Qualcomm's Next-Generation Gobi Platform Consolidates Mobile Standards Support for Future iOS Devices

Qualcomm today announced the launch of its fifth-generation Gobi reference platform that seeks to pack support for nearly all of the major worldwide mobile standards into a single chip. While the reference platform is not ready in time for inclusion in the iPad 3, it does pave the way for future world-mode iOS devices and is targeted at ultra-thin notebooks and tablets.

Based on Qualcomm’s Gobi 4G LTE wireless baseband modems, the MDM9615™ and MDM9215™, the technology delivers fast LTE connectivity on FDD and TDD networks worldwide, with backwards compatibility to both HSPA+ and EV-DO networks. This will allow support for regional LTE frequencies with backwards compatibility to existing 2G/3G technologies, allowing Gobi 4G LTE devices to connect to the faster LTE network locally and stay connected to the Internet globally on 3G networks worldwide. [...]

Qualcomm’s latest Gobi 4G LTE connectivity reference platform includes embedded GPS capability and features an application programming interface (API) with LTE extensions, which is compatible with leading connectivity standards, including CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B, HSPA+, dual-carrier HSPA+, TD-SCDMA and LTE, with integrated backwards compatibility to HSPA and EV-DO.

Gobi offers a layer of software enhancements on top of Qualcomm's MDM chipsets in order to streamline wireless connectivity across technologies.

qualcomm gobi 300
Apple already uses a world-mode chip to support both GSM and CDMA networks in the iPhone 4S, but the device does not support faster LTE networks now being deployed. The iPad 3 has been claimed to support LTE, and will likely be using a world-mode chip capable of falling back onto both GSM and CDMA 3G networks.

Apple has held off on supporting LTE so far because the technology has simply not been available in a single-chip solution meeting Apple's size and power requirements. But with Qualcomm's new single chip designs now making their way to availability, Apple has options that suit its design and performance goals for future devices.

While the identity of the LTE wireless chip in the iPad 3 has not yet been revealed, Qualcomm's roadmap suggests that Apple may be looking to use the MDM9600 (or MDM9615) in the iPad 3. For the iPhone 5 due later this year, Apple would likely utilize the MDM9615, which does pack voice capabilities onto the LTE chip.

Top Rated Comments

Agent OrangeZ Avatar
151 months ago
Maybe this is the same chip that T-Mobile was referring to when they talked about iPhone 5 likely being compatible with their HSPA+ AWS 1700 network.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dkersten Avatar
151 months ago
what are "voice capabilities" and why do I want my iPhone 5 to have them?

Please tell me that's sarcasm...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Diode Avatar
151 months ago
Also noted it supports TD-SCDMA, a likely candidate to enable the next iPhone to used with China Mobile. Opening the iPhone to an additional 650 million people.....

----------

what are "voice capabilities" and why do I want my iPhone 5 to have them?

Current LTE chips are data only (IE in order to use both data and voice at the same time, the phone would require two radios to be on at the same time, sucking down power) - as carriers begin supporting voice on LTE, this will come in handy.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
marcusj0015 Avatar
151 months ago
Pack 'em all in, on the same chip! Reminds me of the great blackout of how- many-years-ago, in the Northeast. My wife and I by chance were in Niagara-on-the-lake Ontario, at a play; the lights flickered, but that was it. Over a relaxed dinner, we learned of the entire East Coast being blacked out, except for our town. Likely when Niagara Falls was first harnessed, there was a local line, just to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and it was folded into the later networks. But still with its local wires! My chip will still have the original on it, when everything else folds....

Dude, We turned on our air conditioner and the power grid went down at that exact moment. it was FREAKY AS HELL
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattInOz Avatar
151 months ago
But what about the patent licensing? Is it intact?

Yes but MotoMobile are drafting a letter as we speak ;-)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
peb123 Avatar
151 months ago
Seriously?

what are "voice capabilities" and why do I want my iPhone 5 to have them?
Seriously? Its so you can talk to people using your phone.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
Mac Gaming

Apple Explains How Game Mode Works in macOS Sonoma

Wednesday September 27, 2023 2:24 am PDT by
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming purposes on Macs. For those unfamiliar with Game Mode, Apple on Tuesday published a support document providing more information on how to use the new feature. Game Mode optimizes your gaming experience by giving your game the highest priority access to your CPU and GPU, lowering usage for background tasks. And it...