INTELLIGENCE TO SHAPE YOUR TOMORROW

RF Front-End for
Mobile 2023
Market and Technology Report

YINTR23267 | www.yolegroup.com | ©Yole Intelligence 2023

GLOSSARY

AiP Antenna-in-Package GaN Gallium Nitride MNO Mobile Network Operator

AlN Aluminum Nitride Gbps Gigabits Per Second NR New Radio

AR Augmented Reality GNSS Global Navigation Satellite Service NR-U New Radio – Unlicensed

ASP Average Selling Price GSM Global System for Mobile communications NSA Non-Stand-Alone

AWS Advanced Wireless Service GSMA GSM Association OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer

B2B Business to Business HB High Band PA Power Amplifier

BAW Bulk Acoustic Wave HBT Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor PAE Power-Added Efficiency

BPSK Binary Phase-Shift Keying HSPA High-Speed Packet Access PAD Power Amplifier with Duplexer

BRS Broadband Radio Service IDT Inter Digital Transducer PAM Power Amplifier Module

BT Bluetooth IHP SAW Incredible High-Performance Surface Acoustic Wave PAPR Peak to Average Power Ratio

CA Carrier Aggregation IIP3 Input Interception Point 3 PCS Personal Communications Service

CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate IMD Intermodulation Distortion PHEMT Pseudomorphic High-Electron-Mobility Transistor

CBRS Citizen Broadband Radio Service InGaP Indium Gallium Phosphide POI Piezo-On-Insulator

CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor IPD Integrated Passive Device QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

CP-OFDM Cyclic Prefix – Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing LAA Licensed Assisted Access RCS RICH Content Service

cREO Crystalline Rare-Earth Oxide LB Low Band SA Stand-Alone

DC Dual Connectivity LNA Low-Noise Amplifier SAW Surface Acoustic Wave

DL Downlink LSA Licensed Shared Access SiGe Silicon Germanium

Drx FEM Diversity Receive Front-End Module LTE Long-Term Evolution SMR Solid Mounted Resonator

EB Exabyte LTE-U Long-Term Evolution Unlicensed SoC System-on-Chip

EBS Educational Broadband Service LWA LTE - WLAN Aggregation SOI Silicon-On-Insulator

EDGE Enhanced Data GSM Environment M2M Machine-to-Machine SUL Supplementary Uplink

EVM Error Vector Magnitude MB Mid Band TAM Total Available Market

FBAR Film Bulk Acoustic Resonator Mbps Megabits Per Second TD-SCDMA Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access

FBW Fractional Bandwidth MIC Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan) UHB Ultra-High Band

MIIT Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (China) UL Uplink

FCC Federal Communication Committee
MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output WCDMA Wideband Code Division Multiple Access
FEM Front-End Module
MLCC Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitor WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
FWA Fixed Wireless Access
MMMB PA Multi-Mode Multi-Band Power Amplifier
GaAs Gallium Arsenide

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Glossary 2 • Market trends 95

• Table of contents 3 o 5G market dynamics 96
• Scope of the report 4 o Spectrum status 112
• Methodology and definitions 5 • Market share and supply chain 122
• About the authors 6 o OEM market share 123
• Companies cited in this report 7 o RF front-end market share 125
• What we got right, what we got wrong 8 o Ecosystem and technology landscape 135
• Three-page summary 9 • Technology trends 150
• Executive summary 13 o Radio access technology trends 151
• Context 36 o Focus on key 5G features 161
• Market forecasts 38 o RF architecture trends 185
o Market segmentation 40 o Technology and components 189
o RF front-end market forecast ($M, Munits) 54 • Outlook and conclusions 215
o Component-level market forecast ($M, Munits) 68 • Related reports 219
o Wafer starts (kwafers) 85 • Yole Group corporate presentation 233

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 3

SCOPE OF THE REPORT

Focus of this report

RF Front-End modules and components

Are your 5G sub-6GHz and 5G mmWave

needs outside
the scope of
this report?
Contact us for
a customized
Modems, transceivers and baseband processors
inquiry Are your needs
outside the scope
Connectivity modules and components of this report?
Contact us for a custom
study:
Topics NOT included in this report

4
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com
METHODOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS

Yole’s market forecast model is based on the aggregation of several sources:

Preexisting
information

Market
Volume (in Munits)
ASP (in $)
Revenue (in $M)

Information
aggregation

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 5

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Nour Popoff, Market analyst Cédric Malaquin, Team lead analyst

Nour Popoff works for Yole Développement (Yole) as a technology Cédric Malaquin is the Team Lead Analyst for RF activity within
and market analyst for RF devices and technologies. the Power and Wireless Division at Yole Développement (Yole).

Nour is involved in producing technology and market reports for By contributing to multiple reports and custom analyses
the consumer segment, as well as custom consulting studies. dedicated to the automotive, telecom infrastructure, and
consumer markets, Cédric is actively shaping Yole’s products,
Prior to Yole, Nour was engaged in a program management
such as the RF Market Monitor, while also helping to structure
position, defining silicon qualification strategy for RF technology
Yole’s RF industry intelligence activities.
platforms developed at STMicroelectronics’ Crolles site (RFSOI,
FDSOI, SiGe Bi-CMOS). As such, she coordinated technology and Cédric also supports Yole’s financial activities with his technical
IP qualification activities through maturity milestones until the expertise and market knowledge in RF.
industrialization phase. During her twelve years at ST, she also
Prior to Yole, Cédric served as a process integration engineer and
worked as a digital circuit design technical leader and
then as an electrical characterization engineer at Soitec (France).
participated in several technical task forces. She led a one-year
He has (co-)authored several international papers and patents.
collaborative project, CEA-LETI/ST, developing CoolCube FDSOI.
Cédric graduated from Polytech Lille (France) with an
Nour graduated from IAE de Lyon with an International MBA. She
engineering degree in microelectronics and material sciences
holds a research master’s degree in Integrated Circuits from INSA
and holds a DEA in microwave and microtechnology from the
& Ecole Centrale de Lyon and an Electronics Engineering degree
University of Lille.
from CPE de Lyon.

Contact: [email protected]

Contact: [email protected]

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 6

COMPANIES CITED*

Active Semi, AGC, Airoha, Akoustis, Anhui YUNTA Electronic, Apple, ASE, Asus, AT&T, AwinIC,AXT, Broadcom,
CanaanTek, Cavendish Kinetics, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, ChipBetter, CoolPad, Corning,
Cypress Semiconductor, DB-HiTek, Dowa, EE, Elisa, Epic MEMS, Ericsson, Etisalat, EtraSemi, Ferfics,
Freiberger, GlobalFoundries, Global Wafer, Google, HH Grace, HiSilicon, HMD Global, Honor, HTC, Huawei,
Huntersun-MEMS, Infineon, Intel, IQE, Jio, JRC, KDDI, KT, Kyocera, Lansus, Lenovo, LG, LG Siltron, LG U+,
Maxscend, MediaTek, Meizu, Menlo Micro, Microgate, Murata, NationZ, Nokia, NSI, NTT Docomo, NXP,
Okmetic, Omnivision, ON Semiconductor, OnePlus, Onmicro, Oppo, Orange, Pinnacle Microwave, pSemi,
Qorvo, Qualcomm, Radrocktech, Realme, Resonant, Richwave, RoFS microsystems, Sappland
Microelectronics, Samsung, Samsung Electro Mechanical, Sana, SAWNICS, Shin-Etsu, Shoulder, Siltronic, SK
Telecom, Skyworks, Smarter Micro, SMIC, SoftBank, Soitec, Sony, Sprint, ST Microelectronics, Sumco,
Sumitomo Electric, Sumitomo Metal Mining, Sunrise, Sunway Communication, SWI, Swisscom, Taiyo Yuden,
TCL, TDK EPCOS, Telefonica, Telia, Telstra, TIM, T-Mobile, Toshiba, Tower Semi, Tpsco, TSMC, UMC, Unisoc, USI,
Vanchip, Verizon, Vivo, Vodafone, WaveTek, WillSemi, WIN Semiconductors, WIPAM, Wisol, Xfab, Xiaomi,
Xinpletek, Xpeedic, Yamaju Ceramics, Yuzhen IC, ZTE and more.

