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10 August 2009

 

RFMD’s ultra-compact WCDMA/HSDPA PAs power new Samsung 3G handsets

RF Micro Devices Inc of Greensboro, NC, USA says that its RF3267 and RF6266 3G cellular front ends are supporting the ramp of Samsung’s Tocco Ultra Edition and GT-S8000 ‘Jet’ 3G handsets.

The Tocco Ultra Edition is a full-touch mobile and has a 2.8-inch AMOLED display. The slim 12.7mm-wide design includes GPS navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, an MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA music player, an 8-megapixel camera with auto-focus and dual-power LED, an FM radio with RDS, 30fps VGA video recording and editing, microSD memory capability up to 16GB and 7.2Mbps HSDPA performance. The GT-S8000 Jet features 3.6Mbps HSDPA performance, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, a 5-megapixel camera, an AMOLED full-touch WVGA display, 150MB of internal memory and microSD memory capability up to 16GB. RFMD forecasts that volume shipments of its RF3267 and RF6266 will increase throughout 2009 in support of these and other Samsung 3G handsets.

The current consumption and integration of the RF3267 and RF6266 enable smartphone manufacturers to deliver WCDMA/HSDPA devices with extended battery life as well as multimedia functions, claims Eric Creviston, president of RFMD’s cellular products group (CPG). “We expect to support additional Samsung 3G handsets launching later this year,” he adds.

The RF3267 is a Band 1 (1920-1980MHz) WCDMA/HSDPA power amplifier (PA) that provides a balance of efficiency and linearity, resulting in up to 15% less peak current consumption and a digitally controlled low-power mode that allows the handset to operate with reduced current consumption across a broader power range. This translates into longer battery life in data-centric mobile devices, the firm claims. Also, an integrated coupler allows handset designers to eliminate the external coupler traditionally placed at the PA’s output. The additional functionality is achieved without growing the ultra-compact 3mm x3mm x 0.9mm package, which matches the prior-generation RF3266 PA. By maintaining pin-for-pin compatibility, the RF3267 assists handset original equipment manufacturers seeking to shrink RF sections in support of more compact and thinner devices.

The RF6266 WCDMA/HSDPA PA operates in either Band 5 (824-849MHz) or Band 8 (880-915MHz) and has a similar feature set to the RF3267, with the same 3mm x3mm x 0.9mm package. Used in combination, the RF3267 and RF6266 provide a compact solution for multi-band, multimode 3G handset designs targeting the North American and/or European Union (EU) markets, RFMD says.

RFMD says that it is introducing new 2G and 3G standard products to the open market and gaining market share at top-tier handset makers and platform providers. Compared to 2G devices, its 3G product portfolio captures 3-5 times more dollar content per phone, as increasingly complex 3G multimode handsets require additional content, such as duplexers, filters and front-end power management.

RFMD reckons that it is gaining market share in 3G front ends and claims an advantage in 3G handset design activity, given its product portfolio, manufacturing scale, systems-level expertise and packaging & assembly capabilities, which enable it to minimize complexity, reduce component count and optimize the RF design of multi-band, multimode WCDMA/HSDPA handsets and smartphones.

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