Apple is believed to be creating a number of technological improvements to mark the twentieth anniversary of the iPhone, and one key expertise it is contemplating is Cellular Excessive Bandwidth Reminiscence (HBM), in response to a report from ETNews.
HBM is a sort of DRAM that stacks reminiscence chips vertically and connects them by way of tiny vertical interconnects referred to as By-Silicon Vias (TSVs) to dramatically increase sign transmission speeds. It is primarily utilized in AI servers at the moment, and is sometimes called AI reminiscence as a consequence of its capacity to help AI processing alongside GPUs.
Cellular HBM is what the time period suggests – a variant of the expertise for cellular units that’s designed to ship very excessive knowledge throughput whereas minimizing energy consumption and the bodily footprint of the RAM dies. Apple is seeking to improve on-device AI capabilities, and ETNews reviews that connecting cellular HBM to the iPhone’s GPU items is being thought-about as a robust candidate for reaching this purpose.
The expertise may very well be key for working large AI fashions on-device, reminiscent of for big language mannequin inference or superior imaginative and prescient duties, with out draining battery or growing latency.
The report signifies that Apple could have already mentioned its plans with main reminiscence suppliers like Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, each of that are creating their very own variations of cellular HBM.
Samsung is reportedly utilizing a packaging method referred to as VCS (Vertical Cu-post Stack), whereas SK hynix is engaged on a way referred to as VFO (Vertical wire Fan-Out). Each firms goal for mass manufacturing someday after 2026.
As at all times although, there are manufacturing challenges. Cellular HBM is much more costly to fabricate than present LPDDR reminiscence. It may additionally face thermal constraints in slim units like iPhones, and the 3D stacking and TSVs require extremely subtle packaging and yield administration.
If Apple does undertake this expertise for its 2027 iPhone lineup, it might be one more instance of the corporate pushing the envelope for its twentieth anniversary iPhone, which is rumored to function a totally bezel-less show that curves round all 4 edges of the gadget.