*non-exhaustive list

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 7

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT, WHAT WE GOT WRONG

What we got right What we got wrong

• As RF front-end complexity continues to • Market recovery did not occur according to
evolve, so does the trend toward module our previous expectations. This is due to
integration. deterioration in the macroeconomic
situation, causing gross domestic product
• The RF front-end ecosystem in China is
growth to slow and inflation to rise.
developing, supported by multiple
fundraising initiatives. • As a result, the RFFE market flattened in
2022 compared to our previous estimate of
• Technology-wise, FDSOI has been confirmed
7% growth YoY.
as a serious alternative to CMOS for the
design of mmWave transceivers. • 5G penetration has been lower than
anticipated, and 5G mmWave has not been
• MEMS have made a significant entrance
rolled out to significant new markets beyond
onto the market with antenna tuning.
North America.
• We revised our assessment for certain
technologies: we no longer foresee GaN/Si
adoption for sub-6GHz Pas or mmWave
transceivers, and we have removed BST for
antenna tuners.

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THREE-PAGE SUMMARY

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 9

5G MARKET OUTLOOK
No news in the consumer market, but MNOs keep pushing other verticals

• 5G is improving the quality of service delivered to the user by providing larger network capacity, better radio efficiency, and scalable latency.
This is key to securing the long-term viability of current use cases, such as video streaming, while opening the door to new, use cases, such as
cloud gaming. There is growing interest in new use cases at the MNO level. While immersive AR/VR applications are progressing in the
industrial segment, there is still no killer application in the consumer segment. Nevertheless, in the US, operators are pushing for the
adoption of AR and VR to transform the fan experience in stadiums and venues. In China, technology demonstrations from government-led
projects can be seen. Holographic calls have been demonstrated during MWC for the last two years running. These demonstrations show off
5G’s potential and capabilities.
• Besides mobile and consumer applications, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has become a strong driver for 5G penetration. FWA offers an
interesting alternative to fiber, especially in rural or suburban areas. For more information on the FWA market, please check our FWA 2023
report.
• MNO strategies for 5G differ between markets, including where they involve spectrum allocation/auctions. MNOs are investing in spectrum
to extend or secure their current assets, thus determining their strategy in the radio network rollout. This is the key driver of the growing
complexity in RF front-end that OEMs must cope with. Besides spectrum expansion, MNOs are also looking to transform their core network
architecture, moving from 5G NSA to 5G SA. However, this aspect does not strongly impact the RF front end, instead having more
implications for the baseband.
• From a regional standpoint, both China and the US rapidly implemented 5G in 2020, though with different strategies.
• China has established a strong rollout policy using sub-7GHz bands: 700MHz, 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, and 4.8GHz. The next step is the use of the
licensed 6GHz band for cellular 5G, which will likely delay adoption of mmWave in the country.
• In the USA, mmWave was the first 5G platform, explaining the country’s first position in this technology. Aside from this, spectrum refarming
on the low and mid-band has enabled country-wide coverage. The long-awaited release of C-band spectrum is the latest development
receiving attention. As a result, the momentum for mmWave has decreased, though we estimate investments in the technology will
continue.
• Japan and South Korea are very advanced markets, with most of the population covered by the 5G sub-7GHz spectrum. Japan was the first
country where all operators deployed 5G mmWave base stations, whereas Korean MNOs were far behind their objective, with less than 1,000
mmWave BTS at the end of 2021.
• Europe employs low- and ultra-high band spectrum, while interest in mmWave is predicted in some markets such as Finland and Italy.
• India is the last big market to enter 5G, using low and ultra-high band spectrum while eyeing mmWave.
• Finally, 3GPP Release 17 has extended the mmWave spectrum up to 71GHz, providing more available spectrum. This signifies that the
industry will mature to prepare for new use cases. Additionally, new bands have been made available for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).

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CELLPHONE MARKET DYNAMICS – OUTLOOK
Hard times for the cellphone industry. Will emerging markets be the key?

• The cell phone market recovered in 2021 following the dip caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. However, pre-
Covid-19 levels have not been reached due to chip supply shortages.
• In 2022, the smartphone industry was seriously impacted following a global macroeconomic downturn: a market decline
with high inflation caused by geopolitical tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions between China and
Taiwan. This downturn resulted in consumer hesitancy in purchasing new phones, thus pushing OEMs to enter an
inventory correction phase. The Zero-Covid policy in China further destabilized the smartphone manufacturing industry.
• Despite these challenging conditions, 5G phone production reached parity with 4G phone production in 2022, though
we believe the market penetration of 5G would have been higher without the aforementioned external factors. 5G
resilience can be explained by the fact that OEMs have prioritized their premium segments.
• We expect the mobile market to be flattish in 2023, as we don’t see any short-term improvement in the global economic
situation and, thus, no impetus for recovery.
• In the longer term, growth should come from emerging countries such as India, which might offset the Chinese market
decline over the next few years.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 11

RF FRONT-END MARKET OUTLOOK
With the increase in the RF front-end BOM, players are striving for differentiation

• The RF front-end market made a leap forward in 2021 as an effect of post-Covid-19 recovery and 5G penetration.
• CY2022 ended up flat following the smartphone market decline associated with lower-than-expected 5G penetration.
Consequently, the bill-of-material growth engine has been in low gear.
• During the last two years, 5G has evolved, bringing increasing complexity from, for instance, the need for MIMO UL/DL
support, an increasing number of CA combinations, and more coexistence scenarios to manage. Consequently, the bill of
materials has increased.
• The 4G semiconductor technology portfolio has evolved to accommodate 5G specifications. For instance, GaAs-based
PAs are still used for mobile phones, RFSOI remains the technology of choice for switches, LNAs, and antenna tuners,
and SAW/BAW technologies remain the filter standard. What is noticeable is the increase in the number of variations of
such technology. Take SAW-type filters, for example, for which bonding techniques are used to improve RF performance
while minimizing size.
• New technologies are now emerging, such as the long-awaited MEMS solution for antenna tuning that hit the market in
mid-2022, introduced by Qorvo, and FDSOI, which is becoming mainstream for mmWave transceivers.
• Meanwhile, other technologies are phasing out, such as BST for antenna tuners, while other technologies at the
development stage are trying to position themselves to tackle the market. Some examples are porous silicon, which
would provide improved switch linearity performance to the RF front-end industry, or GaN/Si PAs with state-of-the-art
power-added efficiency and wideband operation capability.
• The RF front-end market is still led by large players, while some competition is emerging from China. However, all
leading players have faced reductions in their revenue from the smartphone market.
• On the competition from China, the growth of these fabless/fablite players is mainly coming from the local market pull
at this stage.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 12

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 13

GLOBAL MOBILE DATA TRAFFIC
Exponential growth continues

• According to the Ericsson Mobility report, mobile data traffic continues to grow exponentially and is expected to follow
the same trajectory over the next five years.
• 5G has been developed as a technology capable of absorbing this data traffic as it is the only technology capable of
meeting efficiency requirements in growing the radio network capacity. At some point, 5G simply will not be a question
anymore.

