Progress

From iFixit – via ArsTechnica

The always cool folks at iFixit have provided a nice disassembly and exploded final view of Apple’s latest phone.

That’s the entire logic board of the new iPhone 4. Similar in style to the equally minute logic board on the iPad and not far off actual size (at least on my screen). It’s astonishing to think that embedded in this we have:

• 1 Ghz CPU
• Memory and IO controllers
• Power management and Systems Management circuitry
• 512Meg RAM
• 16-32GB of Solid State Flash Storage.
• 3-axis Accelerometer \ 3-axis Gyroscope – a full 6 axis IMU \ Compass.
• Bluetooth \ 802.11a\b\n Radio + FM Receiver (and Transmitter but disabled thus far)
• Tri Band GSM Radio
• PentaBand WCDMA 3G Radio
• GPS (12 Channel)
• Proximity sensor
• Ambient light sensor
• Multi-touch screen controller
• USB Controller
• 960x640 video controller
• MicroSIM reader
• Stereo Microphone \ Speaker Hi Fi Audio
• 5Megapixel Still \ 720p HD Video Camera
• 0.5Megapixel Video Camera

OK so there area few other peripheral bits that actually have some part to play in those roles but the level of integration is incredible in any case. That’s 6 different radios (18 if you count each GPS receiver channel separately), 4 environmental sensors and more processing, storage and graphics power than a high end PC from 2000\2001 all in a strip that doesn’t take up much more volume than a credit card. 

Whatever way you look at it that’s an amazing level of progress. If the same rate of change continues we’ll have the same sort of capabilities available in fingernail sized devices by 2020.