Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/20129-rf-front-end-market-for-handsets-doubling-to-12-b-by-2018

RF front end market for handsets doubling to $12 B by 2018

June 19, 2013

Mobile Experts released a 180-page market study, which provides detailed analysis of the market for RF components in handsets, tablets, PCs, and M2M modems.   

Joe Madden, principal analyst at Mobile Experts explained, “The RF Front End is changing quickly, with new technology entering the market to deal with multi-band handsets. The battery issues and cost issues that come with increasing complexity are staggering, but solutions are emerging from start-up companies and established suppliers.  We see some important changes coming to the power amplifier market which will affect everyone in the RF front end ecosystem. Overall, the market will grow quickly, but amplifiers, filters, switches, tuners and antennas will all grow at very different rates”.

“We’ve interviewed more than 55 suppliers of RF components for handsets, along with several OEMs and mobile operators. We focused on investigating this market from every possible perspective, to triangulate on the most accurate forecast possible.  We have included the details on 48 mobile frequency bands, including 8 bands that are not identified by 3GPP yet. We’ve also identified 50 different Carrier Aggregation band combinations and estimated the impact of each one on the market.”

This report illustrates the interplay between multiple disruptive technologies which are colliding in the mobile handset world:

  • CMOS PAs
  • Envelope Tracking
  • Multi-mode Multi-band Power Amplifiers (MMMB or MMPAs)
  • Antenna Tuning (Aperture Tuning and Impedance Match Tuning)
  • Filter Integration and Packaging Techniques
  • Carrier Aggregation
  • Advanced MIMO in Mobile Terminals

This market study includes more than 150 charts and exhibits, including 5-year forecasts for:

  • Mobile Handsets, Tablets, PC Modems, and M2M Modems;
  • RF Front Ends by frequency band;
  • Carrier Aggregation band combinations;
  • Shipments, ASP, Revenue, and Market Share for:
    • Power Amplifiers
    • Envelope Tracking PAs
    • Multiband Multimode PAs
    • CMOS PAs
    • Filters and Duplexers
    • Integrated Filter/Switch Modules
    • Front End Modules, including Complete Front Ends (CFEs)
    • Switches
    • Antenna Tuners and Impedance Match Tuners
    • Antennas