Global mobile network data traffic (EB per month) Global mobile network data traffic and year-on-year growth (EB per month)

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 14

NETWORK OPERATOR INVESTMENTS IN 5G
Massive CapEx to further expand 5G’s footprint

• Wireless connectivity will continue to play a vital role in the way people live, and businesses operate.
According to the GSMA, 5G will represent more than 70% of MNOs’ investments in all regions except sub-
Saharan Africa.
• 5G has been adopted quickly in pioneer markets such as Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. A new wave
of 5G rollouts is starting in emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, and Latin America.
• OEMs have adapted their 5G connectivity product offerings to these different markets.
Mobile Network
Operators will
invest massively
in 5G over the
next three
years.
Consequently,
5G’s footprint
will continue to
expand.

Source: GSMA Intelligence

Source: GSMA The Mobile Economy Global, 2022
Note: data correct to January 2022

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5G ROLLOUT STATUS – 2022E REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
1.23Bunits smartphones – 6.5Munits radio units

Europe smartphone and RU

volume (Munits)
100%
China smartphone and RU
90% volume (Munits)
80% 0.2
North America smartphone and 70%
115
100%
60% 90%
RU volume (Munits) 80%
50%
5G 70% 1.7
100% 40%
90% 30% 0.4 4G 60%
261
20% 50%
80% 0.2 62 5G
10% 40%
70%
0% 30% 4G
60% 132 20% 1.3
50%
5G Smartphone RU 2022 10%
40%
2022 0%
36
30% 0.2 4G
20% Smartphone RU 2022
10% 24 2022
0%
Smartphone RU 2022 Rest of APAC smartphone and
2022 RU volume (Munits)
100%
CALA smartphone and RU 90%
133 0.6
volume (Munits) MEA smartphone and RU volume 80%
70%
(Munits) 60%
100% 4 0.0 50%
90% 100% 0.0 5G
6 40%
80% 90% 294 1.6
70% 80% 30% 3G/4G
60% 70% 20%
50% 60% 10%
109 0.1 5G 0%
40% 50% 0.2
106 5G
30% 3G/4G 40% Smartphone RU 2022
20% 30% 3G/4G 2022
10% 20%
0% 10%
0%
Smartphone RU 2022
2022 Smartphone RU 2022
2022

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5G DRIVERS AND APPLICATIONS

• 5G was built for MNOs to expand to new market verticals

beyond their core consumer business.
• In addition, the numerous 5G features allowing better resource
usage enables a cost reduction for MNOs, which is key to
profitability.
• As of today, very few applications require ultra-high
bandwidth, very low latency, or both, especially at the
consumer level.
• However, 5G capabilities improve user experience for a
number of existing applications while also enabling new ones.
• Video streaming is currently handled by LTE, though as mobile
data traffic is continuously expanding and LTE network
spectrum is a limited resource, 5G is required to complement
LTE capacity.
• Cloud gaming is at the edge of LTE capability: with less than
10Mbps, gamers will likely experience packet loss and jitter. 5G
will provide a more reliable service, with reduced jitter, which is
key for the gaming experience.
• AR/VR and tactile internet are the most likely use cases
requiring high throughput and low latency. AR/VR is already
employed for manufacturing use cases, for instance in the
automotive industry. However, large-scale deployment for
consumers remains to be seen.
• Holographic calls were demonstrated during the last Mobile
World Congresses. They could become a new way of
interacting once AR/VR democratizes.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 17

5G’S MAIN USE CASES AT THE CONSUMER LEVEL

Tens of 5G stadiums and

venues are flourishing Network operators are
worldwide, which operators promoting their 5G
are eager to adopt to networks by streaming AR
introduce 5G at the concerts, movies, etc.
consumer level.
SoFi stadium in Los Angeles

After entering mobile gaming,

Netflix is seriously looking into
a gaming service, as an Network operators and
extension to its mobile equipment providers have
platform. Portability will be showcased multiple
obviously trigger for gamers to holographic calls during TV
switch to 5G. shows.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 18

SMARTPHONE VOLUME FOLLOW-UP
2022 market share per OEM

• The major change since 2021 has been the

collapse of Huawei, whose market share 2018-2022 smartphone market share evolution (Munits)
shrunk to 0% following the sanctions
imposed by the US that prevented it from
sourcing chips from US-based companies, 1600
notably for 5G. Holding 17% of the
smartphone market volume in 2020, Huawei
used to be the second leader in the market. 1400
Its exit has reshaped the Chinese ecosystem.
• 2022 ranking in percent of total market
volume is as follows.: 1200 Others

Smartphone volume (Munits)

• Samsung: 20% Huawei
• Apple: 18% 1000
Lenovo
• Xiaomi: 14% Realme
• Oppo: 10%
• Vivo: 9% Transsion
• Honor: 8% 800
Honor
• Others: 21%
Vivo
• Since 2021, Huawei’s exit has given Chinese
OEMs room to expand market share, notably 600 Oppo
Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor, which spun Xiaomi
off from Huawei. However, expansion has not
met expectations, as Chinese OEMs suffered 400
Apple
from low demand, lockdowns in China, and Samsung
growing competition abroad. Samsung and
Apple were less exposed to market
fluctuations, explaining the maintenance of 200
their leadership positions.
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

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SMARTPHONE VOLUME FORECAST PER AIR STANDARD
2022, a pivotal year for 5G smartphone volume

2018-2028 mobile phone volume forecast per air standard (Munits)

1600
1429
1384 1365 1380 1360
1400 1350
1313 1300 1300
1276 1250
1230 1220
1200 1116
Mobile phone volume (Munits)

1082

In 2022, 5G 992 996

1000
growth was 894

significantly 770 796

800
lower than in 706 3G
2020 and 2021, 603 4G
600 550
though 5G 595 495 5G
440
phone volume 396 All
346
surpassed 4G. 400
292
250 240

200 116
78 58
31 45 31 20
0 14 10 8 6 4
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
3G 116 78 58 45 31 20 14 10 8 6 4
4G 1313 1276 992 770 595 495 440 396 346 292 240
5G 0 31 250 550 603 706 796 894 996 1082 1116
All 1429 1384 1300 1365 1230 1220 1250 1300 1350 1380 1360

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 20

RF FRONT-END MARKET FORECAST
By air standard

-- TAM: Modules and RF front-end components

2G 2028
3G
4G $26.9B
5G
5G mmWave
2022 $2.2B
$50M mmWave
$19.2B -22%
$0.2B

<$0.1B
$0.4B
<$0.1B

mmWave
$1.5B $23B
$1.5B

$4.1B

$13.2B

CAGR22-28: 5.8%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 21

RF FRONT-END MARKET FORECAST
By component type
-- TAM: Modules and RF front-end components
PA module Discrete switch
FEM module
mmW module
Discrete LNA
Antenna tuner
2028
Discrete filter RFIC $26.9B
mmW discrete

