O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: handset

  • iPhone 11 handsets expected to feature Intel modems

    A report in PCMag confirmed expectations that, in spite of previous squabbles, Apple is relying on Intel as its sole LTE modem supplier for the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro handsets. 2019 marks the final year that Apple will use Intel’s baseband technology before moving to Qualcomm as its modem supplier.

    Per the article, the new iPhone models, which are due to hit stores on Friday, share field test menus consistent with past products that use Intel modems. Qualcomm modems reveal a different test menu layout.

    The iPhone menu fields, which are discoverable in iOS system settings, have remained unchanged between the iPhone 6S and iPhone XR, and those associated with Intel are once again present in U.S. versions of iPhone 11. As such, the publication concludes iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max all utilize baseband chips manufactured by the now-former modem maker. 

    While this doesn’t specify exactly which Intel chip is used in the 2019 iPhone lineup, PCMag has theorized that the handset uses the XMM 7660. Apple’s public disclosures as to the 2019 model iPhone’s capabilities, such as Gigabit LTE, match the specifications offered for the XMM 7660, which represents Intel’s final 4G chip.

    The XMM 7660 chip is expected to offer a roughly 20 percent performance increase from the XMM chip found in the iPhone XR and iPhone XR.

    Real-world performance will vary from location to location, and carrier by carrier, but Intel’s baseband technology should grant a moderate speed bump over Apple’s outgoing models. That said, the iPhone 11, like its iPhone XR predecessor, will likely see slightly reduced performance compared to iPhone 11 Pro due to its reliance on 2×2 MIMO antennas. Apple’s more expensive iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max models boast 4×4 MIMO setups, meaning increased throughput that translates to greater speeds. 

    Apple is expected to develop its own modem technology down the line, the company looking to move past modem suppliers and develop its own modem technology.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and PCMag

  • iPhone 11 handsets said to include two-way charging hardware, although feature may be disabled in near-term following launch

    Apple’s iPhone, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max handsets look as if they may include the required hardware for a two-way charging feature that was rumored for the devices, but Apple has apparently disabled the feature in the near term.

    This rumor stems from a tweet by reliable leaker and source Sonny Dickson, whose connections and blogging have proven reliable at times in the past. Dickson had early line of sight on the AirPower’s development challenges, for example, and the wireless charging mat was eventually canceled. 

    Months ahead of the 2019 iPhones’ unveiling, the handsets were rumored to feature a Qi-based device-to-device charging feature, which would allow the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and other devices to charge on the back of the iPhones. The feature was expected to be similar to Wireless PowerShare on Samsung’s Galaxy S10. 

    Only hours before Apple’s “By Innovation Only” media event last week, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that this feature appeared to have been canceled. Kuo is quoted as saying the feature was possibly abandoned because “the charging efficiency may not meet Apple’s requirements.”  

    Forthcoming teardown of the iPhone 11 handsets will reveal whether the two-way charging hardware is in fact present in the new handsets. The iPhone 11 handsets will be available in stores come Friday, September 20.

    Via MacRumors and Twitter

  • iPhone 11 Pro handset said to offer 13 percent 4G LTE speed boost over iPhone XS

    As expected, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max handsets will feature faster 4G LTE access.

    While Apple didn’t provide any specific details on this, an Internet speed test service claims to have the updated numbers.

    Per a Speedsmart.net test, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max offer approximately 13 percent faster 4G LTE than Apple’s previous generation iPhone XS series. 

    The results were taken over all of the major US cellular networks, and while there’s little difference between the carriers in terms of fastest speed, T-Mobile and Verizon appear to edge it. 

    It’s unknown as to how much data was collected from the “August 9” test given that the handsets have yet to become available, although the results are said to have been taken with the SpeedSmart Speed Test app.

    The new iPhone models will be available come September 20th, so hang on for nine more days and there will be some real-world usage to back these numbers up.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and SpeedsmartTest.net

  • Apple releases unlocked iPhone XR units for sale

    If you’re a fan of unlocked iPhones, you’ll love this.

    Customers can now snag an unlocked iPhone XR.

    Like standard unlocked iPhones, the handset isn’t tied to a specific carrier, thereby allowing you to use your current SIM card and choose whichever service you’d like. The unlocked unit can also work with prepaid carriers as needed.

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  • Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts higher demand for iPhone XR than the iPhone 8, improved supply chain to help meet the demand

    Per Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, demand for the iPhone XR is expected to be higher than the demand for the iPhone 8 in 2017.

    In a recent note to investors, Kuo also predicted an improved supply as well as an improved supply chain starting in October, leading him to revise his predicted shipment estimates.

    Apple is now expected to ship 36 to 38 million iPhone XR units in the fourth quarter of 2018, up 10 percent from an original estimate of 33 to 35 million units.

    (more…)