iPhone Software 2.0 provides clues to 3G model

Hackers who have diligently worked to keep the iPhone unlocked have recently discovered something buried in the code which reveals the chipset of the 3G model.

An entry used to refer to the phone's chipset is listed as "SGOLD3," which is the nomenclature used by Infineon to refer to their third-generation chips. Teardowns have revealed the current iPhone uses the SGOLD2, the predecessor to this model.

This new chip would, from Infineon documents, be able to support what is being called 3.5G -- a new specification which supports mobile data rates of up to 7.2MBps, twice as fast as what is currently available.

In addition, the chip would support cameras of up to 5 megapixels in resolution, as well as video telephony and streaming. This does not keep the iPhone fully up-to-date however. The device will still be one step behind AT&T later this year.

The carrier is currently planning a rollout of HSUPA for this year. That technology is said to promise faster uplink speeds of up to 5.76MBps, which are necessary for bandwidth intensive applications like video telephony.

While such services will still be able to run on the slower HSDPA network, the newer network takes this further. It is not known when Infineon plans to build the technology into its chips.

AT&T says the rollout should be complete across its HSDPA network by mid-year.