$0.9B

2022 $1B

$19.2B

$12.2B $1.9B
$0.5B $0.7B

$0.9B
$1.4B $1.2B
$8.7B

$0.7B $0.5B $3B

$4.5B
$2.5B
$3.1B
$1.3B
CAGR22-28: 5.8%
$1B

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 22

RF FRONT-END FORECAST: MODULES
Outlook

• Due to the increasing complexity of integrating 5G components along with 4G and other legacy radio components,
complex modules such as LPADs are gaining ground in the market. They offer a compact form factor while packing all
necessary components: PAs, LNAs, filters, and switches.
• However, simpler modules such as MMMB PAs will still be used in combination with antenna switch FEMs, mainly for
LTE handsets.
• In high-end 5G phones, a 2x2 MIMO UL is required, meaning a transmit replication.
• Another driver for complex module growth is the increased output power requested by mobile network operators.
Indeed, in some cases, MNOs request PC 1.5 compliance (i.e., 29dBm at the antenna port) which is not achievable with a
single PA using a conventional technology like GaAs HBT. For this reason, two coherent PC2 PAs will be used instead, as
2x26dBm gives the desired 29dBm.
• LNA front-end module (LFEM) growth will continue being pulled by 4x4 MIMO DL requirements for all phone categories
on HB and UHB frequencies. Two approaches implementing this feature will coexist. The first consists of duplicating the
number of modules to ensure four receive paths for the relevant bands. The second one, likely pulled by a desire for
densification, is the integration of at least two receive paths in a single module connected to two different antennae.
• AiP and mmWave FEM growth will be limited to some geographical regions, i.e., North America, Japan, South Korea,
and a few other countries. Further growth will happen only if another large country beyond the USA goes in this
direction. We estimate that China will not take that path, and Europe is not positioned as an early adopter. Therefore,
growth might come from India, which has just launched its 5G mmWave network.

23
RF FRONT-END FORECAST: DISCRETE COMPONENTS
Outlook

• This segment can be viewed as a commodity market with large volume and relatively low ASP. Discrete components
are easier to procure than modules and available from many vendors. In addition, discrete components offer flexibility to
the OEM in the board design, mainly for entry and mid-tier OEMs that don’t require full-coverage devices supporting
multiple regional bands.
• Filters will remain the dominant component in this segment. The market will increase due to the release of new
frequencies to support the transition to 5G and, consequently, new generations of filters such as BAW SMR, FBAR, and
XBAR resonators.
• In premium phones, the use of antennaplexing, meaning the multiplexing of different radio signals on a single antenna,
will increase as radio standards that accommodate cellular, GPS, WiFi, and UWB along with the growing band
combinations continue to proliferate. As an effect of the increasing use of carrier aggregation and dual connectivity, the
need for multiplexing will become more immediate.
• Growth in LNAs, switches and antenna tuners will be pulled by similar drivers.
• Growth in PMIC envelope tracking and power management circuits will be driven by the need for PA power
consumption optimization over a wider bandwidth with a greater supply voltage. We assume that this function will
continue to be implemented in discrete components as an IC that is utilized for multiple modules, rather than being
integrated into modules that are already crowded with RF components.

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GROWING COMPLEXITY IN WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY

• Unstoppable capacity and data rate growth

• New spectrum: UHB, mmW, 6GHz, etc.
• More CA combinations
• Dual connectivity: EN-DC, NR-DC
• WiFi/cellular interworking
Sub-THz sensing?
• New services and protocols
NR duplex?
• Improved geolocation: GNSS L2/L5, UWB
Sidelink?
• Satellite support Connector-less device?
• Connector-less connectivity NR-U

• And many technical challenges… NTN support

• Limited space 6GHz spectrum

• Linearity and coexistence issues NR-CA

NR-DC
• Efficiency issues
EN-DC
• Power consumption MIMO UL
• Wideband operation MIMO DL
• Weak radio link budget UHB/mmWave support
• Cost efficiency CA HB support LAA support

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FROM SYSTEM LEVEL TO COMPONENT: TECHNOLOGY

• Multi-radio support with MIMO/CA with limited space for antennae GNSS/LB div
WiFi 2.4G/MHB MIMO

• Foldable/flippable phone: adds complexity – antenna detuning cases

GNSS 2
mmWave
• System-level considerations impact component-level technology
• 5G/WiFi/GNSS + MIMO/CA considerations UWB
mmWave
• Antenna sharing and coexistence WiFi 5G MIMO/UHB

• 5G features WiFi 2.4G/MHB MIMO

• Increased power level: PC3 -> PC2 (+PC 1.5) MHB div
WiFi 5G/UHB

• Wideband operation: beyond 100MHz BW LB/MHB main

• Dual connectivity: EN-DC and NR-DC

• More CA combinations

PA LNA Switch Tuner Filter

• Multi-channel • DL MIMO • CA/MIMO • Wide range • Multi band
• Multi-band • Multi-channel • More pole/throw • Efficiency • Steep rejection
• +3 dB linear • Multi-band • Linearity • Linearity • Low IL
• 8-10 dB backoff • Switch integration • Vbd • Vbd • Thermal
• UL MIMO • High sensitivity • Low IL • Low IL compensation
• Low IL • High speed

RFSOI SAW, TC-SAW, ML-SAW

GaAs HBT RFSOI RFSOI/CMOS
SiGe BiCMOS BAW SMR, FBAR, XBAR
GaAs Bi-HEMT CMOS MEMS
CMOS MLC, IPD

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 26

RF FRONT-END SEMICONDUCTOR PLATFORM EVOLUTION
2010 2020 2030 2040

Sub-THz SiGe BiCMOS

LNA
> 100GHz InP

PA
FR2-1 RFSOI

MMIC
20-52GHz CMOS FDSOI
FR3
GaN/Si

PA
7-20GHz
BAW SMR/FBAR
XBAR
Filter

ML-SAW
SAW/TC SAW
BST MEMS
Sub-7GHz

Switch Tuner

CMOS/RFSOI
FR1

P-Si?
GaAs CMOS/RFSOI

SiGe BiCMOS
LNA

GaAs CMOS/RFSOI
GaN/Si?
PA

GaAs
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 27
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
What are the next disruptions to expect?

