我們都知道,手機基帶芯片市場曾經(jīng)歷過一場波及眾多供貨商的血腥商業(yè)戰(zhàn);而不只我一個人曾經(jīng)想過,也許剛起步的 LTE市場會僅剩少數(shù)幾家手機芯片供應(yīng)商幸存,扮演死神角色的則是中國移動(China Mobile)。
到目前為止,德州儀器(TI)是唯一放棄LTE市場生存機會的智能手機芯片供貨商;該公司最近宣布裁員1,700人,并重申將其OMAP處理器產(chǎn)品線應(yīng)用焦點由智能手機轉(zhuǎn)向他處的意圖。高通(Qualcomm)則持續(xù)稱霸智能手機基帶芯片市場,其地位看來也不會因為LTE時代的即將到來而有所改變。
高通屹立不搖的霸主地位并沒有讓聯(lián)發(fā)科(MediaTek)、Marvell、展訊(Spreadtrum)、ST-Ericsson與Renesas Mobile等其它芯片供貨商放棄LTE市場;其中有不少業(yè)者都提出了將發(fā)表多模、多頻芯片,能向后兼容舊有基帶系統(tǒng)之解決方案的計劃。
事實上,準備進軍LTE基帶芯片市場的供貨商不但沒有減少,反而有增加的趨勢。
一家日本手機芯片合資公司Access Network Technology不久前透露將推出第一款LTE基帶芯片的計劃,并將內(nèi)建于預(yù)定2013年夏天上市的富士通(Fujitsu) 智能手機中。這家合資公司是在今年8月成立,股東包括富士通(持股比例52.8%)、NTT Docomo (持股比例19.9%)、NEC (持股比例17.8%)以及富士通半導(dǎo)體(Fujitsu Semiconductor,持股比例9.5%)。
這是曾經(jīng)結(jié)束、又重新開始的,由NTT Docomo 所領(lǐng)軍的手機芯片合作案后續(xù),初始成員還包括松下(Panasonic)與三星(Samsung),但該合作案在去年春天因股東們無法針對合資企業(yè)細節(jié)達成共識而一度破局。
根據(jù)富士通的發(fā)言人表示,合資企業(yè)所開發(fā)的基帶芯片,整合了支持LTE、W-CDMA以及中國移動TD-LTE標準的調(diào)制解調(diào)器,其功耗比競爭產(chǎn)品低30%。
當然,并非每一種“LTE解決方案”都是相同的。依據(jù)每家競爭對手的原有調(diào)制解調(diào)器業(yè)務(wù),他們對舊有調(diào)制解調(diào)器的支持程度也會不同;舉例來說,身為TD-SCDMA調(diào)制解調(diào)器芯片領(lǐng)導(dǎo)廠商的展訊,還是會繼續(xù)發(fā)展自家的WCDMA解決方案。
當富士通被問到新合資公司推出的新型芯片,是否會支持TD-SCDMA標準時,該公司的響應(yīng)是:“目前這一代我們已經(jīng)開發(fā)完成的芯片不會;”但是他們又補充表示:“與全球標準互通是我們的目標?!?
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
本文下一頁:想取得中國移動TD-LTE設(shè)計案訂單應(yīng)該怎么做?
相關(guān)閱讀:
• LTE終端市場上揚,測試設(shè)備面臨新需求
• 棄用高通基帶芯片,三星與蘋果之平臺戰(zhàn)啟幕
• TD終端明年銷量超1億,Marvell公布多模芯片演進路線kOSesmc
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對任何一家想取得中國移動TD-LTE設(shè)計案的芯片業(yè)者來說,支持TD-SCDMA可說是必要條件;中國移動所需要的TD-LTE解決方案,一定都得具備能真正支持多標準、多頻段的能力。而這也再一次說明了高通是如何積極地想在市場競爭中勝出,因為該公司已經(jīng)準備好推出 TD-SCDMA/TD-LTE參考設(shè)計。
市場研究機構(gòu)Forward Concepts總經(jīng)理Will Strauss在最近的一篇部落格文章中指出:“高通的目標是藉由TD-SCDMA/TD-LTE解決方案成為第一家符合中國移動長期計劃的供貨商,該解決方案也將成為高通的第三代QRD (Qualcomm Reference Design)?!?
