As we enter 2012 the mobile industry is ready to turn on 4G technology, but efficient power design will be crucial, writes Tim Haynes CEO, Nujira
2011 was the first year of significant LTE/4G deployments around the world, with more than 35 networks now live. Though the speed is fantastic, the battery life on the first handsets isn’t – so much so that an article on how to turn 4G off is a top hit on Google.
Manufacturers are fitting bigger batteries to fudge the issue, but the problem is mainly the inefficiency of the RF Power Amplifier, which dominates the power budget. Most current phones support just 6 or 7 bands out of the 18 in use, but operators are now specifying 14 or 15 bands as the minimum requirement for global roaming.
With each frequency band currently requiring a dedicated PA device (adding cost and size to the phone), broadband PAs are the only viable solution, but they suffer from even lower energy efficiency.
The industry consensus is that Envelope Tracking will become the standard PA architecture for the next generation of handsets, because it is the only power optimization technology which delivers high efficiency over the entire spectrum used for 3.5G and 4G.
In November, the MIPI Alliance formed a Subgroup to develop specifications that facilitate wider adoption of Envelope Tracking in smartphones and other mobile devices. In addition to Nujira, the Subgroup is supported by leading companies like Intel, Motorola, Nokia, Panasonic, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments.
The key point is that energy efficiency is not just about CO2 emissions, it's also enabling smaller, lighter, cheaper products. Nujira’s new Envelope Tracking IC not only doubles the efficiency of 4G terminal radios but also halves their cost.
To support our push into the terminal market with this technology, we successfully raised money this year, despite the difficult global funding environment, and opened an IC design centre in Edinburgh.
We also built up our IP portfolio to around 135 patents, representing the most comprehensive IP portfolio in Envelope Tracking, and reinforcing our technology leadership.
2011 saw Nujira’s infrastructure customers introduce the world's highest efficiency LTE Remote Radio Head at MWC, and the highest efficiency Digital TV transmitter at IBC in September.
2012 will see our customers designing the world’s highest efficiency 4G handset RF front ends, and 2013 will see ET-enabled smartphones start to dominate the 4G market. It is the only way of delivering terminals at an acceptable performance and cost and with a battery life that beats today’s smartphones.