Broadcom introduces Wi-Fi 6 chip for mass-market Smartphones

Broadcom BCM43752 unleashes Wi-Fi 6 for broader phone market with a highly-integrated, more affordable solution

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) today announced the BCM43752 chip, which extends the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 to the broader smartphone market where high performance and total solution cost are equally important design considerations. The BCM43752 is a highly integrated chip that brings together the latest innovations in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 innovations to offer smartphone makers a low-cost, high-performance connectivity solution for their mass market products.

The BCM43752 supports key Wi-Fi 6 innovations including OFDMA and MU-MIMO technologies for better performance in crowded environments, advanced roaming capabilities supporting multi-band operation (MBO), and WPA3 security protocols. With these new features, the BCM43752 brings steady, high-speed Wi-Fi and unprecedented quality of service to the mass smartphone market, adding to the ever-growing Wi-Fi 6 ecosystem of access points and routers in homes, offices and high-traffic venues.

The BCM43752 significantly reduces smartphone bill of materials by integrating RF components such as power amplifiers (PAs) and low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) into the device. In addition, it is engineered to support “chip-on-board” designs providing further cost reduction opportunities for manufacturers. Different packaging options for the chip also create flexibility for phone designers to balance space constraints, cost and radio performance.

"Broadcom strives to bring leading connectivity technologies to smartphone users across the globe,” said Vijay Nagarajan, vice president of marketing for the Wireless Communications and Connectivity Division at Broadcom. “After recently enabling the World’s first Wi-Fi 6 phone, we now bring the sixth generation Wi-Fi technology to the broader phone market with the BCM43752. The high degree of integration and the design flexibility that the chip offers makes it an ideal candidate for the mass market smartphone. With the BCM43752, Broadcom also completes a well-rounded Wi-Fi 6 product portfolio that spans the infrastructure and phone markets.”

"Broadcom's BCM43752 Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5 combo has reduced costs by going down to single core, 2X2 MIMO for Wi-Fi, integrating the PAs and LNAs, and offering flexible package options while keeping the same functionality as their flagship combo chip,” said Phil Solis, research director at IDC. “As a lower-cost, yet higher performing solution, this chip is well-suited for the mid-tier smartphone market.”

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

The BCM43752 is a smartphone Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 combo chip. Key features include:

• Support for two-stream Wi-Fi 6
• Bluetooth 5 features including Low-Energy 2 Mbps (LE2) and Low-Energy Long Range (LE LR)
• FM radio receiver
• 1.2 Gbps Wi-Fi PHY Rate
• Wi-Fi 6 features including 1024-QAM Modulation, OFDMA, MU-MIMO, MBO and WPA3
• Concurrent Access Point - Station (AP-STA) function
• Dual-band integrated PAs and LNAs for reduced cost
• Module or chip-on-board packaging options for design flexibility
• Support for PCIe 2.0 and SDIO 3.0 interfaces for Wi-Fi

AVAILABILITY

The BCM43752 is available now for mass production. Please contact your local Broadcom sales representative for samples and pricing.

Further information on Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 combo solutions can be found online at:

https://www.broadcom.com/products/wireless/wireless-lan-bluetooth