Mobile Device Component Suppliers Battling to Win the 5G Race

Undoubtedly, 2019 has been the year of 5G, with numerous device manufacturers offering devices, including smartphones and Mi-Fi devices, with the ability to utilize the communications technology. In line with this, chipset, mobile platform, and modem suppliers, including HiSilicon, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Unisoc, have been increasing their efforts in developing and offering 5G technologies within their product portfolios to deliver connectivity and performance for the next generation of mobile devices.

Figure 1 shows how 5G modems will integrate with 4G and mmWave modules in future, demonstrating how quickly the industry is expected to move to 5G Modems and Application Processors (ModAPs). All chipset providers will have a different 5G implementation due to the modems and Systems-on-Chips (SoCs) in their portfolios, with most initially relying on a discrete die for 5G to be paired with an LTE modem or ModAP. Integrated 5G chips are unlikely to be available from all manufacturers before 2020 or 2021, excluding mmWave.

A number of chipset and modem suppliers are currently offering or developing their own 5G technologies, supporting varying combinations of connectivity, including:

• Non-Standalone (NSA) refers to the early rollout of services that rely on the existing 4G network to provide early 5G connectivity.
• Standalone (SA) refers to the later rollout of services that do not rely on 4G networks.
• Sub-6 GHz refers to wavelengths between 1 GHz and 6 GHz that support large areas but are also used by Bluetooth and 4G LTE.
• mmWave refers to wavelengths between 24 GHz and 100 GHz that offer more bandwidth over a short distance.

Currently, the majority of enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) devices on the market use Qualcomm’s technology, but with HiSilicon, MediaTek, Samsung, and Unisoc also having 5G solutions, the chipset landscape is expected to change over the next two years.

Huawei’s HiSilicon semiconductor company builds its own modems and platforms for its flagship smartphones. Its latest 5G offerings, the Kirin 980 5G SoC and the Balong 5000 modem, support the 5G Mate devices, offering support for SA and NSA, along with sub-6 GHZ and mmWave. The Kirin 990 SoC is an update to the Kirin 980, and supports sub-6 GHz, omitting mmWave due to its main usage in the United States, where Huawei’s devices are not sold, and is also supporting a number of 5G Mate devices. Huawei is likely to continue to release 5G smartphones, moving into the mid-price tier supported by HiSilicon’s growing 5G profile.

MediaTek’s Helio M70 SoC supports SA and NSA, along with sub-6 GHz, and is expected to be seen within smartphones in the first half of 2020, with Xiaomi rumored to be using the technology. It is designed to reduce the space taken inside a smartphone while also increasing its battery life and providing dynamic bandwidth switching. MediaTek has also announced a set of 5G SoCs, called Dimensity. The first device, Dimensity 1000, is a single 7nm 5G chip solution with its integrated 5G modem and is expected to be in smartphones in Q1 2020. It is designed to support SA, NSA, and sub-6 GHZ networks. The company has also invested in 5G technology development to accelerate the rollout of 5G and is working towards developing future products, having announced that it is working with OPPO and Vivo on Radio Frequency (RF) designs and Skyworks, Qorvo, and muRata on 5G RF front-end (RFFE) modules. MediaTek’s strategy is to focus on sub-6 GHz, particularly in China, developing technology for smartphones and other devices, including mid- and low-tier.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 and X55 modems support sub-6 GHz and mmWave for worldwide coverage, and the company has also confirmed that it is working on a new fixed-point 5G modem with plans to expand its 5G SoC platforms. Its aim is to offer multiple tiers of its 5G Snapdragon Platform by 2020, expanding its 855 platform into the Snapdragon 600 and 700 series. This is in order to quickly bring 5G to mid- and lower-tier devices, including smartphones, laptops, cars, and more. It is expected that a 700 series device will be launched in 4Q 2019 and a 600 series device will be launched in 2H 2020. Qualcomm also has a range of RFFE technologies for its mobile platform, including RF transceivers, power trackers, Power Amplifiers (PA), filters, switches, diplexers, diversity switches, antenna tuners, and low noise amplifiers, all of which aid in supporting larger bandwidths and providing links between the modem/RF transceivers and antennas.

Samsung’s own 5G modems and platforms help to power its flagship products in certain regions, with Qualcomm’s technology being used for other regions including the United States, with the aim of reducing its reliance on chipset providers. The Exynos 5100 and Exynos 5123 5G modems support most 5G sub-6 GHz and mmWave spectrums. The Exynos 5100 can be found within some of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S10 5G devices and the Exynos 5123 is expected to be found in smartphones in the first half of 2020. The company had an early focus on South Korea with its 5G smartphone offerings, which helped demonstrate its technology before moving to worldwide deployment.

Having conducted tests with Huawei, Ericsson, and ZTE, Unisoc’s 5G modem, IVY510, supports SA, NSA, and sub-6 GHz, and is designed for Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR), 4K/8K video streaming, online gaming, and use in smartphones, Mi-Fi, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, with the first devices expected to be seen in the first half 2020. The company is also expected to investigate a 5G integrated RFFE solution. Its goal is to have an integrated 5G modem and apps processor in 2020.

With the major chipset vendors now all providing clear 5G modems and packaged solutions roadmaps, Qualcomm has taken one step further and is attempting to differentiate its offering by providing a complete 5G End-to-End Solution (E2ES) from the modem to the antenna, including the RFFE. The benefit derived from offering an all-in-one solution is that everything works as required together in a smaller and more power-efficient solution, although concentrating on specific components ensures that they will be of high quality and provide optimum performance despite the challenge of systems-level design. It is thought that other suppliers will move closer to the E2ES to ensure that their offerings are competitive, work together as required, and offer a smaller package solution that will not interfere with device industrial design.

Another way chipset suppliers are aiming to differentiate and grow volume is by offering products at different price points to be used in devices across the price tiers, enabling a larger Total Addressable Market (TAM)for 5G devices. For example, Qualcomm is looking to expand 5G into its lower Snapdragon series to enable mid- and low-tier devices to have access to 5G, while both MediaTek and HiSilicon are also concentrating on targeting low- and mid-range devices.

It is clear that chipset suppliers are aware of the need for new 5G integrated offerings that will enable high-end performance and support to device vendors across a wide range of devices types and price tiers. These suppliers are all expected to continue to periodically develop and release new offerings, provide support for different parts of the 5G spectrum, and move further into SA and mmWave as the network develops with differing numbers of other integrated components. Ensuring that these solutions find their way into an increasing number of 5G devices, which would drive affordability down, will help ensure that network coverage develops further, accelerating 5G migration in the coming 18 months.