In a recent smart phone promotion week event, colleague Xiao Wang suddenly bought three smart phones. He said that in the past, the price of smart phones was three to four thousand yuan, and now the price is as long as one thousand, and some of the features are "one is not less", very affordable, he bought three for himself and his parents. This is not a "testing water" for smart phones to put down their postures. In the era of mobile Internet, this is a prelude to the inevitable trend of "low-end smart phones". Takuma expects that global low-end smart phone shipments will rapidly increase to 40 million units in 2011, and it is expected to grow to 150 million units in 2012, accounting for 30% of smartphones.
Need AP and baseband, wireless chip integration baseband and AP integration, wireless chip integration is an inevitable trend.
The reporter saw Xiaowang’s purchase of a thousand yuan Android 3G smart phone, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, high-definition multimedia player and other functions "available", so rich in functionality, and the price is so close to the people, all of this "behind the scene of the hero "It is inseparable from highly integrated platform solutions. This is also a "win-win" for mobile phone manufacturers and chip manufacturers and component manufacturers who have considered the development of low-cost solutions from the platform level. Zhai Yulun, deputy general manager and chief technology officer of ZTE's mobile phone system, told China Electronics News that for the low-end and mid-range smart phone platforms, there are currently two directions: one is the integration of the chips, such as the application processor ( AP) is integrated with the baseband as a single chip. In addition, as the functions of smart phones become more and more abundant, various wireless technologies such as GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, sensors such as gravity accelerometers, and photosensitive sensors are applied more and more, and wireless chip integration and MEMS integration are also Will become a trend. The second is the innovation of key components. For example, display screens, touch screens, etc. have a relatively high cost in smart phones, and their costs may be reduced by focusing on certain specifications and the like. In addition, the display screen and the touch screen each have a driver IC, which may be integrated into one IC in the future to reduce costs.
Michael Civiello, senior marketing director of Broadcom’s mobile communications department, also stated: “Mid-end and low-end smart phones need more integration, such as baseband and AP integration for SoC solutions, and Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and NFC integration for combo chips, and These solutions are integrated on the highest-end firmware to support Android, Windows, and other operating systems.†In addition, the repositionable platform can also contribute to the cost of smartphones. "With the reusable platform designed for low-cost platform solutions, many key features can be added at minimal cost. For example, QVGA and HVGA can be implemented in almost the same hardware, as are full-touch screens and combined QWERTY touches." Michael Civiello points out. .
In response to the integration trend that the market needs, heavyweight chip makers such as Qualcomm, ST-Ericsson (ST-Ericsson), Broadcom, and TI have all been deployed. The latest and most advanced NovaThor family of products, released by ST-Ericsson in China for the first time in recent days, integrates APs, wireless modems, and connectivity device solutions. "U4500 platform for low-end smart phone applications, using ARM Cortex-A9 architecture, integrated HSPA + Modem, support for DVD quality camera features and 8 million pixel camera, supports all major open operating systems, with mainstream intelligence All the features of the mobile phone.†said Zhang Daijun, president of ST Ericsson China, “We are one of only two manufacturers in the industry to provide complete integration of application processors, mobile broadband modems and connector devices in a complete solution. ST-Ericsson's marketing strategy is to become the leader in smartphone solutions by providing the most complete solution that integrates APs, wireless modems, and connectivity devices.
Michael Civiello also introduced that apart from providing BCM21553 platform for low-end and mid-range smart phones, Broadcom also provides industry-leading wireless technology platform solutions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, FM and NFC. Broadcom's InConcert technology allows these diverse radio frequency technologies to work together.
All-platform vendors have a better chance of integrating AP+Modem and wireless chip suppliers.
At present, there are three types of enterprises that attack the smart phone market: one is a company that owns wireless service chips and APs, such as Qualcomm, STMicroelectronics, TI, and Broadcom, and the other is a company that provides baseband and RF chips. For example, MediaTek, Spreadtrum, and Lianxin, there are also companies that have accumulated in the AP field, including Intel, Marvell, and nVidia. The integration trend of low-end and middle-end smart phones has made the balance of the market significantly tilted to the suppliers that can provide AP+Modem platform solutions. Of course, chip suppliers who provide wireless chip integration solutions such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have advantages. From this point of view, the advantages of the first type of companies are obvious, and the baseband and AP suppliers are certainly unwilling to accelerate the pace of integration.
