AppleInsider Staff
A deeper inspection of the S1 system-in-package that powers Apple's new wearable reveals a plethora of parts packed into an impressively compact space, including a new Apple-designed application processor alongside components from Broadcom, Skyworks, and NXP.
Apple's APL0778 chip — the heart of the system — was fabricated on Samsung's 28-nanometer low power process, according to Chipworks. At just 5.2 millimeters by 6.2 millimeters, the Apple processor is the largest component in the S1.
In a surprising change, longtime Apple supplier Cirrus was bumped from the Apple Watch in favor of audio codec and amplifier silicon from Maxim. Coincidentally, Apple now occupies much of Maxim's former campus in Sunnyvale, Calif.
As with the iPhone 6, NXP silicon makes up the NFC controller and the secure element, while AMS provides the NFC signal booster.
STMicroelectronics provides the Watch's six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope, as well as the encoder that powers the digital crown. Battery management duties went to parts from Texas Instruments.
Broadcom's popular BCM4334 — Â found in numerous Apple products, including the Apple TV and iPhone 5 — Â provides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communications capabilities in concert with a Skyworks Wi-Fi switch and low-noise amplifier.
Christine McKee
Andrew Orr
Charles Martin
Marko Zivkovic
Wesley Hilliard
52 Comments
Still no word on the main processor's specs yet?
Seems like all this is set up for fairly easy removal and replacement. This seems to me to lend credence to the idea that the Appl Watch will be upgradable by a simple replacement of its internals. That will reduce the price of upgrading significantly.
Seems like all this is set up for fairly easy removal and replacement. This seems to me to lend credence to the idea that the Appl Watch will be upgradable by a simple replacement of its internals. That will reduce the price of upgrading significantly.
I think a Gen. 2 model will be much slimmer which should serve as an incentive to replace the whole watch not just the guts.
Cannot be easily replaced because it is glued in there tightly, according to iFixit. But, yeah, amazing package!
Someone at Chipworks (and AI) didn't pay attention in English class. Things can't be "very" unique. They are either unique (one of a kind) or they are not. No modifiers allowed on the word "unique." And yes, I'm aware Chipworks appear to be quoted there, so they made the original mistake, but putting it in a headline would have gotten an editor fired when I worked in print ...