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iPhone 4 Noise Cancellation Delivered by Chip From Audience

Tuesday May 17, 2011 2:19 pm PDT by Eric Slivka
White-labelled Audience audio processor highlighted in yellow

iFixit reports that the chip responsible for handling the noise cancellation capabilities of the iPhone 4 has finally been identified, with chip teardown firm Chipworks pegging it has having come from Audience, the producer of high-end voice processors found in such devices as the Nexus One. The identification was made more difficult by Apple's move to have the chip "white-labelled" by Audience to remove any specific identifying marks on the outside of the chip package. From iFixit's report:
There was one small, 3mm x 3mm chip that we weren't able to identify during our teardown. It was white-labelled, meaning Apple asked the manufacturer to remove their branding from the package to make it difficult for folks like us to identify. The markings on the chip '10C0 01S8 0077' didn’t match any existing part in our database, and we didn't pursue it further. This part turned up again this February when we got our hands on the Verizon (CDMA) iPhone 4.
With Chipworks finally performing a decapping procedure to analyze the internal structure of the chip in question, telltale signs including an "Audience" die marking buried inside the chip confirmed that the company is indeed responsible for the audio signal processor in the iPhone 4.

"Audience" die marking discovered inside audio processor

The confirmation reveals yet another high-profile design win for Audience, which has seen its chips incorporated into smartphones from Samsung, HTC, and other manufacturers and has established itself as offering the top-performing noise cancellation technology in the industry.

[ 47 comments ]

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Kaibelf
110 months ago
Thank goodness we now know the answer to the greatest technological mystery of our time! :rolleyes:
Rating: 10 Votes
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kevingaffney
110 months ago
How exciting is this. I want to know who manufactures the iPhone home button
Rating: 5 Votes
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X38
110 months ago
I don't get all the smug negativity. This is a pretty interesting story if you click through and read some about this chip. I've never heard of these guys before, but it's some pretty interesting technology and I'm glad to see it being used in iPhones.
Rating: 5 Votes
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baryon
110 months ago
They actually printed their logo INSIDE the chip onto the printed transistor thingy? Probably someone said "well one day some company won't let us put our logo on the chip, so we have to make our transistors into the shape of our logo so that someone can still identify us if they cut the apart and scan it with a microscope."
Rating: 5 Votes
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Born Again
110 months ago
Noise cancelation would be nice if my phone could hold a call


In other news the sky is blue
Rating: 3 Votes
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zorinlynx
110 months ago

They actually printed their logo INSIDE the chip onto the printed transistor thingy? Probably someone said "well one day some company won't let us put our logo on the chip, so we have to make our transistors into the shape of our logo so that someone can still identify us if they cut the apart and scan it with a microscope."


This has been standard practice for decades.

For instance, the MOS Technology 6502 (released in 1975):

http://blog.visual6502.org/2010/09/6502-vs-6507.html
Rating: 2 Votes
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akm3
110 months ago



Why was the chip White labelled? Any reason Apple wouldn't have wanted people to know it was by audience?


Doesn't want competitors to get a head start on how to clone.
Rating: 1 Votes
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AAPLaday
110 months ago
Hey is this front page news nowadays?

Surely theres another iPhone Sep/Nov rumour to put here instead :D
Rating: 1 Votes
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Small White Car
110 months ago
The thread title made me think that Steve asked the crowd for new ideas during his last iPhone presentation and someone dug through their pockets and brought up a chip that worked pretty well, so Apple used it. :D
Rating: 1 Votes
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Full of Win
110 months ago
This has been front page news on Drudge all day.



AUDIENCE MAKES iPHONE 4 NOISE CANCELLATION CHIP

Rating: 1 Votes

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