RF Architecture Choices For Next-Generation Handset Designs

By Ben Thomas and Bryan Soukup, Qorvo

Today’s smartphone market has expanded into several categories with differing design goals and priorities, which require different approaches to RF front end (RFFE) integration. Modern packaging techniques make it possible to combine multiple RFFE components into integrated modules, which can help smartphone manufacturers accelerate the design and manufacture of new handsets. However, since there are two key smartphone categories – flagship phones, and mid-tier and entry-level handsets – it raises the question of what would be the right level of RFFE integration and the best integration approach for each one? Download this white paper on how a highly integrated RFFE architecture such as Qorvo’s RF Fusion™, is used to integrate all major transmit and receive functionality, including support for all major frequency bands and global carrier aggregation deployments within next-generation handset designs.