Sony has invented a new method of transmitting both power and data over a single copper cable, thus replacing the complicated ribbon cables commonly found when disassembling mobile phones, especially clamshell form factor devices. Typically a mobile phone has several dozen cables embedded inside one or two ribbon cables which are used to transmit audio, video, power, and data. Said ribbon cables sit in a the device’s hinge mechanism or rotating parts. Most mobile phones on the market today are nothing more than a solid block of glass with several buttons along the bottom, but this is Sony Japan we’re talking about, and over there the clamshell reigns supreme.
This new cable has the potential of moving 940 Mbps of data, along with providing up to 600 milliamps of power over 1.5 volts or 3.0 volts. That’s enough to connect a WVGA resolution screen, the touch element of said screen, a VGA resolution front facing camera, your phone’s speaker, a few buttons, and two LED notification lights. Considering how tiny the Japanese market is, I doubt this type of technology will ever leave the island, but hey, you never know.
Do we need this type of technology in our devices? I was fortunate enough to watch a friend of mine take apart an iPhone 3G and the amount of ribbon cables inside is absolutely obscene. When he put it back together again everything but the phone’s headset worked so he had to use his headphones to make and receive calls. Would a simpler method of routing cables inside a device permit things such as larger batteries, more complicated (read: larger) components, or simply make maintenance easier to perform?
Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs is known for wanting both a device’s exterior and interior to be beautiful, as evidenced by the many photos online of MacBooks and iPhones torn apart. Think we’re going to see Sony’s technology in the iPhone 5?
It’s about time we saw the Jesus Phone come in a new form factor.
[Via: Engadget]