Broadcom Launches New 650Mbps 802.11ac Wi-Fi Chip for Mobile Devices
Communications chip maker Broadcom today announced a new 5G 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip designed for smartphones.
Capable of data throughput speeds of up to 650 Mbps, the BC4358 is Broadcom's second chip to use 2x2 MIMO (multiple input multiple output), bringing up to twice the Wi-Fi performance with 25 percent more power efficiency than 1x1 MIMO chips.
MIMO is a technology that utilizes multiple antennas for both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance. Apple has adopted MIMO technology in the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.
Today's content-centric consumer spends an average of 4–5 hours a day on Wi-Fi1. With 650 Mbps Wi-Fi data throughput and 50 percent better coexistence performance with Bluetooth, consumers can download content two times faster, stream videos with less buffering and connect to multiple Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices concurrently (e.g. listen to music while playing a game) without interference issues.
According to Broadcom, the new chips are already in production and will begin shipping in smartphones during the third quarter of 2014, which means the timing could possibly be right for inclusion in the iPhone 6.
According to Broadcom, its BCM4358 chip includes improved location accuracy that's accurate "down to one meter" for better indoor location-based services, which aligns with Apple's own indoor mapping aspirations. It's also the first chip that enables Angle-of-Arrival direction finding technology, another feature Apple could make use of. Rumors have suggested Apple is working on indoor mapping features for a future iOS 8 update.
It isn't known if Apple's iPhone 6 will use this specific chip, but Broadcom is one of Apple's partners, supplying chips for both its desktop and mobile devices. Apple uses Broadcom chips in its line of Macs that support 802.11ac, including the MacBook Air, Retina MacBook Pro, and iMac.
Rumors have suggested that the iPhone 6 will likely support 802.11ac, which has been included in Apple's Macs since 2013. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is designed to offer speeds up to three times as fast as existing 802.11n wireless networks.
Popular Stories
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature.
According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles.
CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China.
"I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India."
"They [India] have offered us a deal where...
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music.
The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software.
British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
