Qualcomm rolled out a new category of radio frequency filters, trying to gain ground in the booming market for chips used in 5G smartphones. The company said it plans to package the high-performance filters in radio-frequency front-end modules or RFFEs. The chips could be used in smartphones by the end of 2020, Qualcomm said.
The new ultraSAW technology offers higher performance in the 600 MHz to 2.7 GHz frequency range than other types of filters, Qualcomm said. The filters, which are used to clarify signals used by 4G and 5G networks, also improve insertion loss. The new category of chips is competing against standard SAW filters, which are generally used to filter frequency bands up to 2.7 GHz, and BAW filters, which usually handle bands from 2.7 GHz to 6 GHz.
Radio frequency (RF) filters are used isolate signals from the wide range of frequency bands used by smartphones to transfer data. These RF components are used to select the signals used in 3G, 4G, 5G and other cellular networks and shut out unwanted transmissions. The world's top smartphone vendors are buying more radio frequency ICs as more bands are added to 4G and 5G networks and carrier aggregation (CA) is used to boost data rates.
Qualcomm, the world's largest vendor of chips used in smartphones, leads the market for modem chips that connect to 3G and 4G networks, and it has leaped out to the early lead in 5G modems. But it has also started selling radio frequency ICs that surround the modem. The San Diego, California-based company is trying to convince customers to purchase its highly integrated solutions instead of cobbling together parts from several other vendors.
More than 50 frequency bands are used in 4G networks. But that total could increase to 75 or 100 as more advanced 5G networks are rolled out globally. Many more radio frequency ICs—ranging from power amplifiers and filters to tuners and analog ICs, all packaged into front ends surrounding the cellular modem—are needed to accommodate the different frequency bands used by wireless networks. They are also needed for global roaming.
Qualcomm sells a range of RF components, including SAW filters that can be used to sift through signals in lower frequency bands, which are loaded with dense clusters of devices. Qorvo, one of its largest rivals in radio frequency ICs, is a market leader in SAW filters. Skyworks Solutions sells more advanced TC-SAW components, which can be used in devices that need to tolerate high temperatures. But they tend to cost more to manufacture.
Broadcom sells another type of RF filter, called an FBAR, which are used in smartphones to clarify signals in higher frequency bands than SAW components. Broadcom's FBARs offer higher performance and improved insertion loss compared with SAW filters. Qualcomm, Qorvo, Skyworks, and other vendors also sell BAW filters for sorting through signals at the higher frequency bands. BAW filters are a class of components that compete with FBARs.
The ultraSAW technology supports an up to 1 dB improvement in insertion loss compared to other filters, according to Qualcomm. The chips are also better at blocking signals and other interference, which not only boosts data speeds but also saves power. The ultraSAW filters also offer higher performance-per-dollar, said Christian Block, senior vice president of RFFE at Qualcomm. Cost is important as more of these parts are slapped on phones.
Qualcomm plans to start production of discrete filters and modules using the ultraSAW technology in the first half of the year. The company is adding ultraSAW components all throughout its product line, ranging from power amplifier (PAM) and front end modules (FEM) to diversity modules and WiFi and GPS solutions. The ultraSAW ICs could be used in smartphones rolling out to the market in the second half of 2020, Qualcomm said.
Qualcomm is also facing questions from the EU over whether it is abusing its dominance in the market for 5G modems to illegally harm competitors in the RF component market. The company has landed deals to sell radio frequency ICs to Google, LG Electronics, Vivo, Samsung Electronics, Oppo, and Xiaomi, among others. Qualcomm has also rolled out millimeter wave antennas in bundles of parts that can be added to 5G smartphones.
