New iPhone to Use Broadcom BCM4334 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Chip, Get AirDrop Support?

A code dump from a prototype next generation iPhone reveals the use of the Broadcom BCM4334 wireless chip, reports 9to5Mac.

The BCM4334 is a improvement from the BCM4330 used in the new iPad and iPhone 4S and is built on the more efficient 40nm process rather than the older 65nm process.

The chip features Bluetooth 4.0 and FM radio but also brings new features such as ultra low power consumption, dual band Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct. The use of the chip would assist Apple in making a thinner phone and offsetting some of LTE's power consumption. It would also allow for the addition of AirDrop capabilities to iOS 6.


Here is Broadcom's description of the BCM4334:

The Broadcom BCM4334 single-chip dual-band combo chip provides a complete wireless connectivity system with ultra-low power consumption for mass market smartphone devices. Using advanced design techniques and 40nm process technology to reduce active and idle power, the BCM4334 is designed to address the needs of highly mobile devices that require minimal power consumption and compact size while delivering dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity.

The chip includes IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n single-stream MAC/baseband/radio, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS, and an integrated FM radio receiver. It is designed to be used with external 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz front-end modules, which include power amplifiers, T/R switches and optional low noise amplifiers. The combo device also features advanced switching techniques that enable concurrent dual-band operation to simultaneously support network connectivity with one band while also allowing content streaming via technologies such as Wi-Fi Display and Wi-Fi Direct.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 6 at WWDC and the new iPhone later this year.


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