15 February 2011

Amalfi ships 25 million 2G GSM/GPRS cellular handset TxM ICs in first year

Amalfi Semiconductor of Los Gatos, CA, USA, a fabless firm developing highly integrated CMOS RF and mixed-signal integrated circuits (IC), says that in its first year of production it shipped more than 25 million CMOS 2G GSM/GPRS transmit module (TxM) IC to cellular handset makers. Also, the firm’s fourth-quarter 2010 shipments were used in more than 5% of worldwide 2G GSM/GPRS handsets.

Amalfi introduced its first family of CMOS-based 2G GSM/GPRS TxM ICs in 2009 and began shipping products in early 2010. The firm claims that the efficiency and electrostatic discharge (ESD) performance of its AM7801, AM7802 and AM7803 dual- and quad-band TxM ICs enabled cellular handset makers to develop lower-cost phones with longer battery life and smaller size. The devices are primarily targeted for use in entry-level and ultra-low-cost (ULC) 2G GSM/GPRS cellular handsets in emerging markets.

“The 2G GSM/GPRS market has outperformed forecasts over the past several years and remains the dominant air-interface standard for cellular handsets in the world, with a large subscriber base in China, India and other emerging economies,” says CEO Mark Foley. “We offer our customers superior performance at competitive prices, and that combination has fueled our rapid growth in this large market,” he adds. “Customers recognize that our CMOS-based power amplifier solutions allow us to provide a price down roadmap that can't be matched by our competitors’ GaAs-based solutions. We expect steady market share growth this year.”

Transmit modules based on gallium arsenide are the dominant solutions in handsets today. Amalfi says that, with the introduction of its AM7801, AM7802 and AM7803, cellular handset makers now have a CMOS-based TxM IC option that offers the best cost/performance trade-off, it is claimed.

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