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New iPod Touch Has an 802.11n Chip

Posted by kdawson on from the more-and-more-like-a-little-tablet dept.

eggboard writes "iFixIt has discovered a Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/n chip in the just-announced iPod touch (32 GB and 64 GB) models that uses single-stream 802.11n. Single-stream doesn't get the full power of N, but it boosts speed enough that — along with space-time block encoding, a feature coming soon to Wi-Fi access points with two or more radios — the iPod touch could be an effective networked media server, for streaming and transfer, possibly through the new iTunes Home Sharing feature."

15 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why didn't they tell us? by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 2, Informative

    Why didn't they tell us earlier?

    iFixIt? Because they just found out.
    Apple still hasn't told anybody.

  2. iLinkIt by the_other_chewey · · Score: 5, Informative

    WTF is this link-less entry supposed to be?

    Here's the story mentioned above:
    http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPod-touch-3rd-Generation/1158/2

  3. Not how Home Sharing works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Home sharing is just a way of automatically keeping multiple iTunes libraries up to date with new purchases when they are all tied to the same iTunes store account. It's not any kind of actual sharing service, just a synchronization service.

    1. Re:Not how Home Sharing works by radmarshallb · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes it is. Home Sharing has an option to allow you to automatically synchronize new purchases, but it does much more than that. You can copy any song from your iTunes library to any other machine on your Home Sharing network. For instance, I just copied a single album (ripped from my own CDs, not an iTMS purchase) from my main library upstairs onto my laptop. If an iPod were enabled for Home Sharing, it would make sense that you could do the same thing. That is, wirelessly sync whatever songs, albums, or playlists you choose to your iPod Touch.

  4. 802.11N hardware OTHER than the chip? by anethema · · Score: 3, Informative

    What I'm more curious about is any of the hardware there for it. Multiple antennas for MIMO? Any 5GHz hardware? The biggest advantage to wireless-N IMO is it moves the wireless out of the stupidly crowded 2.4GHz ISM band. The 5GHz band is (at least for now) far less crowded and this unlicensed band has quite a few more channels to spread the devices out a bit more spectrum wise.

    The chip is one thing but without any other supporting hardware, it doesn't make much difference. The chip could have been chosen for better power characteristics or a few other reasons. Time will tell if apple enables any N style features but I am not holding my breath.

    --


    It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
  5. Re:Server? by ZackSchil · · Score: 5, Informative

    iPods output to televisions.

  6. Re:All this means by itsdapead · · Score: 4, Informative

    just as they won't activate the bluetooth chip inside older Ipod Touches.

    Er, they did...

    If you pay Apple 10 bucks for the 3.0 OS upgrade, that unused bluetooth chip in the second-gen iPod Touch will spring into action...

    --
    In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
  7. Re:All this means by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Actually it's only 4.99$ for the 3.1 upgdade.

    At least that's what it cost me to go from 2.x to 3.1.

  8. Re:Server? by MadnessASAP · · Score: 2, Informative

    But then it's not a streaming network server is it, it's a portable device with a shitty composite output.

    --
    I may agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to face the consequences of saying it.
  9. Re:Server? by bemymonkey · · Score: 1, Informative

    Weird, googling "iPod HDMI Out" didn't lead me to many adapter cables...

  10. Re:Server? by Winckle · · Score: 4, Informative

    Try a better search term?

    Here's a third party example http://www.bestofferbuy.com/AVout-TV-IDChip-Cable-for-iPod-Nano-3ClassicTouchiPhone-1-p-9946.html?currency=GBP&utm_source=gbase&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=gbase

    And apple's official KB article http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1454

  11. Re:Server? by RedK · · Score: 4, Informative

    HDMI is only one way to connect to a TV. How bout you try to get informed before spouting nonsense : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1454.

    --
    "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
    Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
  12. Link to stories by eggboard · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sorry, I didn't properly include the link.

    My analysis about how the 802.11n stuff works related to an iPod touch, such as explaining what single-stream 802.11n means as a media server is here at TidBITS. The iFixIt tear down is here.

    --
    Freelance tech journalist for the Economist, MIT Technology Review, Macworld, and others
  13. Re:Why didn't they tell us? by icebike · · Score: 4, Informative

    Maybe because this chip really does not support N?

    Just because it is from that family of chips doesn't mean it has N.

    Look at the designator on the end of the chipset full designation: BCM4329FKUBG That BG at the end may be telling.

    I'm sure when Apple calls, Broadcom pays attention, and will burn custom chip sets, omitting any feature Apple does not want.

    the full BCM4329FKUBG designation does not appear in Broadcom's catalog. Its a custom chip.

    Besides, N requires special antennas. They were not found.

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    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  14. Re:Why didn't they tell us? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Very wrong. N does NOT need special antennas.

    N uses same frequencies as bg and a (2.4 and 5 GHz respectively), so the physical aspect of the antennas is the same

    N can use " more" antennas for implementing spacial diversity (MIMO/SIMO depending on how many you got).

    So you can have full N on the same antennas as bg, just you will get 3 antennas instead of 2, if your particular N chipset has 2x3 or 3x3 MIMO

    So, this client chipset in the iPod can fully implement N capabilities with a single antenna (assuming that the chipset is capable, as it could be a custom), altough it will not be able to use high data rates MCS, as it would have a single spatial stream

    Regards