IC & RF

RF Front-End Module Comparison 2020 – Volume 2
- Published
- 29/04/2020
- Product code
- SP20522
- Price
- 6 490
- Applications
- Consumer
Technical and cost overview of Huawei’s Mate and P series Radio Frequency Front-End Module technologies from 2015 to 2019.
Each year System Plus opens up hundreds of Front-End Modules (FEMs) and components to provide an overview of the Radio Frequency (RF) FEM market in selected flagship smartphones. Gathering the information into one report offers an opportunity to keep track of the evolution of this technology market.
This year, System Plus Consulting offers different volumes of technical and cost comparisons of Smartphones’ RF FEMs. Every report will focus on a specific subject that can be a player’s evolution, a specific technology, or a comparison of flagship devices.
This second volume provides insights into technology and cost data for FEMs and several other components found in ten smartphones: the Huawei Mate 8, P9, Mate 9, P10, Mate 10, P20 Pro, Mate 20, P30 Pro, Mate 20 X (5G), and Mate 30 Pro 5G. It features a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Huawei’s choices, like changes in architecture from separate Power Amplifier Module with integrated Duplexer (PAMiD) to an integrated solution for Mid- and High Bands. A drop in the number, area and cost of American components is revealed in latest Mate series. Also, the report reveals how Huawei is able to still produce a highly competitive smartphone with 5G Sub-6GHz technology despite the political situation.
With teardowns of the smartphones, the main RF modules and components have been extracted and physically analyzed, from the output of the transceiver to the antenna. Packaging, sizes and technologies are studied to provide a large panel of technical and economical choices and an overview of the market. Also, the report features a comparison with other flagship release by the end of 2019 in term of cost, components and architecture.
Moreover, the report includes a database based on the teardown and provides a statistical analysis for most front-end modules. It also tries to explain the smartphone makers’ choices and supplier tendencies. Wifi and Bluetooth module analyses are not included in this report.
Back to topOverview/Introduction
Company Profile
Smartphone Teardowns
Mate 8, P9, Mate 9, P10, Mate 10, P20 Pro, Mate 20, P30 Pro, Mate 20 X (5G), and Mate 30 Pro 5G
Physical Analysis
- Front-End Modules
- Packages view and dimensions
- Packages opening
- Active die views and dimensions
- Power amplifier
- SPxT switch
- LNA
- RFIC
- Passive die views and dimensions
- SAW filters
- BAW filters
- IPDs
- SMD components
- Component summary
- Area and distribution number comparison
Comparison Analysis
- Evolution of Suppliers
- Supported Bands
- Integration Comparison including Area per Supplier, Area per Function and Filters
- Material Comparison including Substrate and Silicon Consumption
- Cost Evolution
- Broadcom AFEM-8200 PAMiD in the Apple iPhone 12 Series
- Apple iPhone 12 series mmWave 5G Chipset and Antenna
- RF Front-End Module Comparison 2020 – Volume 4
- RF Front-End Module Comparison 2020 – Volume 3
- Vayyar VYYR2401 4D UWB Radar Imaging SoC
- Skyworks’ FBAR-BAW Filter Technology in 2G/UHB PAMiD SKY78221
- SAW Filter Comparison 2020
- Qualcomm’s Second Generation 5G mmWave Chipset, from Modem to Antenna
- Infineon’s Radar Technology and Knowles’ Machine Learning drive Google Pixel 4XL Gesture Recognition
- Broadcom AFEM-8100 System-in-Package in the Apple iPhone 11 Series