iFixit iPod Touch Teardown Reveals 802.11n Chip, Location for Camera

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Posted September 12, 2009 at 8:28am by iClarified

iFixit's teardown of the new iPod touch has found an 802.11n compatible wireless chip and possibly space for a camera.

The chip found is the Broadcom BCM4329FKUBG wireless chip which supports 802.11n.

This is a big deal, as even the iPhone 3GS doesn't support 802.11n. The iPhone 3GS has a BCM4325 wireless chip, which only supports 802.11 a/b/g. We don't know yet if 802.11n will be supported in software, but at least the hardware's there. There's also Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and a FM receiver and transmitter packed into this chip. If they built in the antennas, and if Apple adds software support, you could theoretically stream music to your car stereo without any external hardware. But that's a lot of ifs.

iFixit was also able to find a spot which looks to be the location for a camera. It appears that Apple left in room for a camera in the top of the device. There is a 6mm x 6mm x 3mm space between the Broadcom chip and the wireless antenna. There isn't enough depth for an iPhone-style autofocus still camera, but just enough room for the camera that Apple used in the 5th generation iPod nano.

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Insaneweb - September 13, 2009 at 5:59pm

no way, we won't be seeing a new iPod touch until September 2010, you can bet on that ! Apple can't release a new revision of the iPod touch just 2-3 months after they already released one... even if Steve Jobs would want that he just couldn't ! Commerce is like that... products HAVE to go all the way though their lifespan and sell enough and after that u get the new model... Shareholders wouldn't be happy to see a new iPod touch believe me, not at all... that would be trouble

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jimi - September 13, 2009 at 9:20am

apple is either being very cheap or i heard they had to throw away 1000 itouches in the factory because of camera malfunction. just wait a month or two and you will see an ipod touch with a camera.

CousinCocaine - September 13, 2009 at 9:16am

Unbelievable so small! only a few mm to fit a camera in there. Technology is going so fast!

thinker - September 12, 2009 at 6:32pm

not mention those 5 empty sodering holes the the left.

Insaneweb - September 13, 2009 at 6:46am

5 soldering spots is not enough for a camera... the iphone camera has like 16 contacts... it's true that this will be only for video but still i don't think 5 wires is enough for a video camera... unless it goes on a usb bus but then the camera couldn't be that small... we'll see

Insaneweb - September 12, 2009 at 8:46am

I was sure about the camera... not surprized at all... the first thought that came into my mind after the keynote 3 days ago was that they HAD to release the thouch in any way so because of the problems they had with the camera they just used the old touch case with no camera hole, threw in the new hardware with the free space for a camera but with no camera... i should have bet on that i would have won xD

max - September 12, 2009 at 8:32pm

Seems like there were a number of things missing from the finsl line up. YOKO ONO jumped the gun and either SJ and Apple Corp could find an agreement or SJ was so pissed at Yoko for stealing his thunder he canned it. It clearly left the whole Beatles re-mastered relaunch very flat - in the UK and probably worldwide. Something Apple Corps and now re-retting. They may have sold a few thousand boxed sets but that nothing to the millions of folk watching the SJ launch You can see that SJ now has the whip hand - world No 1 music seller - that he isn't going to give Apple Corps any favours just to sign up the Beatles titles. A last minute failure with the touch to perform - clearly wanting it to do better than the nano meant another pulled product, But SJ is the consumate salesman so on with the show..