IPhone 3G vs. M8: The Inside Story

A comparison of the iFruit 3G & M8 main PCBs. Note the Apple branding of the Samsung processor and "Wolfson" codec. I say "Wolfson" because there is no published documentation for the WM6180C. Who knows; it could be a custom-built chip for Apple, a standard WM codec that Apple is trying to disguise from the numbers crunchers/tweakos, or it could be something from another manufacturer altogether.

Nice never actually seen that Photo of the iPhone board. I really doubt the iPhone uses a Wolfson codec. It's sound quality is shit and effectively the same as the iPods which use Philips DAC's. It could be a Wolfson one, but I don't think Apple would switch, there is no need for that as all the people who buy iPod's nowadays don't seem to care about sound quality (otherwise you wouldn't buy an iPod) so why improve.

Actually the entire iPod range used to be powered by Wolfson at one time or another (see that humongous Head-Fi link in the "M8 Disassembled" thread) ....then there was this:

Wolfson loses Apple iPod business - iPod/iPhone - Macworld UK

followed by this:

Wolfson slumps on loss of Apple contracts - Business News, Business - The Independent

The iPhone is still supposed to use a Wolfson codec, but with it rebranded as Apple, you can find all sorts of conspiracy theories floating around out there as to its real identity. Some people think they've already switched the chip to a cheaper Cirrus Logic as they did with the newest iPod Classics.

I still don't understand what that "字库" is? Wenlin and Google translates it as "Font".

That's the 256MB of internal memory (字库 = data storage). It should by a Numonyx NOR chip like the iPhone, but I can't find any reference with those code numbers. BTW, that iPhone graphic is wrong: the Numonyx chip (lower right corner) is 128MB, not 16MB.

Originally Posted by MartijnGP

Nice never actually seen that Photo of the iPhone board. I really doubt the iPhone uses a Wolfson codec. It's sound quality is shit and effectively the same as the iPods which use Philips DAC's. It could be a Wolfson one, but I don't think Apple would switch, there is no need for that as all the people who buy iPod's nowadays don't seem to care about sound quality (otherwise you wouldn't buy an iPod) so why improve.

Doesnt the iphone 3g utilise a completely different audio chip? Its sound quality is supposedly similar to the ipod touch 2g.

Most modern ipods use either Wolfson or Cirrus audio chips, the "shit" sound quality comes from the poor amplifier they implement into their devices, which is remedied via a line out cable which bypasses the internal amplifier and out into a portable amp, fixing the "shit" sound quality.

But the iPod touch 2g is a completely different story and is the first ipod I have ever heard, having great sound quality for a potable device right out of the HO.

From the picture, does the M8 use Wolfson?

Doesnt the iphone 3g utilise a completely different audio chip? Its sound quality is supposedly similar to the ipod touch 2g.

Apparently, but since it's labeled an "Apple" chip, I don't think there's been a definitive answer to what exactly it is. Some say it's still a Wolfson chip, some say it's a Cirrus Logic, some say it's a Frito-Lay chip, who knows? I suppose Apple could claim an "industrial secret" but a conspiracy theorist might argue that it's a lower-end chip that, a) Apple wants to disguise from the bean counters who would use it as more ammunition against the iPhone's ridiculous profit margin and/or b) Apple wants to disguise from the audio junkies who would moan about the lower audio quality.

Most modern ipods use either Wolfson or Cirrus audio chips, the "shit" sound quality comes from the poor amplifier they implement into their devices, which is remedied via a line out cable which bypasses the internal amplifier and out into a portable amp, fixing the "shit" sound quality.

But the iPod touch 2g is a completely different story and is the first ipod I have ever heard, having great sound quality for a potable device right out of the HO.

The Touch 2G apparently uses the same Cirrus Logic chip as in the current iPod Classic (6G). Before that, though, Apple & Wolfson had a long, happy marriage. Below is copied from Head-Fi (the full thread is linked in the "M8 disassembled" topic on this board). Cirrus vs. Wolfson debates remain unresolved...

8.1.0 Wolfson Microelectronics WM8731(L)
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/uploads/...8731_8731L.pdf

iPod 3G
iPod mini 1G

8.2.0 Wolfson Microelectronics WM8711
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/uploads/.../en/WM8711.pdf

iPod mini 2G

8.3.0 Wolfson Microelectronics WM8971(L) equivalent to Wolfson Microelectronics WM8975
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/uploads/...nts/WM8971.pdf

iPod 4G
iPod nano 1G

8.4.0 Wolfson Microelectronics WM8978 equivalent to Wolfson Microelectronics WM8758
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/uploads/...nts/WM8978.pdf

iPod 5G
Zune 1G
iPod nano 2G(?)
iPod nano 3G(?)

From the picture, does the M8 use Wolfson?

Yes, the WM8753, but it's a bit of a different animal because it integrates everything the M8 needs sound-wise (including voice) onto one chip.

iPods used Wolfson chips until around March 2008, where Apple cut the contract. So Apple products pre-March should have Wolfson chips?