iPhone "3,1" moniker denotes major hardware change (PA Semi?) en route

Seth Weintraub
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November 28, 2009
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Today we learned that new iPhones were found using apps with tracking software in the San Francisco area.  The news is not surprising since the same thing has happened around this time of year for the past few years.  This is the traditional time that Apple starts testing new iPhone hardware for release in summer.

What is interesting about today's information is that the new iPhone hardware is denoted as 3,1.

Former iPhones were labelled like this:

  • OG iPhone=  1,1
  • iPhone3G =   1,2
  • iPhone 3GS= 2,1
  • iPhone(PA Semi?) = 3,1

The iPhone 3G wasn't a big upgrade from the original iPhone, hence only the point upgrade in the hardware code number.  While it did add a 3G radio and GPS, the processor was still the ARM 11-based Samsung chip that was also used in the original iPod Touches.  

The 3GS hardware upgrade was a different processor entirely.  While Samsung was still the supplier, it was now a ARM Cortex A8 based unit that provides the massive speed gains in the new iPhone 3GS hardware (and new iPod touches).

Will we see even more speed in the next iPhone?

The 3,1 moniker indicates that the new iPhone hardware is a significant upgrade from the iPhone 3GS -perhaps one with a processor from PA Semi.  Apple bought PA Semi two years ago.  Steve Jobs previously told the New York Times , "PA Semi is going to do system-on-chips for iPhones and iPods."

Comments (11)

Andrew (not verified) | November 28, 2009 - 11:26pm

Do you have any evidence or information to suggest  3,1 model would be based on a PA semi chip? Or is to include a major hardware change?

Or are you just guessing at this shit and writing posts that make it seem factual?

-Troll

Genius (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 6:22am

Reading clearly isn't your strong point, Troll.  Maybe have another look at the wording of  the story, and stop taking the anger of your mom's abuse out on random bloggers.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 9:56am

LMAO well said

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 12:00am

The 3,1 moniker indicates that the new iPhone hardware is a significant upgrade from the iPhone 3GS -perhaps one with a processor from PA Semi

Did you two d-bags not read the word "perhaps" in the above sentence indicating the beginning of the author's speculation? He then follows up with the reasoning behind his speculation.

Nit-picking bitches.

Ashoka8350 (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 3:29am

I agree with you, but there is no need to be nasty in giving your opinion,

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 6:48am

And there's no need for Andrew/Troll to post useless shit either.

Chris Leither (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 3:28am

Of course there is no hard evidence just yet. But looking at Apple's history such a version number change was ALWAYS accompanied by a major overhaul. 

Think for example Merom based MBPs carried the ID MacBookPro3,1 , Penryn got introduced... --> MacBookPro4,1 

Introduction of the Unibody --> MacBookPro5,1... the list is sheer endless. 

So the author's speculation is not BASED on facts... but it is the logical conclusion backed by facts. 

 

Not to forget the fact... that this is a RUMOR-site... and this is news in the rumor-world. 

 

The PA-Semi thing seems also to be logical. I mean... Apple just didn't buy the company just for the fun of it... they even said they'd be using them in future products. And a 2 year span seems realistic to develop a system on a chip that is suitable...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 30, 2009 - 12:55am

 

I think for shipping in an iphone, a SoC from PA Semi would likely take about 3 years. 4 for a normal company, but 3 for Apple given the way they work.

2 years is possible, but it seems pretty fast for me, and it indicates that they would be using all off the shelf IP rather than doing using new for at least one of the modules.   This isn't unreasonable, but it seems samsung could do that just as well. 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 8:01am

The beauty of Jailbreaking is that now anyone can invent new pre-producion iPhone model codes with a simple text editor.  This capability isn't just reserved for Apple anymore.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 9:57am

Yay for new iPhones !

iphonerulez (not verified) | November 29, 2009 - 6:55pm

Speculation is fun.  Since anything goes, why not dream up a fancy chip made by P.A. Semi?   It makes a new iPhone seem even that more exciting.  It'll be a chip that nobody else except Apple has access to.   Take that, you copy-cat competitors. They'll start running their copiers and only end up with blank sheets of paper.