The new battlefield: LTE chip into a mobile phone chip maker

There are more than 100 telecom operators in the world that provide 4G services. In the next year, China and Taiwan will also expand or enter the 4G era. The market adjustment agency estimates that the LTE market will start to grow rapidly in 2014, with mobile phones. The brand maker will launch more LTE handsets next year. Recently, Broadcom also announced its entry into the LTE chip market. In addition, MediaTek (2454) will make its debut next year. The LTE handset chip will become a new handset chip maker. battlefield.

According to market analysis agency StrategyAnalytics, global LTE handset shipments this year will grow 10 times to 67 million, and another market adjustment agency, IHS, also estimates that the number of global 4G LTE subscribers will grow from 16.9 million in 2011 to 73.3 million this year. An increase of 334%, 4G total users will reach 200 million next year. Several research institutions expect that the number of LTE subscribers before 2016 will look up to 7-12 billion.

On the other hand, terminal brand manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung, HTC, LG, Nokia, Motorola, Pantech, Fujitsu, and Sony, have all launched 4G module handsets. With next year's mobile phone makers planning to adopt various types of models equipped with LTE modules, plus tablet PCs will also be launched LTE version products, LTE chip demand will be significantly hotter.

At present, LTE chips are still dominated by Qualcomm. Samsung supplies its own mobile phones. The rest of the company, including Hais, invested in the research and development of TD-LTE chips. ST, Sequans, Altair, Marvell, Renesas, etc. are actively rushing to launch related products.

The relevant manufacturers of domestic LTE chips are mainly MediaTek and VIA's Weirui, while Creative and Huirong are respectively cooperating with Samsung in OEM and RF transceivers. Among them, MediaTek is a large-scale indicator manufacturer with relatively fast pace of deployment. Its TD-LTE solution has been sampled last year, while FDLTE specification technology is licensed through NTTDoCoMo. It will launch 2.5G/3G/4G chip integration next year, and may further Enter TDLTE and FDLTE dual-mode specifications.

Only Broadcom announced that it will send sample mobile phone customers LTE chips next year, and ST also announced that it will divest itself from Ericsson and sell ST-Ericsson’s shares. It will once again cast new variables for the market. Moreover, the gap in the technological capabilities of various competitors will continue to shrink, and next year will continue to shrink. In the first half of the year, the LTE chip will gradually enter the Warring States Period.