DigiTimes has posted a list of chip and key component suppliers for next generation iPhone. The list (added below) contains almost all the components used in iPhone except the CPU. If the list is correct most of the component suppliers will remain unchanged from present generation iPhone. Camera sensor is one of the major components that will have a new supplier OmniVision in place of Micron that supplies camera sensors for present iPhone 3G.

Though the list gives lot of information about the next gen iPhone, but the most important/interesting component – CPU is missing from the list. There has been lot of speculation about the CPU that Apple will use in next gen iPhone. Apple has been using an ARM-11 based CPU manufactured by Samsung for past two years. But the rumors about Apple using a new CPU in next iPhone release have been around even before the announcement of upcoming Palm Pre that features an ARM Cortex A8 based TI OMAP CPU. Cortex A8 is the latest CPU family from ARM that not only supports higher clock speed but also more process pipelines making the new processors faster with same power requirements.

With announcement of Palm Pre it is now almost confirmed that Apple will also update CPU in next gen iPhone. There are three possibilities for Apple. First they can use the new Samsung S5PC100 CPU that is based on ARM Cortex A8 with clock speed of up to 833MHz. Second they can also go TI’s way and use 720MHz OMAP 3630 or 1GHz OMAP3640 processors. The last option for Apple is to design ARM based processor for themselves and ask Samsung to manufacture it.

Last year, Apple bought PA Semi a fabless chip-designing firm that specializes in high performance and low power processor design. Apple has also licensed technologies from both ARM and mobile graphics chip designer Imagination Technologies. Using PA Semi, Apple could design a chipset that is based on ARM Cortex A8 or A9 family and uses Imagination Technologies latest multi-core PowerVR MBX graphics technology to gain an edge over its competitors in mobile phone market. If Apple designs a chip based on Cortex A9 they could easily design multi-core CPU for use in future handheld products like the rumored touchscreen tablet.

It is very likely that Apple will stick with Samsung or design their own processor rather than going to TI. Whatever processor choice Apple makes will not only affect the upcoming iPhone model, but also iPod touch and touchscreen handheld device that Apple will ship later this year.
[Image Via 9to5mac]