Major architectural changes suggested by iPhone 2,1
Various clues on the next version of the iPhone are being collected that point to a major architectural overhaul that could bring dramatically improved graphics performance to Apple's popular smartphone.
Recently, the new hardware identity string "iPhone 2,1" began turning up within the logs of an iPhone software analytics tool as well as the recent iPhone 2.1.1 firmware. The label identifies a new hardware version that hasn't yet shipped.
A blog posting published by Pinch Media reported that the company's Pinch Analytics software detected some "iPhone 2,1" devices as early as the first part of October 2008. The units continued to appear in its logs sporadically until mid-December when the sighting began to accelerate. Geolocation tracking shows the devices are "almost exclusively located" in the south San Francisco Bay Area where Apple is located, and the company says the units report making connections both over WiFi and AT&T's cellular network.
Pinch Media sells services to iPhone app developers and maintains a set of free analytics tools that report activity from phone units running the apps of participating software makers. Their services do not detect display resolution or any other details. The new hardware label is unlikely to identify a new product category such as a tablet however, as Apple typically changes its internal string name entirely when creating a different product.
Apple's String Identifiers
The original iPhone was internally referenced as "iPhone 1,1" while last year's iPhone 3G identified itself as being "iPhone 1,2." While the latest iPhone version sported major new features including 3G and GPS, more RAM, as well as an entirely new case design, it did not use a significantly different processor and chipset architecture.
Apple's internal naming conventions for Mac desktops, notebooks, and Apple TV follows a similar numbering system, indicating a major revision number when the hardware architecture is updated to use a new processor or system chipset, but only incrementing the minor revision number when a new model is merely an update of the same basic design.
For example, Apple's MacBook Pro notebooks were assigned a major revision number (such as "MacBookPro4,1" to "MacBookPro5,1") with the change to a new processor architecture (Core Duo to Core 2 Duo), an increase in processor speed associated with a new chip family (Merom to Perym), or a complete change in the design of similar magnitude.
What's next for IPhone?
While it should come as no surprise that Apple would be working on a new iPhone, the new version number appears to signal a major architectural overhaul for Apple's mobile smartphone that is more significant than last year's iPhone 3G. This could include the use of customized "System on a Chip" components developed by Apple, using ARM processor cores and incorporating new PowerVR video and graphics processing core designs developed by Imagination Technologies.
Last December, Apple was officially cited as a licensee of Imagination Technologies' latest PowerVR mobile graphics technology, which would enable the company to develop state-of-the-art custom silicon for future iPhone and iPods at its recently acquired PA Semi fabless chip design lab.
Creating its own custom parts would enable the company to differentiate its mobile hardware further, while also leveraging software technologies such as Grand Central and OpenCL to accelerate media processing using hardware specifically optimized for parallel, multicore execution.
While initially developed for Mac OS X Snow Leopard, OpenCL on mobile devices could enable a new range of applications that demand high processing performance, from voice recognition to video processing. Highly efficient rendering would also help Apple to push ahead its efforts to enter the mobile handheld gaming arena with both the iPhone and iPod touch.
Recently, the new hardware identity string "iPhone 2,1" began turning up within the logs of an iPhone software analytics tool as well as the recent iPhone 2.1.1 firmware. The label identifies a new hardware version that hasn't yet shipped.
A blog posting published by Pinch Media reported that the company's Pinch Analytics software detected some "iPhone 2,1" devices as early as the first part of October 2008. The units continued to appear in its logs sporadically until mid-December when the sighting began to accelerate. Geolocation tracking shows the devices are "almost exclusively located" in the south San Francisco Bay Area where Apple is located, and the company says the units report making connections both over WiFi and AT&T's cellular network.
Pinch Media sells services to iPhone app developers and maintains a set of free analytics tools that report activity from phone units running the apps of participating software makers. Their services do not detect display resolution or any other details. The new hardware label is unlikely to identify a new product category such as a tablet however, as Apple typically changes its internal string name entirely when creating a different product.
Apple's String Identifiers
The original iPhone was internally referenced as "iPhone 1,1" while last year's iPhone 3G identified itself as being "iPhone 1,2." While the latest iPhone version sported major new features including 3G and GPS, more RAM, as well as an entirely new case design, it did not use a significantly different processor and chipset architecture.
Apple's internal naming conventions for Mac desktops, notebooks, and Apple TV follows a similar numbering system, indicating a major revision number when the hardware architecture is updated to use a new processor or system chipset, but only incrementing the minor revision number when a new model is merely an update of the same basic design.
For example, Apple's MacBook Pro notebooks were assigned a major revision number (such as "MacBookPro4,1" to "MacBookPro5,1") with the change to a new processor architecture (Core Duo to Core 2 Duo), an increase in processor speed associated with a new chip family (Merom to Perym), or a complete change in the design of similar magnitude.
What's next for IPhone?
While it should come as no surprise that Apple would be working on a new iPhone, the new version number appears to signal a major architectural overhaul for Apple's mobile smartphone that is more significant than last year's iPhone 3G. This could include the use of customized "System on a Chip" components developed by Apple, using ARM processor cores and incorporating new PowerVR video and graphics processing core designs developed by Imagination Technologies.