Strauss表示,高通的QRD解決方案將會是由Snapdragon S4搭配MSM8930平臺,以其Krait架構(gòu)為基礎(chǔ)的雙核心處理器,支持UMTS、CDMA、TC-SCDMA,以及TD-/FDD-LTE,能提供支持所有中國移動通信業(yè)者的解決方案。
在2013年第一季左右,我們就會看到LTE基帶芯片大戰(zhàn)正式展開,而且不只是以產(chǎn)品發(fā)表會的演示文稿形式呈現(xiàn),而是真正在商業(yè)化量產(chǎn)市場開打。
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
編譯:Judith Cheng
參考英文原文:Yoshida in China: Key to LTE winners is China Mobile,by Junko Yoshida
相關(guān)閱讀:
• LTE終端市場上揚,測試設(shè)備面臨新需求
• 棄用高通基帶芯片,三星與蘋果之平臺戰(zhàn)啟幕
• TD終端明年銷量超1億,Marvell公布多模芯片演進路線kOSesmc
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Yoshida in China: Key to LTE winners is China Mobile
Junko Yoshida
Qualcomm’s decisive lead hasn’t stopped companies like MediaTek, Marvell and Spreadtrum from going after the LTE market as the "Qualcomm alternative."
PARIS – We all know that the baseband chip market for mobile handsets has been a bloody business fought among too many vendors. I'm not alone in wondering if the budding LTE market might thin the ranks with just a few mobile chip players left standing. China Mobile might turn out to be the grim reaper.
So far, only Texas Instruments among current smartphone chip suppliers has given up hope of surviving in the LTE market. TI recently announced a plan to cut about 1,700 jobs, and reiterated its intention to shift the focus of its OMAP product line away from smartphones.
Qualcomm continues to dominate the smartphone baseband market, and it’s dominance is not likely to change in the coming LTE world.
That hasn’t stopped companies such as MediaTek, Marvell, Spreadtrum, ST-Ericsson and Renesas Mobile from going after the LTE market as the “Qualcomm alternative.” Many have described big plans to launch multi-mode, multi-frequency chips that are backward-compatible with the legacy baseband systems.
Indeed, the list of chip companies gunning for the LTE baseband business appears to be increasing, not shrinking.
A Japanese mobile chip joint venture called Access Network Technology last week tipped plans for the company’s first LTE baseband chip, scheduled to be designed into Fujitsu’s smartphone handsets by the summer 2013.
The Japanese joint venture, founded in August, consists of Fujitsu (52.8 percent), NTT Docomo (19.9 percent), NEC (17.8 percent) and Fujitsu Semiconductor (9.5 percent). This is an offshoot of an off-again, on-again NTT Docomo-led mobile chip venture. Original members included Panasonic and Samsung, but the deal was cancelled last spring when stakeholders disagreed on the details of the joint venture.
According to a Fujitsu spokesman, the JV's baseband chip is integrated with LTE, W-CDMA and China Mobile’s TD-LTE modems. The company claims power consumption in the new modem chip will be lower than competitors’ products by as much as 30 percent.
Of course, not every so-called “LTE solution” is the same.
China Mobile calls the shots
Depending on the heritage of each competitor’s modem business, the degree of support for legacy modems differ. For example, Spreadtrum, a leading TD-SCDMA modem chip supplier, is still working on its own WCDMA solution.
I asked Fujitsu if the new chip from the mobile joint venture will support TD-SCDMA. She responded, “No, not in the current generation chip we’ve just finished.” She added, however: “being compatible with global standards is our goal.”
For any chip company looking for a TD-LTE design win with China Mobile, support for TD-SCDMA is a must. China Mobile demands that every TD-LTE solution must offer true multi-standard, multi-frequency capability.
Once again, that’s precisly how Qualcomm is goingto win the battle since it is p to offer a TD-SCDMA/TD-LTE reference design.
As Will Strauss, president of Forward Concepts, noted in his recent blog, “Qualcomm aims to be the first with a TD-SCDMA/TD-LTE solution which fits like a glove with China Mobile’s long-term plan. This will be the company’s third generation Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD).”
Strauss said Qualcomm’s QRD solution will be a Snapdragon S4 plus MSM8930 platform featuring a dual-core processor based on its Krait architecture. It will support UMTS, CDMA, TC-SCDMA, TD- and FDD-LTE, providing solutions that can help all operators in China.
Around the first quarter of 2013, we’ll see the LTE baseband race begin in earnest. It will be fought not with power point presentations, but in the commercial, volume market.
責編:Quentin