Samsung has started the mass production of 5G modem and radio chipsets as it seeks to expand its influence in the mobile ecosystem.
In addition to being the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, Samsung is a major supplier for its competitors – including great rival Apple - who rely on the company for components.
The importance of Samsung’s component and semiconductor business is such that it was forced to issue a profit warning last month due to falling prices and a slowdown in demand for memory chips and display panels.
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Samsung 5G chips
The advent of 5G devices is therefore a significant opportunity for the Korean electronics giant, with analysts predicting demand for next generation networks will boost sales of smartphones for all manufacturers.
Three significant 5G products have now gone into production. The Samsung Exynos Modem 5100 will allow smartphones to connect to virtually any mobile standard, while the Exynos RF 5500 support legacy and 5G networks in a single chip. This affords vendors greater flexibility in smartphone design.
Meanwhile the Exynos SM 5500 is a power supply modulator solution that will improve the battery life of 5G smartphones as they handle richer content and faster data transmission rates.
“Samsung has been an innovator in mobile communication technologies with a strong portfolio of market-proven solutions, and we are well-prepared to extend our leadership into 5G,” said Inyup Kang, president of System LSI Business at Samsung. “Our multi-mode solutions … will together enable powerful yet energy-efficient 5G performance along with the network versatility that allows users to stay connected wherever they are.”
Separately it has been reported that Apple’s efforts to launch a 5G version of the iPhone are being hampered by Intel missing deadlines for the development of its own XMM 8160 5G modem chip. Samsung has been mentioned as a possible option for Apple, but even if a deal could be agreed, it is unlikely this would be in effect for the original 2020 launch date.
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