• GaAs HBT and Bi-HEMT will remain mainstream for sub-7GHz cellular PAs. Both technologies ensure good linearity, high efficiency, low
leakage, and output power requirements for HPUE compliance: PC2/26dBm at the antenna port. MNOs’ demands for even higher output
power – PC1.5/29dBm – will be achieved using two coherent PAs operating at 26dBm. Therefore, there is no need for higher output power
technology. However, related to the dual-stream 2x2 MIMO up-link trend, some OEMs might find any solution that provides much wider
bandwidth than GaAs appealing in order to merge the main bands in the UHB frequency range – N77/N78 and N79 – onto a single PA.
• RF SOI is the mainstream technology for switches and tuners, with RF CMOS as an alternative. Among the emerging technologies, MEMS is
the most promising, especially for antenna tuning. We believe there is a sweet spot for MEMS tuners for high-end antenna tuning cases.
However, manufacturing MEMS tuners at high volumes remains a pain point. PCM switches promise to drastically improve RonxCoff
performance, which has not been sufficient for the technology to penetrate this market so far.
• While SiGe Bi-CMOS is a great fit for high-performance LNAs, RFSOI will take most of the growth due to the attractiveness of its switch
integration capability. In some cases, advanced CMOS remains a competitive alternative.
• High-performance filter technology such as BAW SMR, FBAR, or XBAR will keep gaining momentum as multi-radio coexistence will become
more of a concern. However, legacy SAW technology will maintain a high take-rate from OEMs seeking only a ‘good enough’ solution. On
the other hand, emerging ML SAW technology will continue to gain momentum as it offers thermal compensation along with multi-band
filtering integration in a small form factor. MLC and IPD filters will still be used in the long run due to their cost advantages.
• CMOS MMICs have been the fastest and most cost-effective way to bring 5G mmWave AiP to market. However, the technology has some
drawbacks, such as output power limitation and power consumption linked to efficiency. One piece of evidence of such limitations is the
spectacular disaggregation of commercial AiP done by Apple. Putting the MMIC in a FEM attached to a passive and implementing a larger
antenna has enabled a better radio link budget due to the higher antenna gain. Very recently, we saw FDSOI emerging in this market in 22
and 28nm, and we are expecting this technology to further penetrate the market over the forecast period. Despite the momentum in
FDSOI, we believe that Apple, which is likely to introduce its own mmWave chipset by 2024, will remain conservative and stick to advanced
RF CMOS, though it could be using RFSOI.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 28

WAFER START FORECAST
What does the RF front-end market need?

• The RF front-end market is currently navigating fluctuations following the market recovery from Covid-19 in 2021 and
the market decrease in 2022. Fortunately, many wafer suppliers learned from the recent supply shortage and created
long-term customer agreements.
• Another parameter impacting the wafer start forecast is the move to larger diameters, which is underway and ongoing
for several RF front-end technologies.
• GaAs, RF SOI, silicon, LT and LN are the main substrates needed for RF front-end, driving most of the volume.
• For filters, a new category of substrates is emerging, requiring bonding or layer transfer. Multiple material stacks can be
found on the market, such as LT on LT, LT/LN on silicon, LT/LN on sapphire, and LT/LN on glass. Therefore, in this report,
we group these different engineered substrates in the multi-layer SAW (ML SAW) segment.
• The use of FDSOI substrates is increasing significantly in order to serve MMIC demand for mmWave FEM and AiP
applications.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 29

RF FRONT-END MARKET SHARES
Module and discrete components (PA modules, cellular FEMs, filters, switches, LNAs, tuners, MMICs and AiPs)

• Broadcom led the market with a 19% share in

2022, leveraging its high-end custom PA module 2022 VS. 2021 RFFE MARKET SHARE (%)
offering while adding design wins on diversity
modules.
• Qualcomm ranked second in the RFFE market in
2022, leveraging its end-to-end approach. The
company had a high take rate with Chinese 3%
OEMs but suffered from this exposure in 2022 5%
and the mmWave slowdown. 19%

• Qorvo secured a 15% share, enjoying design wins 3% 2%

12% 17%
across US and Chinese OEMs for their flagship
product lines. 13%
Broadcom
• Skyworks also secured a 15% market share
despite greater exposure to Chinese OEMs and Qualcomm
the growing competition with Qualcomm and Qorvo
other Chinese RF front-end manufacturers.
Inner 2021 $19.1B Skyworks
• Murata was on the low side in 2021, and this trend Outer 2022 $19.2B
15% 20% Murata
continued in 2022. The company accumulated 14%
multiple issues from its exposure to Chinese 17%
Others
OEMs, growing competition around its filters, and
restructuring its module portfolio. The Yen Maxscend
depreciation in Q4 2021 did not help. Vanchip
• The Chinese RF front-end makers Maxscend and
15%
Vanchip are consolidating their market share, 15%
riding the tailwind of market expansion and the
need for localization in the domestic market.
15%
• Other players include MediaTek, NXP, Infineon, 15%
Wisol, etc.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 30

MAIN RF FRONT-END PLAYERS’ REVENUE DEVELOPMENT
Ranking of the main RF front-end players

• Broadcom was the only top-five RFFE company

to record growth in 2022. Its wireless Business Top 5 ‘RFFE’ revenue, $M
Unit grew 10% in CY2022. Broadcom continues to
lead the market, benefiting from the ramp-up of $25,000
5G flagship models launched by its major
customers: Samsung and Apple. Wi-Fi
connectivity has also greatly contributed to
revenue growth as the company is at the
forefront of Wi-Fi6/6E SoCs. $20,000
$6,839
• Qualcomm’s RFFE segment revenue decreased
by 8% in CY2022. Indeed, competition from China $7,500
in the low- and mid-tier segment and expected $5,611
mmWave adoption have limited the company’s
revenue growth. However, Qualcomm still is
ahead of Skyworks and Qorvo. $15,000
$4,640 $4,229
• Murata’s HF device and communication module $3,010
segment dropped 18% in CY2022 following $3,898
growing competition and demand weakness.
Indeed, Murata faces more competition in the $1,613
$10,000 $2,605 $3,490
filter business while restructuring its module
activity to improve its profitability. We expect $2,284 $2,817
Murata to invest more in the premium segment.
The first visible sign of this is an investment in $2,883
Resonant for its XBAR technology. $2,234 $3,523
$3,248
• Skyworks and Qorvo recorded an 8% and 19% $5,000
decline in their mobile segment, respectively, in
CY2022. Again, market weakness and growing $5,331 $5,865
competition are behind these revenue decreases. $4,855
$3,992
Both companies prepared for such a scenario and
have anticipated it through investments in other
market verticals. $-
CY19 CY20 CY21 CY22

Murata Skyworks Qorvo Qualcomm Broadcom

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 31

RF COMPONENT ECOSYSTEM

IDM

PA LNA/Switch Tuner Filter Module and Packaging Module Discrete

Fabless/Fablite Foundries OSAT Fabless

PA LNA/Switch Tuner Filter SoC CS Silicon Specialty Module and Packaging Module Discrete

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 32

ECOSYSTEM AND TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE: KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The RF front-end market reached over $19B in 2021 but flattened in 2022 following demand weakness and inventory
correction.
• In 2021, Qualcomm led the market with its end-to-end approach, followed by Broadcom’s custom PA module offering.
Skyworks and Qorvo have similar company profiles with a broad RF portfolio serving all market segments, although
Skyworks has been more exposed to increased Chinese competition. Murata’s revenue was low, suffering from growing
competition on its filters and restructuring its module portfolio.
• In 2022, traditional players were impacted by the deterioration in the macroeconomic environment. Except for
Broadcom, revenues generated by companies in RFFE-related segments have decreased.
• The Chinese RF front-end ecosystem has been growing, with fabless companies mainly emerging, most taking a share
of their local market. Maxscend, Vanchip, and Smarter Micro are the most relevant examples, though Maxscend recently
invested in upgrading to a fablite business model. There is a long list of companies with great ambitions and access to
financial capital through public offerings on the STAR market. However, not all initiatives will succeed, and we expect
consolidation to happen in the mid-term.
• To sum up, Chinese RF front-end players capture a limited fraction of the market, as OEMs still rely on the leading
players for their premium products, but the largest Chinese companies are on their way to catching up with the leaders.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 33

SPECTRUM RESOURCES ON THE RISE
Frequency (GHz)

4G LTE
FR 5G NR
4 Refarming
92
E

V N262
FR2
N259 & N260
Ka
N257 & N261
N258
20

Ku
FR3

7 N102 & N104

UHB N79
N77 & N78
3
HB B7,38,40,41 N41
FR1
2
B1,2,3,25,34,39 N255 & N256
MB
1.5
LB
B5,8,12,20,28,71 N28 & N71
0.6
ULB
0.45
Timeline 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 34

WHERE ARE WE HEADING IN THE CELLULAR RF FRONT-END SEGMENT?

