| | | Interesting article in dramexchange about 5G phones.
Link: dramexchange.com
Surprising part is that the BOM cost is expected to be 20% to 30% higher than a non 5G phone:
"In terms of the specs upgrade in 5G smartphones, there are two major improvements. First, the application processor must be paired with 5G modem. Second, there will be extra peripheral components including Wi-Fi module and PA module in order to enhance the phone reception and performance of the signal filter. The addition of these components will not only make the phones larger and thicker, but also increase the components costs sharply. For example, according to TrendForce’s calculation, the BOM costs of flagship 5G smartphones would increase by 20%-30%.
As for the design of mobile phone antennas, beamforming technology is applied to improve the communication quality, because 5G systems operate in millimeter wave frequency band, and the attenuation of high frequency communication may influence the quality. The biggest challenge at present is the thermal dissipation in the RF front-end. The components will generate much heat and consume the power of phones when working in high frequency circuits. Therefore, a key focus in the design of RF front-end will be how to solve the heat dissipation problem through choosing the right materials for phone cases, and to maintain good performance in a high temperature environment.
For mobile phone cases, metal materials may interfere with the signal, so glass or plastic materials are the most possible alternatives so far. However, 5G is expected to be a selling point for flagship models, so there may be little chance that plastic cases are adopted. On the other hand, in order to meet the requirements of high-speed transmission for 5G, it is necessary to reduce the interference of metal cover, so the borders are bound to be narrower in the future, which requires more advanced manufacturing technology of 3D glass cases and higher yields of assembly, etc" |
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