Last December, Apple was officially cited as a licensee of Imagination Technologies' latest PowerVR mobile graphics technology, which would enable the company to develop state-of-the-art custom silicon for future iPhone and iPods at its recently acquired PA Semi fabless chip design lab.
Creating its own custom parts would enable the company to differentiate its mobile hardware further, while also leveraging software technologies such as Grand Central and OpenCL to accelerate media processing using hardware specifically optimized for parallel, multicore execution.
While initially developed for Mac OS X Snow Leopard, OpenCL on mobile devices could enable a new range of applications that demand high processing performance, from voice recognition to video processing. Highly efficient rendering would also help Apple to push ahead its efforts to enter the mobile handheld gaming arena with both the iPhone and iPod touch.
Comments
Bring it to me.
So do we RE discuss everything in the other thread?
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I'm interested in seeing a new iPhone, whether I upgrade or not depends on the kool aid
I wonder how they are going to do updates. Since people normally sign 2 year contracts, will someone who just bought a iPhone get some type of other upgrade option. I know other phones don't do this, but other companies don't really release like Apple is doing.
I am sure it will be just like upgrading from the original phone, if you want the new version - you will have to purchase the phone at full retail price. You re-sign your 2 year at the time of the new purchase.
I know other phones don't do this, but other companies don't really release like Apple is doing.
I think they do but other companies don't have such fanatical devotees. People who buy Blackberry just use the phone until breaks or they renew their contract - then they get a new one. You really don't hear about Blackberry users lusting after each new model as it is released.
I wonder how they are going to do updates. Since people normally sign 2 year contracts, will someone who just bought a iPhone get some type of other upgrade option. I know other phones don't do this, but other companies don't really release like Apple is doing.
The same thing they did last time. Last year they did this, If you have 6 months or less left on your current contract then you need to pay $199 and sign a new 2 years contract. Otherwise, you have to pay the early upgrade price of $299 and sign a 2 year contract. I am talking about the 8GB version. The 16GB is $100 more in both cases.
I am sure it will be just like upgrading from the original phone, if you want the new version - you will have to purchase the phone at full retail price. You re-sign your 2 year at the time of the new purchase.
I didn't pay full retail price when I upgraded my original iPhone to a 3G. You have to start your 2 year contract over again, but Apple/AT&T are happy to sell you the new model for the same price as a new user. It might be a problem if you JUST bought your iPhone right before upgrading, but if you've had the 3G for a while, they'll let you upgrade cheap.
I wonder how they are going to do updates. Since people normally sign 2 year contracts, will someone who just bought a iPhone get some type of other upgrade option. I know other phones don't do this, but other companies don't really release like Apple is doing.
iPhone's are excluded from normal upgrade rules when upgrading to a newer iPhone model. It simply requires extending your contract to be 2 years after the purchase of the new iPhone. That's how it worked when upgrading from the original iPhone to an iPhone 3G, otherwise they'd piss a lot of people off making them pay upgrade pricing (lost sales).
The same thing they did last time. Last year they did this, If you have 6 months or less left on your current contract then you need to pay $199 and sign a new 2 years contract. Otherwise, you have to pay the early upgrade price of $299 and sign a 2 year contract. I am talking about the 8GB version. The 16GB is $100 more in both cases.
I didn't pay an "Early Upgrade" price, and I was only 1 year into my 2-year contract.
I'm not getting a new iPhone this year. I'll live out my contract and see what happens in 2010.
I wonder how they are going to do updates. Since people normally sign 2 year contracts, will someone who just bought a iPhone get some type of other upgrade option. I know other phones don't do this, but other companies don't really release like Apple is doing.
I am sure it will be just like upgrading from the original phone, if you want the new version - you will have to purchase the phone at full retail price. You re-sign your 2 year at the time of the new purchase.
Apple and AT&T offered the first generation iPhone owners the option to upgrade to the 3G iPhone for $199 with a 2 year contract regardless of when they bought the phone.
I didn't pay an "Early Upgrade" price, and I was only 1 year into my 2-year contract.
What phone did you use on that contract? I was talking about non iPhone owners because the original iPhone was not subsidized therefore that rule didn't apply.
Up to 32GB storage, 2X RAM, OLED screen, way better camera with a flash. This is what the bloody phone needs, even more than Copy & Paste, which btw is overdue. After that they can do whatever they want. It's high time for some real hardware updates.
It also needs some basic functionality that a 'free' Nokia can do, like SMS delivery notifications (*), MMS, Bluetooth transfer of images, etc.
And all this is doable without new h/w, surely?
* I know you can 'fake it' with codes at the start of your message, but this isn't satisfactory from a UI point-of-view.
A better camera would be nice too.
... even more than Copy & Paste, which btw is overdue. ...
I'm starting to hope that the iPhone *never* gets copy and paste just to spite the churlish pedants who are whining about it all the time.
You don't actually have to load all of your music on the phone. Their are numerous music streaming apps and they are really good.
I am holding out for a 64 GB version. I hope it comes this year. 32 GB doesn't really work for me because I have 35 GB of music, and let's not even count video or app data. 256 GB SSDs are available right now so I'm hoping by the time the new iPhone is released, 64 GB will be cheap enough to be viable.
I'm starting to hope that the iPhone *never* gets copy and paste just to spite the churlish pedants who are whining about it all the time.
that makes sense
that makes sense
Thanks!