Ericsson's modules unit could target phones
Published: 11 February, 2010
READ MORE: Ericsson | Reference Design | Handset
Ericsson may have put its handset activities into its joint venture with Sony a decade ago, but it has never lost its direct involvement in cellphone platforms. In particular, its Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP) unit has been active in creating reference designs for phones, and these appeared in as many as 25% of W-CDMA cellphones in 2005, still early days for the technology. While much of EMP now lives in the ST-Ericsson silicon JV, Ericsson has not lost its affection for reference platforms, and may be looking to push its burgeoning module range into smartphones.
The Swedish giant created its HSPA modules for the conventional targets - notebooks, netbooks and dongles - but is now spreading their reach significantly wider. Recent deals have included modules for the latest Sony e-reader and a new Netgear 3G/Wi-Fi router, and the unit's VP Mats Norin sees opportunities in all kinds of mobile devices from the emerging tablets to media players.
He goes further, though, and suggests handsets could be a target too. The module could act like a reference design, saving low cost vendors time and money in R&D. This goes back to the alliance Ericsson made in 2007 with Texas Instruments to combine the former's modems and the latter's OMAP application processor for handset reference platforms, and such partnerships will be important to surround the module with the kind of functionality required in a smartphone.
In an interview with Connected Planet, Norin hinted that the best market would be with consumer electronics vendors looking to provide phones, or media gadgets with embedded 3G and telephony. "In the close future, you will see handhelds or smartphones with embedded modules," he said. "It's a way of entering the market with lower R&D costs and a way to get market sooner. Modules really lower the barrier of entry."
At Mobile World Congress, Ericsson will launch its 21Mbps HSPA+ module, which will be upgradeable in software to future releases supporting 42Mbps and beyond.
More ERICSSON News
More COMPONENTS (CAMERA) News
More HANDSET News
COMMENTS
Carrier Broadband Performance: Africa & Middle East
Carriers are using mobile broadband as their weapon of choice in the fight against the commoditization of voice and falling ARPU. This...
Voice over LTE: Market Analysis and Forecasts
VoLTE offer unique advantages in lowering a carrier's voice infrastructure economics and promises to improve voice quality, device...
Satellite Phones: Will Dual Mode Help the Phoenix Rise from the Ashes?
Satellite phones have followed an arduous path since their much-hyped launch more than a decade ago. The hype was followed by an e...
