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New teardown reveals just how incredible the Apple Watch’s S1 chip really is

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:59PM EST
Apple Watch Teardown S1 Chip

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It really is amazing how much computing power is getting packed into smaller and smaller chipsets these days. The new S1 chip that Apple has packed into the first-generation Apple Watch is similarly an incredible piece of technology that contains the watch’s assorted radio chips, its RAM and its flash storage. Via 9to5Mac, it looks like ABI Research has taken the tiny S1 apart to show us just how much power Apple’s newest chipset really has.

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“The design is an obvious variation from Apple’s smartphones, with many high-end functions / chips included that normally would not be found in a simple watch,” explains Jim Mielke, the vice president of engineering at ABI Research and head of its TeardownIQ group. “Judging by the complexity of the printed circuit board (PCB), and the number of parts on the PCB, one might think the Apple watch is a full-fledged cellular connected watch but in fact connectivity is limited to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC.”

Check out ABI’s graphic of the inside of the S1 chip below and make sure to read its full teardown analysis by clicking here.

Source: ABI Research

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.