• 3GPP keeps adding new features, expanding use cases.

• Growth in the cellular RF front-end market is not likely to stop.

5G Advanced and 6G Timeline

5G phase 1 5G phase 2 5G phase 3 5G-Advanced

NR bands FR1/FR2-1 NR bands FR2-2 NR bands FR2-2 AI/ML for NR

MIMO MIMO improved NR-light/RedCap NR-CA
Beamforming EN/NR-DC improved NR for NTN network Multi Rx DL FR2
Dual connectivity Extended range MIMO improved NR duplex operation
LAA unlicensed WiFi/NR interworking Sidelink improved Band combination simplification
Satellite 5G UE power saving Positioning improved Air to ground NR network for IoT

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 35

CONTEXT

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 36

INTRODUCTION

• Wireless communication used to be essential for mobile

phones. Nowadays, it is a supporting technology that is
evolving to leverage the best of associated technologies, from
cameras to displays.
• Wireless communication standards have therefore evolved
from 1G to 5G, bringing new capabilities at each generation,
leading to improved performance while maintaining small
component size and a reasonable cost.
• This has only been possible thanks to a complete ecosystem
supporting the RF front-end industry, including foundries, chip
designers, packaging and assembly houses, etc. As a sub-
segment of the mobile phone, the RF front-end segment is
driven by smartphone OEMs whose strategy is defined in
accordance with Mobile Networks Operators, which invest in
developing progressive cellular standard generations. One key
aspect is interoperability across the world, which regulatory
bodies such as 3GPP are managing.
• This report aims to provide insights into how this business
operates, what is at stake, and how it will evolve.

Source: Qorvo 2022

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 37

MARKET FORECASTS

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 38

MOBILE PHONE MARKET FORECAST
Looking back on our 2021 forecast

• In our last annual report edition, 2022 vs. 2021 smartphone production forecast (Munits)
published in June 2021, we anticipated
market recovery in 2021 after the majority 1500
of the Covid-19 lockdowns, followed by
inventory correction in 2022.
• In fact, actual smartphone production 1450
numbers were lower in 2021 compared to Inventory
our expectation, mainly due to the impact correction
of the semiconductor component
shortage. Still, it was the first growth Shortages
1400
phase since 2017.
• The inventory correction phase
anticipated for 2022 happened, but
external factors exacerbated its scale. 1350
Geopolitics
• Geopolitical tensions, the war in Ukraine, + Inflation
and tensions in Taiwan led to an + Covid-19
unprecedented rise in energy prices,
1300
reinforcing the inflation that was just
starting to become a problem.
• On top of this, recurring Covid-19 waves
amid the Zero-Covid policy in China 1250
caused plant lockdowns.
• Following the actions of the central
banks, inflation is expected to decrease in
1200
2023 and 2024, which has prompted our
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
optimistic forecast.
Smartphones 2022 Smartphones 2021

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 39

Segmentation

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 40

MOBILE PHONE MARKET SEGMENTATION
Three main segments
< $250 $250-$500 >$500

Entry-level Mid-tier Premium

A series A series S20, S21, S22 Z Fold 3

M series Z Fold 4

iPhone SE iPhone 12
2020, 2022 iPhone 13
iPhone 14

Redmi Mi Pro and

Note Mi Lite POCO F4 Ultra

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 41

 MOBILE PHONE FORECAST BY REGION

2018-2028 mobile phone volume forecast per region (Munits)

1600

1400

Mobile phone volume (Munits)

After an intense
1200
but short recovery
period in 2021, the
smartphone 1000
market has been
hard-hit by 800
multiple issues in
2022, from
recurring Covid-19 600
waves causing
lockdowns to 400
inflation concerns
coming from
geopolitical 200
tensions. China has
been particularly 0
impacted as well as CAGR
Eastern Europe. 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 (2022-
2028)
MEA 136 127 121 120 124 102 108 113 116 117 115 -1%
CALA 107 111 111 113 109 109 114 119 123 126 124 2%
Europe 202 196 184 193 170 163 166 173 179 183 181 1%
North America 162 159 150 159 149 147 149 155 160 163 161 1%
China 392 374 301 342 265 288 297 309 321 327 322 3%
Rest of APAC 430 417 434 438 414 411 416 432 451 464 458 2%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 42

MOBILE PHONE FORECAST AIR STANDARD

2018-2028 mobile phone volume forecast per air standard (Munits)

1600

1400

1200
Mobile phone volume (Munits)

1000
5G penetration will
continue through
to 2028, surpassing 800
1Bunits. 3G and 4G
support will
consequently 600
decrease.
400

200

0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
(2022-2028)
5G 0 31 250 550 603 706 796 894 996 1082 1116 12%
4G 1313 1276 992 770 595 495 440 396 346 292 240 -13%
3G 116 78 58 45 31 20 14 10 8 6 4 -29%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 43

MOBILE PHONE FORECAST BY MARKET SEGMENT

2018-2028 mobile phone volume forecast per segment (Munits)

1600

1400

1200
Mobile phone volume (Munits)

1000
During the 2021
recovery phase,
OEMs prioritized 800
their mid-tier and Entry level
premium models.
600 Mid Tier
OEMs continued
this strategy in Premium
2022 to secure 400
profitability.

200

0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 (2022-
2028)
Entry level 738 710 647 640 559 536 542 560 579 584 558 1%
Mid Tier 369 366 353 373 346 344 357 377 398 413 411 4%
Premium 321 309 299 352 325 340 351 363 373 383 391 3%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 44

FOCUS ON THE CHINESE MARKET

• China adopted 5G very rapidly in 2020 and

2021, with almost 78% of smartphones Chinese mobile phone market shipment volume per quarter (Munits)
shipped implementing 5G in 2021. MNOs in 120
China offered attractive 5G plans, sometimes
at a lower cost than the 4G ones, pushed by
government incentives. As a result, 4G phone
shipments started to decline from 2020. 100
• 5G progress in the country has been
considered a national strategic priority,

Mobile phone volume (Munits)

supported by a growing device ecosystem
and aggressive network rollouts. Operators in 80
China have deployed over 1.4 million 5G base
stations, and we expect this number to grow
significantly by 2028.
• This strategy boosted the mobile market 60
until 2021. The market suffered a decline in
early 2022. The Zero-Covid policy and the
associated fab lockdowns, consumer inability
to procure goods, and growing inflation have 40
caused a market slowdown throughout 2022.
• As a result, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, which
were hoping to benefit from Huawei’s
decline, have seen diminishing sales in their 20
local market. Meanwhile, Apple performed
better with its iPhone 14 than in previous
years.
0
• The Chinese growth engine put on the Q1-19 Q2-19 Q3-19 Q4-19 Q1-20 Q2-20 Q3-20 Q4-20 Q1-21 Q2-21 Q3-21 Q4-21 Q1-22 Q3-22
Q4E-
brakes in 2022. Will India be the next China? 22
5G 0 0 2 14 14 46 47 52 75 60 59 86 58 50 54
4G 77 100 97 85 34 54 29 26 21 14 12 15 10 8 8

