Apple Watch chips laid bare in X-ray, microscope imagery
Following Friday's Apple Watch teardown, the experts at Chipworks posted a close-up look at the parts that make it tick, including X-ray imagery of Apple's new S1 system-on-chip design.
In its own teardown, Chipworks noted that with all the new and proprietary technology Apple built in to Apple Watch, the device is the most sophisticated attempt at a wearable product to date. The firm points out that most devices on the market run on relatively old embedded chips, while Apple developed an entirely new package for Watch.
Since Apple's S1 SoC is encased in thin metal, Chipworks turned to X-ray imagery to peek inside before technicians can perform a careful and comprehensive disassembly. Initial images show a new STMicroelectronics 3mm-by-3mm land grid array (LGA) package with 3D digital gyroscope and accelerometer located in a top left corner socket.
Handling capacitive touch input duties is an Analog Devices screen controller bearing the marking AD7166. The part is not listed on the company's website, but Chipworks discovered a Product Change Notification for an "AD7166-202A Cortex M3 Based Cap" dated April 2015. That document has since been removed from ADI's website.
Finally, the firm was able to spot a Texas Instruments OPA2376 Precision op-amp in what appears to be the Apple Watch heart rate sensor module.
In its own teardown, Chipworks noted that with all the new and proprietary technology Apple built in to Apple Watch, the device is the most sophisticated attempt at a wearable product to date. The firm points out that most devices on the market run on relatively old embedded chips, while Apple developed an entirely new package for Watch.
Since Apple's S1 SoC is encased in thin metal, Chipworks turned to X-ray imagery to peek inside before technicians can perform a careful and comprehensive disassembly. Initial images show a new STMicroelectronics 3mm-by-3mm land grid array (LGA) package with 3D digital gyroscope and accelerometer located in a top left corner socket.
Handling capacitive touch input duties is an Analog Devices screen controller bearing the marking AD7166. The part is not listed on the company's website, but Chipworks discovered a Product Change Notification for an "AD7166-202A Cortex M3 Based Cap" dated April 2015. That document has since been removed from ADI's website.
Finally, the firm was able to spot a Texas Instruments OPA2376 Precision op-amp in what appears to be the Apple Watch heart rate sensor module.
Comments
I think they have a winner. Most just do not realize it, yet.
The sooner the phrase "killer app" gets banned the better. What is the "killer app" of the iPhone and iPad? Does the Internet count as an app?
That's what I think is most intriguing about the device. I like what it does now, but can't wait to see what creative developers come up with once it has been out awhile.
Chipworks noted that with all the new and proprietary technology Apple built in to Apple Watch, the device is the most sophisticated attempt at a wearable product to date.
Nonsense... ask any Fandroid (easy to find in basements of all parents) and they will tell you they can easily build a watch just like this for 1/3 the cost using off-the-shelf components at Walmart... assuming of course that Fandroids are daring enough to leave the relative comfort and safety of mommy's basement to venture to the outside world to obtain said components, also taking into consideration of the possibility of mommy giving them the money to buy the parts.
The sooner the phrase "killer app" gets banned the better. What is the "killer app" of the iPhone and iPad? Does the Internet count as an app?
I agree. Just like with the iPhone and iPad, what makes the devices work for everyone will be different, maybe even more so with the Watch. What is truly amazing is the platforms that Apple has developed. It isn't any one thing, it's what these devices are allowing people to do.
The internet counts as an app. If app=application as in an activity then the internet counts, if app=application as in software then it's the browser/webkit. The mobile internet is one of the most important aspects of iOS. Even the App Store, which makes billions in revenue and supports thousands of developers is a cloud-based system.
The iPhone and iPad both have activities and software that the devices are primarily used for - gaming and social networking/browsing. Gaming makes up something like 80-90% of all App Store revenue and these two activities make up over 70% of the usage of the iPhone and iPad.
If devices had no primary utility, you wouldn't use them and you eventually wouldn't buy them. The primary usage for the watch would include notifications, possibly Siri, payments, maps, music playback, fitness tracking. The usage pattern will become clearer after a certain period of time.
Ok, ok. It's cliche. But the concept is still valid.
Needless to say, the Apple watch is going to be huge. I hope I make a lot of money from their stock because if it.
The primary usage would of course be looking at the time and possibly using it as a health and fitness tracking device (when GPS is built-in).
Now that's really nonsense!! I respectfully suggest you take a couple of weeks to do what you say is possible and report back to us.
I think the latter is probably going to be what gets people to buy this. Being able to health monitor yourself, or your family members, and call 911 if the conditions present that the wearer is in danger when they shouldn't be. Having the watch prompt "you seem in distress, call 9/11?" could help.
I suspect some big tie-in to the Apple TV relaunch, whenever that happens, however, we shall see.