Recently, nVidia announced the acquisition of Icera for 367 million U.S. dollars in cash, formally acquired the 3G and 4G mobile phone baseband product lines, and will begin to integrate its own Tegra application processor and Icera's Espresso baseband chip, resulting in the supply of chips with AP and baseband chip solutions. This will allow nVidia to compete with ST-Ericsson, Qualcomm, and TI.
The domestic companies MediaTek, Spreadtrum, and Lianxin have accumulated certain experience and strength in the mobile phone baseband and radio frequency fields, but lacked high-performance APs. If you can't speed up the rollout of AP, you're likely to lose smart phone business opportunities. Long Zhiming pointed out that for domestic chip manufacturers, it is still necessary to solve the problem of device matching, and to provide AP+Modem integrated in the same chip SoC program. But at the same time, he also stated that how to provide a stable and smooth operation experience has become the key to competitiveness. At present, there is still some distance from achieving this ideal.
Features will continue to evolve Smart phone capabilities will further expand and shape new user experiences.
The function of the current low-end smart phones is quite “liveâ€, but the function of the mobile phone is a proposition of “advance with the timesâ€, and the participating manufacturers will not always be able to work forever on the existing “improvementsâ€.
Standard connection technologies such as Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. have been applied in smart phones, and in the future, they will further enhance their functions through standards-based innovation, thereby expanding the application of smart phones. Michael Civiello said: "Wi-Fi Direct technology allows smartphones to connect directly to other devices such as digital TVs, PCs and other smart phones without the need for routing and access points; Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology allows Smartphones monitor health status; NFC makes it easier for consumers to use mobile phones with Bluetooth headsets or other electronic devices for consumer payment and device pairing, in addition to DLNA and location-based services. Smartphones with these capabilities will be Listed next year and will shape a new smartphone user experience.â€
Qi Yulun emphasized that low-end and mid-range smartphones must also ensure the security of business applications. At the same time, the UI (user interface) is easy to use to enhance the user experience. This requires collaboration between mobile phone manufacturers and software vendors.
Huawei's terminal technology planning expert, Long Zhiming, is optimistic about mobile payment, mobile video, and home connectivity of smart phones, but he admitted that its progress is still affected by policies and industrial chains. Long Zhiming stated that operators need to reduce data flow tariffs and improve the 3G network layout; terminal manufacturers should enrich the 3G smart models of around 1,000 yuan while prescribing domestic mainstream applications; while chip vendors should stabilize low-end platforms, they should Increase investment in high-performance APs, and actively seize the lucrative mid-range; software companies to develop a good variety of local applications, games, optimize software efficiency, and follow-up to focus on multi-core platform software algorithm utilization issues.
Need AP and baseband, wireless chip integration baseband and AP integration, wireless chip integration is an inevitable trend.
The reporter saw Xiaowang’s purchase of a thousand yuan Android 3G smart phone, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, high-definition multimedia player and other functions "available", so rich in functionality, and the price is so close to the people, all of this "behind the scene of the hero "It is inseparable from highly integrated platform solutions. This is also a "win-win" for mobile phone manufacturers and chip manufacturers and component manufacturers who have considered the development of low-cost solutions from the platform level. Zhai Yulun, deputy general manager and chief technology officer of ZTE's mobile phone system, told China Electronics News that for the low-end and mid-range smart phone platforms, there are currently two directions: one is the integration of the chips, such as the application processor ( AP) is integrated with the baseband as a single chip. In addition, as the functions of smart phones become more and more abundant, various wireless technologies such as GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, sensors such as gravity accelerometers, and photosensitive sensors are applied more and more, and wireless chip integration and MEMS integration are also Will become a trend. The second is the innovation of key components. For example, display screens, touch screens, etc. have a relatively high cost in smart phones, and their costs may be reduced by focusing on certain specifications and the like. In addition, the display screen and the touch screen each have a driver IC, which may be integrated into one IC in the future to reduce costs.
Michael Civiello, senior marketing director of Broadcom’s mobile communications department, also stated: “Mid-end and low-end smart phones need more integration, such as baseband and AP integration for SoC solutions, and Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and NFC integration for combo chips, and These solutions are integrated on the highest-end firmware to support Android, Windows, and other operating systems.†In addition, the repositionable platform can also contribute to the cost of smartphones. "With the reusable platform designed for low-cost platform solutions, many key features can be added at minimal cost. For example, QVGA and HVGA can be implemented in almost the same hardware, as are full-touch screens and combined QWERTY touches." Michael Civiello points out. .