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 45

SMARTPHONE VOLUME FORECAST PER AIR STANDARD
2022, a pivotal year for 5G smartphone volume

2018-2028 mobile phone volume forecast per air standard (Munits)

1600
1429
1384 1365 1380 1360
1400 1350
1313 1300 1300
1276 1250
1230 1220
1200 1116
Mobile phone volume (Munits)

1082

In 2022, 5G 992 996

1000
growth was 894

significantly 770 796

800
lower than in 706 3G
2020 and 2021, 603 4G
600 550
though 5G 595 495 5G
440
phone volume 396 All
346
surpassed 4G. 400
292
250 240

200 116
78 58
31 45 31 20
0 14 10 8 6 4
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
3G 116 78 58 45 31 20 14 10 8 6 4
4G 1313 1276 992 770 595 495 440 396 346 292 240
5G 0 31 250 550 603 706 796 894 996 1082 1116
All 1429 1384 1300 1365 1230 1220 1250 1300 1350 1380 1360

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 46

SMARTPHONE VOLUME FORECAST PER AIR STANDARD
5G sub-7GHz will remain mainstream

• The so-called mid-band (sub-7GHz) 2018-2028 mobile phone volume forecast per air standard (Munits)
was the most-used spectrum in 2022. 1600
GSMA recommends making 2GHz of
bandwidth available in the sub-7GHz 1400
spectrum in the next decade to serve a
wide range of use cases cost- 1200

Mobile phone volume (Munits)

effectively. We predict a ramp-up in
this technology, with a 10% CAGR from 1000
2022 to 2028, as it becomes the
dominant air standard. 800

• The 5G mmWave volume was limited 600

in 2021, and 2022. Most mmWave
rollouts are oriented toward FWA-type 400
use cases, making mmWave support
in handsets unrelated to MNOs’ 200
investment in the field. Regarding the
smartphone market, we expect this 0
CAGR
trend to continue over the forecast 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
period, with the duopoly of Apple and 2028
5G w/ mmW 0 1 32 90 96 102 110 120 129 143 153 8%
Samsung via their 5G mmWave
5G sub-7 0 29 218 460 507 604 686 774 867 939 963 11%
flagship models. 4G 1313 1276 992 770 595 495 440 396 346 292 240 -14%
3G 116 78 58 45 31 20 14 10 8 6 4 -28%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 47

CELLPHONE MARKET DYNAMICS – OUTLOOK
Hard times for the cellphone industry. Will emerging markets be the key?

• The cell phone market recovered in 2021 following the dip caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. However, pre-
Covid-19 levels have not been reached due to chip supply shortages.
• In 2022, the smartphone industry was seriously impacted following a global macroeconomic downturn: a market decline
with high inflation caused by geopolitical tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions between China and
Taiwan. This downturn resulted in consumer hesitancy in purchasing new phones, thus pushing OEMs to enter an
inventory correction phase. The Zero-Covid policy in China further destabilized the smartphone manufacturing industry.
• Despite these challenging conditions, 5G phone production reached parity with 4G phone production in 2022, though
we believe the market penetration of 5G would have been higher without the aforementioned external factors. 5G
resilience can be explained by the fact that OEMs have prioritized their premium segments.
• We expect the mobile market to be flattish in 2023, as we don’t see any short-term improvement in the global economic
situation and, thus, no impetus for recovery.
• In the longer term, growth should come from emerging countries such as India, which might offset the Chinese market
decline over the next few years.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 48

RFFE MARKET SEGMENTATION
RF front-end, connectivity, baseband and RF

RF signal amplification,
filtering and rooting
Digital Analog up/down up/down to the
signal coding conversion antennae
This report
focuses on
the cellular Cellular Scope of this report
Baseband
Cellular RF RF
RF front-end Transceiver Front-End
market, with SoC
some insights
into
baseband
and RF
transceivers.
Wi-Fi and
UWB are not
covered.
Connectivity Connectivity Featured in the
SoC RF smartphone RF
monitor.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 49

RF FRONT-END, BASEBAND AND RF MARKET FORECAST
5G will boost the RF front-end, and baseband and RF markets

• For better visibility, we have added 5G 2018-2028 overall market forecast by segment ($M)
mmWave as a new segment, including $60,000
mmWave RF front-end and IF
transceivers.
• The overall market was boosted in 2021 $50,000
following a strong 5G uptake. 2022 has
been flat due to weakness in the
smartphone market. In the mid-term, $40,000
we foresee a mid- to high-single-digit
growth before the market reaches a

Market ($M)
plateau once 5G is established. $30,000

• Looking at the plotted data, the RF

front-end market is likely to keep
growing significantly as an effect of $20,000
the increase in component complexity,
while the baseband and RF transceiver
market will flatten as an effect of $10,000
silicon scaling and increasing
competition.
• Finally, 5G mmWave will add an $-
CAGR
interesting market opportunity but its 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
2028
contribution will remain minor. Baseband & RF $16,244 $16,453 $17,484 $20,613 $19,590 $20,567 $22,538 $23,641 $23,947 $24,004 $23,302 3%
5G mmW $- $29 $501 $1,429 $1,485 $1,782 $1,814 $1,901 $1,976 $2,121 $2,195 7%
RFFE $11,245 $11,041 $12,596 $17,693 $17,733 $19,252 $20,486 $22,353 $23,593 $24,552 $24,709 6%

(*) 5G mmWave: including RFFE and RF transceivers

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 50

LEVERAGING TEARDOWNS FOR OUR ANALYSIS
New teardowns from 2021/2022

Entry Level , 6

55 phones
Premium, 30
Mid Tier , 19

Yole System
Plus has
analyzed over
50 phones
OnePlus; 1
across various Google; 2Nokia ; 1
OEMs and Nokia ; 2
Samsung; 12
market Asus; 2

segments. Motorola ; 2

Huawei ; 3

Apple; 3
55 phones
Oppo; 7

ZTE; 4

Vivo ; 4 Xiaomi;6
Realme; 6

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 51

LEVERAGING TEARDOWNS FOR OUR ANALYSIS
A representative source of data For more information on
tracks, click on image
alongside.

iPhone 13 Find X3 Pro X60 Pro S22 ultra S22+ Z Flip3 12 Pro X70 Pro Rog 5 Find X5 Pro

Phone
teardowns
are selected Reno 6 5G 9 Pro 5G Pixel6 Pro
across major ZenFone 8 P50 Pro
A52 Black shark 4 Redmi Note11 A72
A32 5G Poco F4 GT
OEMs and
phone
segments,
spanning a
wide bill-of- X70 Pro 5G F19 Pro+ 5G
Mi Mix4
material X100 5G
range. Axon 30 5G Nubia 6S Pro
GT Neo 2 Nova 9 Pro

A21 In Note 1

Non-exhaustive list of smartphones analyzed RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 52
RF FRONT-END BILL OF MATERIALS
A wide range across air standard and phone segments

