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iFixit: Verizon iPhone using dual-mode chip

by Michael Rose Feb 8th 2011 at 12:00AM

A lot of the anticipation and/or naysaying about the Verizon iPhone has focused on CDMA, the somewhat less travel-friendly and slower network standard that Verizon uses. GSM covers a lot more countries, including all of Europe, and in the US the AT&T data speeds are testing noticeably faster -- of course, if you can't get or keep a signal, faster data does you precious little good.

Some iPhone watchers were hoping for a dual mode phone like the Droid Pro, which features an antenna chip (the Qualcomm MDM6600) capable of handling both kinds of networks. That chip, combined with an auxiliary SIM slot for device identification and a secondary antenna, could have allowed the Verizon iPhone to roam from continent to continent at will.

As we now know, the real-world Verizon iPhone is not a dual mode device; it's CDMA only, leaving us to hope that the next iPhone will be truly universal hardware for any and all carriers. There is a catch, though; today's thorough iFixit teardown revealed that the Verizon unit actually is using the MDM6600 chip, which would have theoretically allowed Apple to build out a GSM antenna in this version.

Lacking the SIM slot and the GSM antenna, however, the current Verizon iPhone is decidedly not dual-ready. iFixit mused that the extra effort and space required for a second antenna may have put such a device out of reach for this cycle; however, since Apple is already using the required universal chip, the signs point even more strongly to an iPhone 5 that bridges the gap.

[via Engadget]



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A lot of the anticipation and/or naysaying about the Verizon iPhone has focused on CDMA, the somewhat less travel-friendly and slower...
 

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Level 5

"...hope that the next iPhone will be truly universal hardware for any and all carriers..."

I'd love to see this, but I doubt it. Granted every iPhone can get EDGE on all GSM carriers, there's still no Band IV AWS. That's like saying you can drive your Corvette on any road you wish, but unless you use this paritcular road, you can't drive faster than 10mph. Yes, it drives on any road, but what's the point?

Now.. if there was a chip that DID have all of the 3G GSM bands (I don't see myself going to a CDMA carrier), I'd be pumped.

February 09 2011 at 2:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cofconfusion

What kind of salsa would you use with those chips?

February 09 2011 at 10:35 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gear

"of course, if you can't get or keep a signal, faster data does you precious little good"

Where I live Verizon has bad coverage and AT&T has excellent coverage. I switched from Verizon a half a year ago because there were places where I couldn't get a signal. In that time I have had exactly one dropped call with AT&T and get a signal everywhere.

I have an issue with these blanket condemnations of carriers, its also about location when it comes to service.

February 08 2011 at 8:39 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to gear's comment
Roger Wilco

Not dual "band", all iphones support several bands, the interesting thing is that it has dual MODE silicon (though it clearly lacks the firmware and maybe some circuitry to support GSM).

February 08 2011 at 1:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Urbz

One thing is certain: with the iPhone 4 GSM, Apple increased the different frequencies the phone can connect to, where the previous phone may have been restricted to 3G in only some areas of the world, hence falling back to 2G frequently.
Combined with this chip, it is clear that Apple sees a future where there is one device which supports as many networks as it can.
For consumers such as myself who purchase the unlocked version of the iPhone, I can only say that I'm excited!
Hopefully the next iPhone adds support for the AWS bands. It would literally change the landscape of the wireless industry in Canada again, and give the States the iPhone on T-Mobile.

February 08 2011 at 1:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Urbz's comment
Milan

AWS bands are supported by Qualcomm's MDM6600 by the way, Including UMTS 1700Mhz.

February 08 2011 at 11:10 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
kocoman

I can't open the 80-VR586-2_A_M6600ASCAUTNZ1050 from
http://www.docin.com/p-52041018.html

February 08 2011 at 12:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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