In response to the integration trend that the market needs, heavyweight chip makers such as Qualcomm, ST-Ericsson (ST-Ericsson), Broadcom, and TI have all been deployed. The latest and most advanced NovaThor family of products, released by ST-Ericsson in China for the first time in recent days, integrates APs, wireless modems, and connectivity device solutions. "U4500 platform for low-end smart phone applications, using ARM Cortex-A9 architecture, integrated HSPA + Modem, support for DVD quality camera features and 8 million pixel camera, supports all major open operating systems, with mainstream intelligence All the features of the mobile phone.†said Zhang Daijun, president of ST Ericsson China, “We are one of only two manufacturers in the industry to provide complete integration of application processors, mobile broadband modems and connector devices in a complete solution. ST-Ericsson's marketing strategy is to become the leader in smartphone solutions by providing the most complete solution that integrates APs, wireless modems, and connectivity devices.
Michael Civiello also introduced that apart from providing BCM21553 platform for low-end and mid-range smart phones, Broadcom also provides industry-leading wireless technology platform solutions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, FM and NFC. Broadcom's InConcert technology allows these diverse radio frequency technologies to work together.
All-platform vendors have a better chance of integrating AP+Modem and wireless chip suppliers.
At present, there are three types of enterprises that attack the smart phone market: one is a company that owns wireless service chips and APs, such as Qualcomm, STMicroelectronics, TI, and Broadcom, and the other is a company that provides baseband and RF chips. For example, MediaTek, Spreadtrum, and Lianxin, there are also companies that have accumulated in the AP field, including Intel, Marvell, and nVidia. The integration trend of low-end and middle-end smart phones has made the balance of the market significantly tilted to the suppliers that can provide AP+Modem platform solutions. Of course, chip suppliers who provide wireless chip integration solutions such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have advantages. From this point of view, the advantages of the first type of companies are obvious, and the baseband and AP suppliers are certainly unwilling to accelerate the pace of integration.
Recently, nVidia announced the acquisition of Icera for 367 million U.S. dollars in cash, formally acquired the 3G and 4G mobile phone baseband product lines, and will begin to integrate its own Tegra application processor and Icera's Espresso baseband chip, resulting in the supply of chips with AP and baseband chip solutions. This will allow nVidia to compete with ST-Ericsson, Qualcomm, and TI.
The domestic companies MediaTek, Spreadtrum, and Lianxin have accumulated certain experience and strength in the mobile phone baseband and radio frequency fields, but lacked high-performance APs. If you can't speed up the rollout of AP, you're likely to lose smart phone business opportunities. Long Zhiming pointed out that for domestic chip manufacturers, it is still necessary to solve the problem of device matching, and to provide AP+Modem integrated in the same chip SoC program. But at the same time, he also stated that how to provide a stable and smooth operation experience has become the key to competitiveness. At present, there is still some distance from achieving this ideal.
Features will continue to evolve Smart phone capabilities will further expand and shape new user experiences.
The function of the current low-end smart phones is quite “liveâ€, but the function of the mobile phone is a proposition of “advance with the timesâ€, and the participating manufacturers will not always be able to work forever on the existing “improvementsâ€.
Standard connection technologies such as Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, etc. have been applied in smart phones, and in the future, they will further enhance their functions through standards-based innovation, thereby expanding the application of smart phones. Michael Civiello said: "Wi-Fi Direct technology allows smartphones to connect directly to other devices such as digital TVs, PCs and other smart phones without the need for routing and access points; Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology allows Smartphones monitor health status; NFC makes it easier for consumers to use mobile phones with Bluetooth headsets or other electronic devices for consumer payment and device pairing, in addition to DLNA and location-based services. Smartphones with these capabilities will be Listed next year and will shape a new smartphone user experience.â€
Qi Yulun emphasized that low-end and mid-range smartphones must also ensure the security of business applications. At the same time, the UI (user interface) is easy to use to enhance the user experience. This requires collaboration between mobile phone manufacturers and software vendors.
Huawei's terminal technology planning expert, Long Zhiming, is optimistic about mobile payment, mobile video, and home connectivity of smart phones, but he admitted that its progress is still affected by policies and industrial chains. Long Zhiming stated that operators need to reduce data flow tariffs and improve the 3G network layout; terminal manufacturers should enrich the 3G smart models of around 1,000 yuan while prescribing domestic mainstream applications; while chip vendors should stabilize low-end platforms, they should Increase investment in high-performance APs, and actively seize the lucrative mid-range; software companies to develop a good variety of local applications, games, optimize software efficiency, and follow-up to focus on multi-core platform software algorithm utilization issues.
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