In keeping with company tradition, the Apple
Apple repair shop iFixit has already torn an iPhone 4 apart and passed the results on to the silicon analysts of Chipworks, so we have a pretty clear idea of who the winners and losers are in this iPhone generation.
The iPhone 3GS contains a lot of Infineon chips for important functions like the GPS satellite receiver and the GSM radio chip that interfaces with the AT&T
Broadcom
Cirrus Logic
Another big win comes courtesy of the phone's camera, which most likely depends on Omnivision Technologies
Finally, the iPhone 4 has a much more compact circuit board design than the 3GS. Apple's suppliers are cramming more functionality into fewer chips; for example, Texas Instruments
Apple moved nearly 9 million iPhone units last quarter, and the iPhone 4 is expected to roar into action with 2 million to 3 million phones shifted the opening weekend alone. With volume like that, it's a big deal for chip designers to make it onto these circuit boards.
Which chip chopper should send the biggest fruit basket to thank Apple for the iPhone 4 opportunity? My vote goes to Skyworks; discuss your picks in the comments below.