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iPhone 6 'Phosphorus' Component Likely a Barometric Pressure Sensor, Not Next-Generation M7

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MacRumors

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Earlier today, Weibo user GeekBar continued his leaks of claimed wiring schematics of iPhone 6 components with a new "Phosphorus" component that was interpreted as the next-generation version of Apple's M7 co-processor. The M7 collects and tracks motion data from various sensors in the iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and Retina iPad mini, and with the iPhone 6 rumored to be including a number of new health- and fitness-related sensors, a more powerful version of the M7 seems possible for the new device.

But according to MacRumors forum poster leecbaker, who is clearly familiar with these types of components, the item depicted in the schematic is not a next-generation M7 and actually appears to be a barometric pressure sensor. The iPhone 6 has been rumored to include a number of new environmental sensors such as an atmospheric pressure sensor.
The chip pictured has the part number BMP282. I'm 99.99% sure this is a Bosch barometric pressure sensor, similar to this part BMP280. Variants of one part often have slightly different part numbers- if Apple got Bosch to customize the chip for them with different packaging, or a slightly different measurement range, that would explain the difference in part number.
Click to expand...
bosch_bmp280.jpg
Bosch's BMP280 barometric pressure sensor​
leecbaker goes on to highlight a number of applications for that Bosch pressure sensor, including GPS and indoor/outdoor navigation enhancement, weather forecasting, altimetry, and spirometry, the lung function measurements that were added to Apple's Health app in a recent iOS 8 beta.

Another MacRumors poster, kdarling, corroborates leecbaker's conclusions, noting that the pins on the Bosch sensor match those outlined in the schematic. He also notes that the BMP series is limited to pressure sensing and does not include the humidity and temperature sensing capabilities found in Bosch's BME series of sensors.

Assuming this new information is correct, and it certainly appears to make sense, this marks the second time a component leaked by GeekBar has been incorrectly identified. The poster had previously claimed a schematic showed the iPhone 6 carrying the same 1 GB RAM found in previous A-series chips, but that was quickly revealed to be a reference to an aspect of flash storage rather than RAM.

(Thanks, @anexanhume!)

Article Link: iPhone 6 'Phosphorus' Component Likely a Barometric Pressure Sensor, Not Next-Generation M7
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/08/25/iphone-6-phosphorus-pressure-sensor/
T

troop231

macrumors 603
Jan 20, 2010
5,822
553
Shouldn't this be an update to the other article instead of a new article? I'm guessing the BME series can't be used because it would only be sensing the inside temperature of the iPhone, which is bound to be more warm.
 
WildCowboy

WildCowboy

Administrator/Editor
Staff member
Jan 20, 2005
18,389
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troop231 said:
Shouldn't this be an update to the other article instead of a new article? I'm guessing the BME series can't be used because it would only be sensing the inside temperature of the iPhone, which is bound to be more warm.
Click to expand...

Definitely necessitates a new article...everybody in the Apple press (including us) took GeekBar at his word and got it wrong. If we're setting the record straight, we need to do more than just update an existing post (although we also did that).
 
L

leecbaker

macrumors member
Apr 7, 2012
30
3
New Zealand
troop231 said:
Shouldn't this be an update to the other article instead of a new article? I'm guessing the BME series can't be used because it would only be sensing the inside temperature of the iPhone, which is bound to be more warm.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I think. And, I can't figure out what Apple would use the humidity sensing for.
 
R

rmbpuser

macrumors 6502
Sep 1, 2012
298
138
troop231 said:
I'm guessing the BME series can't be used because it would only be sensing the inside temperature of the iPhone, which is bound to be more warm.
Click to expand...

makes you wonder what kind of devices it can be used in, which are not emitting any heat or arent limiting the outside humidity and temperature in any way
 
A

afsnyder

macrumors 65816
Jan 7, 2014
1,270
33
Why would you need this sensor? I can understand M7 as it allows you to always have data even when you don't have apps for it and install multiple apps and have the same data already preset.
 
J

jabingla2810

macrumors 68020
Oct 15, 2008
2,271
938
afsnyder said:
Why would you need this sensor? I can understand M7 as it allows you to always have data even when you don't have apps for it and install multiple apps and have the same data already preset.
Click to expand...

How would you measure pressure without this sensor?
 
R

rkrismcneely

macrumors newbie
Aug 25, 2014
2
0
Altimeter makes all kinds of sense for tracking flights of stairs climbed (as found in the Fitbit Force among other things).
 
C

captain cadet

macrumors 6502
Sep 2, 2012
417
648
TL : DR; The data is likely to be pulled from another device or the chip would be placed on a wearable.

How can a chip with no access to a source be able to detect your breathing. There surly needs to be a source and I cannot see it being in the phone for a few reasons, firstly the phone may have to be close to the skin to see the blood so it can measure oxygen. To do that you will have to grip the iPhone tight and that part of it would have to transparent for the sensor to see though (this could be protected by glass or sapphire).
This would be uncomfortable so this would then wont be practical in a phone as the oxygen levels change a lot, so this would then needed to be put into a wearable device. This would be able to keep contact with the skin without any interruption to the data giving it reliable data as the oxygen in your blood varies during exercise and breathing patterns. This could likely be put into a wearable.
If it gets humidity and temperature as your pockets get humid and warm from your sweat and your body heat - this will take a few minutes for the phone to cool down and that the temperatures would be measured at a higher rate.

This what makes me think that this could be put on a wearable as it will be on the outside of your body. This could be in your headphones or an watch and the data can be fed back to the iPhone to be processed (it could be in processed in a headset or watch as the chip is tiny and efficent). this is because the figures it will produce will be more exact for weather forcasting.
Chip data soruce:
http://ae-bst.resource.bosch.com/media/products/dokumente/bmp180/BST-BMP180-DS000-09.pdf
http://ae-bst.resource.bosch.com/media/downloads/pressure/bmp180/Flyer_BMP180_08_2013_web.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5kD1Fw6YME
 
Last edited:
Richardgm

Richardgm

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2008
968
719
Twice in one week that MacRumors has posted crap only to have their readers correct them.

How about doing some research first?
 
yzp

yzp

macrumors regular
Mar 16, 2007
161
0
Quebec
- EMFs Alert - EMFs Alert - EMFs Alert - EMFs Alert - EMFs Alert - EMFs Alert -

watch out guys...
 
S

Serban

Suspended
Jan 8, 2013
5,159
928
captain cadet said:
How can we say that from a chip leak?
Click to expand...

"The poster had previously claimed a schematic showed the iPhone 6 carrying the same 1 GB RAM found in previous A-series chips, but that was quickly revealed to be a reference to an aspect of flash storage rather than RAM."

So the rumour about 1Gb Ram was mistaken with something else?
 
R

rmbpuser

macrumors 6502
Sep 1, 2012
298
138
Siri: "It's cold you should put on a blanket!"
- "No thank you Siri!"

1 week later

Doctor: "So you have the flu? I can see here Siri asked you to put a blanket on and you ignored her, I would have to notify your insurance company!"
 
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R

rkrismcneely

macrumors newbie
Aug 25, 2014
2
0
rmbpuser said:
Siri: "It;s cold you should put on a blanket!"
- "No thank you Siri!"

1 week later

Doctor: "So you have the fly? I can see here Siri asked you to put a blanket on and you ignored her, I would have to notify your insurance company!"
Click to expand...

Tin foil hat much?
 
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