When did that happen?
He was around in the 1.x.x jailbreaking days, haven't heard anything from him in a long while though
He was around in the 1.x.x jailbreaking days, haven't heard anything from him in a long while though
I know. my comment wad a little ironical because as far as I remember he was acused of rather stealing others code to build his ziphone
I know. my comment wad a little ironical because as far as I remember he was acused of rather stealing others code to build his ziphone
Ah, I gotcha now. Tis true, ZiPhone was a pretty good tool until it really started effing up phones and require a factory restore. When I used it it wasn't too bad, he was pretty infamous for using other peoples code though. I would be inclined to believe the accusations are true because once much better tools came out he very quickly disappeared. I wouldn't trust anything he says/makes anymore.
world.fls, stack.fls etc.