Qualcomm makes their appearance in a few places, but not as a total RF solution. The baseband support for both Apple iPhone 6 devices is from Qualcomm's Gobi Modem product line- the MDM9625M, with RF transceiver and RF receiver roles being supported by their WTR1625L and WFR1620 ICs respectively. The only other RF support we see from Qualcomm is with their power envelope tracking IC, the QFE1100. As for the other RF functions such as the RF antenna switches and power amplifiers, Apple once again uses multiple manufacturers like RFMD, Murata, Avago, and Skyworks.
We looked inside the iPhone 6 Plus, and found what appears to be a new NXP's NFC controller - the PN548. We took it a step further and verified there was indeed an additional die within the component as we have seen in the PN547. One other notable observation - we found a 6-axis InvenSense gyroscope and accelerometer sensor. In the iPhone 5S model we had noted these functions were split between two manufacturers, STMicroelectronics and Bosch Sensortec.
In the iPhone 6 Plus, STMicroelectronics was missing, replaced by the new InvenSense part while Bosch is found supporting a 3-axis MEMS accelerometer function. As we progress through the full Deep Dive, we will try to understand the need for the additional accelerometer. The announcement of the A8 processor was expected since Apple releases new processors simultaneously with their new phones. The A8 is smaller than its predecessor, the A7, and also has an NXP LPC18B1 M8 motion co-processor just as the A7 was supported by an M7 co-processor.
The only drawback to the rear-facing camera is that it isn't flush with the casing, protruding just enough to cause slight rocking when the iPhone is lying on its back. The lens is made of sapphire, though, so the chances of it getting scratched are pretty slim. The front-facing FaceTime camera has also been improved, and is now capable of 1.2-megapixel photos. It featrures a ƒ/2.2 aperture, 720p video recording, burst mode, on-the-fly exposure control, and HDR for photos and videos.
The sensor has been improved, as the FaceTime camera now sports a backside illumination sensor similar to the better-specced iSight camera. Another area in which the 6 Plus outshines the iPhone 6 is battery life. In a short time, the Plus has also become my niece's favorite gaming device, and she often reached for my phone even when iPads were within grasp.
Through constant use, I've had the Plus nearly last an entire day without plugging in; I suspect that for many people, the Plus will last much, much longer. There are reports that some owners managed two days straight without a recharge, which is pretty good for an iPhone. The iPhone -- despite its gorgeous and fast hardware -- still relies on iOS 8 to work well.
In that sense, Apple has optimized iOS for the iPhone 6 Plus display, which uses the additional screen real estate to support iPad-like flourishes when the phone is held horizonally. The keyboard also uses the additional real estate in landscape mode to display more characters, including dedicated cut, copy, paste buttons. About the software -- when I reviewed the iPhone 6 two weeks ago, iOS 8 was new and buggy and Yosemite had yet to be released. Therefore some great features like Continuity hadn't yet arrived.
Since then, Apple has officially released Yosemite as well as iOS 8.1. That iOS update included numerous bug-fixes and went a long way to improving the stability and overall experience of using the iPhones. OS 8.1 also enabled all of the Yosemite features of Continuity, including SMS relay. I've been recommending the 8.1 update to anyone who asks.
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