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It's not a feature set of a CPU, this is an SOC, or System On Chip. It's not like an Intel 4004 that just does the processing and relies on external chips for p
by LeifCarrotson 6y ago
It's not a feature set of a CPU, this is an SOC, or System On Chip. It's not like an Intel 4004 that just does the processing and relies on external chips for peripherals, they bake in all the typical stuff that the system it's designed for (a cell phone) is expected to use. It contains 8 ARM cores (one of which is "the CPU"), a GPU, an AI DSP, a memory controller, 3 image signal processors for connection to cameras, video encoder/decoders, Bluetooth, Wifi, NFC, GPS/GNSS, dual SIM support, probably some general-purpose inputs and outputs, plus, yes, a 5G modem.
To sum up the explanations given for why it's part of the SOC and not an external device on a bus:
> Last year’s ... external 5G modem such as the X55 helped the 5G transition as it was available to vendors earlier than the Snapdragon 865 SoC itself, allowing them to design their RF systems before having access to the newest SoC.
> The platform’s reabsorption of the modem into the SoC die should signify better power efficiency, lower platform cost as well as lower PCB complexity for smartphone vendors.
- chrisjc 6y agoHow does this compare to the latest A14 (i think that's the latest) when it comes to "baked in" radio set? Is it still external on apple device and it's just a matter of time until they bake in what they acquired from Intel? Or are they already baking it in and just paying royalties to Qualcomm?
- TorKlingberg 6y agoApple use a separate modem chip. iPhone12 has a Qualcomm SDR865 baseband and SDX55M radio. There have been rumours about Apple making their own modem, and presumably integrate it in an A-series SoC, but nothing yet. A 5G modem is pretty complicated tech. I used to work on Nvidia's Icera, but that's gone now. A lot of chip makers have given up, and Qualcomm is the undisputed leader. MediaTek dominates in low-mid end Androids. I think Huawei & Samsung both have something.
- LeifCarrotson 6y agoThe A14 uses an external Qualcomm radio, much like Android phones based on the previous Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. Take a look at the yellow and green boxed SDR865 and SDX55M in this image of the iPhone 12 with A14 motherboard from the iFixit teardown: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+12+and+12+Pro+Teardown/137669#s274767 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+12+and+12+Pro+Teardow... The same are in yellow and red on the Samsung Galaxy S20 with Snapdragon 865 teardown: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S20+Ultra+Teardown/131607#s259200 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S20+Ultra+Tea... The SDR865 and SDX55M are the external 5G parts that would disappear with the 888. Compare the PCB area used for those (they're both almost as large as the whole SOC; I'm sure much of that is driven not by silicon area or thermal requirements but by a lot of power and pins for high-speed host communication) to this teardown of the Galaxy S10, which has the Snapdragon 855 with an integrated 4G modem: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S10+and+S10e+Teardown/120331#s232018 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S10+and+S10e+... Apple has said they want to integrate the 5G modem by 2022.
- Tagbert 6y agoApple bought Intel’s modem division in 2019. That purchase included related patents. The expectation is that they will move to integrate their own modems into their SOC in the next couple of years. That will help increase the efficiency of their chips. It may also make it feasible to include 5G in laptops. Currently Apple licenses Qualcomm modems. Qualcomm charges a fee that is proportional to the full retail price of the device. That would be significant for a laptop. If Apple can use their own modems and get around that licensing cost, it makes a laptop with a cellular connection more likely.