Non-exclusive Apple-Verizon deal could allow iPhone on Sprint, T-Mobile - Page 3

Note that they already have two versions of the iPad, each in three capacities. To add a CDMA version would mean a total of 9 different iPads.


That is a different situation. And Qualcomms licensees already has these chips on the market as Ive noted elsewhere. The question is will Apple go the Gobi route? Will a more expensive in component and licensing chip for the iPads mini-PCIe card be a better option than having two cards? We simply dont know where the numbers will fall until we see what Apple releases.


That idea has been floating around as long as the Verizon iPhone, but it just doesnt seem practical. No smartphone on the market has ever used all the operating bands Apple would need for its iPhone, nor has any of these partially world mode phones been as small as the iPhone. If the iPad 2 doesnt have Gobi then I say its improbable that the iPhone 5 will offer this technology.

I think this alludes to the iPad 2. The most logical step would be for Apple to have both GSM and CDMA in the same iPad.

True dat. I meant to say EVDO vs HSPA versions.



It would be in Apple's best interest to go this route, possibly saving money by using the same chipset in the iPad and iPhone. Dramatically reduced R & D, one chip type, one supplier...



No phone is like the iPhone. They have redefined the smartphone time and time again. Why wouldn't this be any different?

In the end, Apple will make the right call for their business needs at the time. But it's fun to speculate...

Possibly, but we can’t know with running the numbers.

Remember, Qualcomm’s license history is about a percentage of each product, not a flat rate, so if 100M CDMA/EV-DO|GSM/UMTS iPads are sold and only 10% are used on a CDMA network there would still need to be a payment for 100M units for the CDMA network.

Some think the cost of the HW is pennies on the dollar, but note that Apple already chose to make 6 iPads, not just three even though the space in the WiFi-only iPad is still present. That tells me the numbers said it will be more profitable to sell 6 total models than to sell 3. I hope that is not the case with the CMDA iPad, but again, we can’t really say.


Apple used existing tech in new ways, they also have the economy of scale and deep pockets to invest in more expensive tech whilst still retaining good margins. That does not mean they can perform actual miracles. I think it would be a miracle for the iPhone 5 to have LTE and for it to be as good with battery life as the iPhone 4 on ‘3G’. There simply seems to be no tech that can achieve that, and that is something that is outside Apple’s reach as they buy these components from others.

Note that the first iPhone was EDGE. Note that future iPhones had the same display resolution for 3 years. They had the world’s smallest and thinnest smartphone up until CES. It may still be the smallest and thinnest shipping smartphone.

Maybe Qualcomm and Apple have figured out a way to make it small enough but we’re talking about taking everything on this half-sized mini-PCIe card and putting into the space that is taken up by the GPS/WIFi chip (sense those cards can also include WiFI), the baseband chip and the power amp chips. That seems like a lot of shrinkage to me.

(click for larger images)

Would the Gobi chip fit in the current dimensions of the iPhone?

In the dimensions of the iPhone? Absolutely. Will it fit while still maintaining all the other necessary components? I don’t think so, but I hope I’m wrong.

Well, I was hoping to have a functional phone so let's assume we keep the other components. I think this is why it might make sense as a solution for the iPad 2 allowing another year to shrink the solution to phone size.

Here is the iPAd 3G teardown from iFixit. That card looks bigger a little bigger than the Gobi half-sized mini-PCIe card, and the Gobi card also has WiFi and all CDMA/EV-DO on it.

We have to consider iPad 2 physical changes, but I think even then that wont be an issue. Unfortunately size isnt the only issue. I wonder how power efficient Apples UMTS 3G card is over the Gobis UMTS 3G card. I think that is very important to Apple and they wont go with something just because it adds to their check list.

Look what we have here. Qualcomm has this technology in a small reference handset. Still doesn’t change anything i’ve said but the goal posts have gotten a little bit closer.

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http://www.anandtech.com/show/4103/q...ore-snapdragon

Thanks for providing the image.

I agree that power efficiency could be stumbling block if all other considerations are met. I'm just hopeful that Apple can address multiple markets with as few models as possible and at a reasonable cost. That affords flexibility for manufacturing and inventory management.

Looks like we will be looking at 3 separate models:
http://www.9to5mac.com/47069/47069

I made a few posts about it on MR. Maybe you (or anyone else) can figure out what is most likely to come. I dont know why I even post there. The posters arent nearly as intelligent or logical as AI.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...9&postcount=25
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...4&postcount=43
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...8&postcount=46

I'd be inclined to agree with you: GSM, CDMA, TD=SCDMA for China Mobile. China Mobile would seem like the next "honeypot" now that Verizon is done.