Can someone actually confirm no 3G.

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mlass

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I spend a lot of time researching the iPhone 3G rumors. Alot of people are jumping to conclusion that the iPhone does not support 3G because it doesn't have the chip needed.

What chip does it need or is missing?

From what I found is that the iPhone has a PMB8876 chip. This chip can support 3G with a WCDMA coprocessor.

Can someone confirm that it does not have a coprocessor?

Edit

So if the PMB8876 chip supports 3G and the Samsung S5L8900 chip has been known to have 3G, what make people think a firmware update can not activate 3G or that the iPhone doesn't even have 3G capabillity?
 
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dllfiles

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mlass said:
I spend a lot of time researching the iPhone 3G rumors. Alot of people are jumping to conclusion that the 3G does not support 3G because it doesn't have the chip needed.

What chip does it need or is missing?

From what I found is that the iPhone has a PMB8876 chip. This chip can support 3G with a WCDMA coprocessor.

Can someone confirm that it does not have a coprocessor?
Click to expand...
It just wont, 3G will be out next year(2008 Q1) for the 2nd Generation iPhones. Which kinda sucks, oh well Ill just buy one of those too. :laugh2:

But if it is supported that will be very nice!
 
TrippalHealicks

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mlass said:
I spend a lot of time researching the iPhone 3G rumors. Alot of people are jumping to conclusion that the 3G does not support 3G because it doesn't have the chip needed.

What chip does it need or is missing?

From what I found is that the iPhone has a PMB8876 chip. This chip can support 3G with a WCDMA coprocessor.

Can someone confirm that it does not have a coprocessor?

Edit

So if the PMB8876 chip supports 3G and the Samsung S5L8900 chip has been known to have 3G, what make people think a firmware update can not activate 3G or that the iPhone doesn't even have 3G capabillity?
Click to expand...

If what you're saying is true, I guess the possibility is not so "far-fetched".
I know nothing of what you speak, but it makes sense. What I mean is, I don't know anything about what processor they used in the phone, and what impact that would make on it's ability to operate on the 3G network, but what you're saying makes sense. In other words, you bring up a very valid and interesting point.

I'm still holding out, hoping they will add it.
Jesus christ, i'm telling you, instant in-pants explosion. LOL
That's the only thing on the phone right now, that I wish was better. I hate when i'm going to show off all the features of the phone, and the internet browsing is slow as hell. lol
 
JnC

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I alluded to the possibility here. The GSM chip is made by Infineon. During a teardown, an additional Infineon chip was discovered but it's function was not disclosed in the report. It's plausible this could be a 3G coprocessor.

Since the chips are Infineon, they don't run afoul of the Broadcom/Qualcomm spat yet (unless Broadcom goes after Infineon). But if that's the case, why have 3G disabled from the get go? Unless AT&T's 3G network isn't ready for prime time.
 
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Quake97

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Seriously guys, with all of the geeks all over the iPhone, someone would have found a 3G chip in the FCC documents by now. There's no 3G in the current iPhone.

Joe
 
JnC

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Quake97 said:
Seriously guys, with all of the geeks all over the iPhone, someone would have found a 3G chip in the FCC documents by now. There's no 3G in the current iPhone.
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The FCC documents are the wrong place to look. It was a limited disclosure.

Apple only has to have the device tested in the manner in which it is used. If they want to enable 3G on a latent device, they need merely to turn it on and have the FCC retest it in that mode (if they haven't done so already).
 
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tfg

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I'm sure they have thought about 3G and made a conscious decision not to include it. But that doesn't mean that they didn't make it compatible. I mean this thing is a computer. They could have easily inlcuded something that just needs to be activated with additional software.

But at this point, I'm not sure what they've put extra thought into. They didn't even include mass texting or the ability to specify a different ringtone for text messges.
 
ccr78

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From what I have heard, only a small portion of AT&T's huge network is running on 3G. So even if your phone supported it, it might not be able to use it.
 
ccr78

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Yikes, AT&T has a long way to go before they can offer 3g everywhere.

Anyone know what is involved with upgrading a network to 3g and how long it takes?
 
aggieman

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i very seriously doubt this phone is capable of supporting 3g. Jobs himself said that they elected not to include a 3g processor because 1) battery life, 2) edge was more widely available, and 3) the 3g chip would add to the size of the iPhone. I don't think Jobs would lie about this in his interview only to look like an idiot after updating it. I mean it's a great thought, but i just don't see it happening.

Honestly, going to EDGE from having EVDO on my Sprint and Verizon Treo's and Q's, it does not appear that bad to me. maybe it has to do with the way the browser operates but with the 3g connections on Sprint and Verizon it took me forever to download a page from dallasnews.com or espn's non mobile site on my Treo and my Q. the iPhone actually does this faster and of course nicer on the EDGE speeds. This was my one true doubt about buying the iPhone but i'm glad I didn't let it stop me.
 
wildonrio

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aggieman said:
i very seriously doubt this phone is capable of supporting 3g. Jobs himself said that they elected not to include a 3g processor because 1) battery life, 2) edge was more widely available, and 3) the 3g chip would add to the size of the iPhone. I don't think Jobs would lie about this in his interview only to look like an idiot after updating it. I mean it's a great thought, but i just don't see it happening.

Honestly, going to EDGE from having EVDO on my Sprint and Verizon Treo's and Q's, it does not appear that bad to me. maybe it has to do with the way the browser operates but with the 3g connections on Sprint and Verizon it took me forever to download a page from dallasnews.com or espn's non mobile site on my Treo and my Q. the iPhone actually does this faster and of course nicer on the EDGE speeds. This was my one true doubt about buying the iPhone but i'm glad I didn't let it stop me.
Click to expand...
If it is, in fact, in there, maybe the only reason Steve left it dormant was until your first two reasons could be resolved, 1) They could figure out how to improve battery life through software and 2) 3G became more widely available. As far as your third reason, that is pretty damning evidence that it's not in there, if he really did say that.
 
dstrauss

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Hold on folks. As a confirmed Samsung Blackjack user, HSDPA can be real battery drain, primarily because of spotty 3G service. When in San Antonio in a solid 3G area, battery drain is not much worse than EDGE. But in the suburbs, or even Houston, the constant searching and switching back and forth between 3G and EDGE quickly drains even the extended battery. That's why one of the very first things you do with a Blackjack is lock it to EDGE until you really want to use 3G.

Top this off with Apple's insistence that current HSDPA capable chips are not energy efficient would rule out a "dormant" chip in the board. Top that off with the FCC's natural skepticism about a later "software enabling" would lead to them insisting the 3G chip be tested because Apple couldn't prove no one would hack that future feature.
 
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mlass

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Quake97 said:
Seriously guys, with all of the geeks all over the iPhone, someone would have found a 3G chip in the FCC documents by now. There's no 3G in the current iPhone.

Joe
Click to expand...
There is a group of Geeks (including DVD Jon) working on the iPhone and they can not confirm it.
 
aggieman

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wildonrio said:
If it is, in fact, in there, maybe the only reason Steve left it dormant was until your first two reasons could be resolved, 1) They could figure out how to improve battery life through software and 2) 3G became more widely available. As far as your third reason, that is pretty damning evidence that it's not in there, if he really did say that.
Click to expand...
I had read the third reason about the 3g chip being larger and affecting the size of the iPhone somewhere on CNET.com. That's one thing that I'd gladly do without 3G for the size. If i wanted a Treo i wouldn't have switched to the iPhone :)
 
wildonrio

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But I thought that just about every other phone AT&T sells now comes standard with 3G capability, some of them really thin. Is it REALLY a size issue if it's so standard in every other phone?
 
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