• 4G Entry-level ($5-$7) • 4G Mid-tier ($10-$13) • 4G Premium ($17-$25)

Filter Tuner
Filter Filter Tuner Tuner
PAM Filter Tuner PAM Filter
Filter Tuner PAM Filter
Filter Tuner

FEM LPAD LFEM

MMMB PAD LNA PAD LFEM
FEM LNA PAD LFEM
LFEM LNA PAD LFEM LNA
PA

Switch
PMIC Switch PMIC Switch PMIC Switch

• 5G Entry-level ($10-$13) • 5G Mid-tier ($15-$20) • 5G Premium ($25-$30)*

Tuner
Filter
Filter Tuner
Filter Filter Tuner Filter Tuner
Filter Tuner Filter Tuner Filter Tuner
PAM Filter Tuner PAM Filter Tuner PAM Filter Tuner

MMMB LNA LNA MIMO

FEM LNA PAD FEM LNA LPAD LFEM
PAD
PA
PAD LNA PAD PAD LFEM
LFEM PAD LFEM
LFEM LNA PAD LPAD
MIMO LFEM LNA

Switch Switch MIMO

PMIC MIMO Switch PMIC MIMO PMIC MIMO
MIMO MIMO Switch LFEM
MIMO Switch
PMIC FEM Switch PMIC FEM Switch PMIC LFEM Switch
LFEM LFEM LFEM

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 53

RF Front-End Market Forecast

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 54

CELLULAR RF FRONT-END COMPONENTS
Definitions

• We define the cellular RF front-end as the bill-of-materials for components between the transceiver and the antenna.
• In the cellular RF front-end bill-of-materials, we include modules and discrete components intended for amplifying,
routing, filtering, or tuning radio signals.
• Modules PAM MMMB PA PAD LPAD
• Transmit modules or PA modules PMIC PMIC PMIC

Switch

Switch
PMIC Filter Filter

Switch

Switch
Switch

Switch

Switch

LNA
Filter Filter
Filter Filter
PA PA PA Filter PA Filter
PA PA PA

• Receive modules: diversity and MIMO module FEM LFEM

Filter Filter

Switch

Switch
Filter

LNA
Filter
Filter Filter
Filter Filter

• Discrete components
• Filters: Single Tx or Rx filters, duplexers, multiplexers, diplexers, antennaplexers
• LNA: Single band LNAs, LNA banks
• Switch: Cross-switches, DPD switches, antenna switches, SRS switches
• Tuner: Aperture tuners, impedance tuners
• PMIC: Envelope trackers, average power trackers

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 55

CELLULAR RF FRONT-END MODULE DESCRIPTION
Increasing integration and complexity

5G mmWave support
MMIC, PMIC (FEM eventually)
Multi radio support: 3G and 4G, 4G and 5G and integrated antenna
PA, switches, filter, duplexer, multiplexer (and LNA for LPAD)
Optional

Antennas
Duplexer PMIC
LNA FEM
Multi-radio support PA

Switch
MMIC
2G and 3G, 3G and 4G LNA

es
PA

Switch
Filter
Single radio support No filter function PMIC

es
Switches
PA
2G, 3G, 4G or 5G Filter PMIC Filter
PMIC

Switches
PMIC
PMIC
Switches

PA
PA

PMIC

antennas
External
MMIC

Filter
Switches
Switches

LNA
Filter
5G mmWave support
MMIC, PMIC

Multiple radio support Multiple radio support

Filter and switches Filter, switches and LNA

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 56

MARKET SEGMENTATION
Air standards

• Cellular front-end segmentation by air standard has been applied as follows:

• Standalone 2G PAM is classified as 2G.
• MMMB PAs aggregating 2G/3G and standalone 3G PAM are counted as 3G.
• MMMB PAs aggregating 2G/3G/4G, 2G/4G, 3G/4G are counted as 4G.
Air standard • Components and modules enabling 4G connectivity are counted as 4G.
segmentation is
quite complex • Components and modules enabling 5G sub-7GHz connectivity (i.e., PADs, FEMs, LFEMs, LNA
as multiple banks, discrete switches, standalone filters, etc.) are counted as 5G.
generations can
be mixed on a • PAs and receive modules aggregating 4G/5G (i.e., LB PADs, MB-HB PADs, 4G/5G FEMs, etc.)
single are counted as 5G.
component. In
our forecast, we • Components enabling 5G mmWave (i.e., AiPs and FEMs) connectivity are counted as 5G
stick with the mmWave.
latest supported
air standard.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 57

RF FRONT-END MARKET FORECAST
Breakdown by air standard

2018-2028 RF front-end market forecast by air standard ($M)

$30,000
• The 2021 market uptake modeled in
our 2021 report has materialized
beyond our expectations. $25,000

• No further growth is to be expected at

the end of 2022 as smartphone $20,000
production plunged and mmWave

Market ($M)
penetration stabilized, while 5G sub-
$15,000
7GHz penetration has been lower than
our expectations.
• We estimate the RF front-end market $10,000

still has some potential for growth over

the next five years but will plateau by $5,000
2027 below $27B.
• This is the perfect time for chip makers $-
CAGR
to consider their transition to the next 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-

air standard, i.e., 6G, to drive revenue 5G mmW $- $29 $501 $1,429 $1,485 $1,782 $1,814 $1,901 $1,976 $2,121 $2,195
2028
7%
growth. 5G sub-7 $- $674 $5,179 $11,893 $13,224 $15,487 $17,181 $19,404 $21,056 $22,426 $22,976 10%
4G $10,719 $9,883 $6,973 $5,294 $4,124 $3,431 $2,997 $2,671 $2,294 $1,914 $1,539 -15%
3G $73 $49 $38 $30 $22 $14 $10 $7 $5 $4 $3 -27%
2G $453 $434 $406 $476 $363 $320 $297 $272 $238 $208 $191 -10%
Report 2021 $12,019 $12,417 $14,202 $17,391 $18,742 $19,595 $20,409 $21,346

Note: Discrepancies between current data and the 2021 report for CY 2018, 2019, and 2020 are due to the removal of
feature phones from the analysis to comply with the segmentations used in this version of the report.
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 58
MARKET SEGMENTATION
Module, die and discrete

• A module is defined as an assembly of multiple dies of various LNA

Switches
PA
technologies (i.e., GaAs, SAW, BAW, or RF SOI), enabling various
functions (i.e., PAs, LNAs, switches, filters, etc.) within the module. It is a PMIC Filter
System-in-Package (SiP), leveraging advanced packaging techniques to
merge all necessary components – both dies and passives – and Module = multiple dies with different functions
To accurately implement appropriate shielding methods to minimize potential
estimate interference.
market size, we
analyze the • A die refers to a piece of circuit derived from a wafer after dicing Die

module/discrete intended to be embedded in a module or a discrete component. A die

level and then can be assembled in a module or a discrete component using wire Die Die Die

go down to the
bonding (bare die) or in a flip-chip configuration (packaged die). In this
die/discrete Die

level for a fair

report, we assume the die is at the wafer level.
comparison of • A discrete component is a packaged die that performs a single function:
the different Die = piece of wafer with a single function
switching, tuning, amplifying, or filtering. We also classify multi-die
technologies
and players. multiplexers (e.g., duplexers or quadplexers) as discrete components.
They are intended for filtering even though multiple bands or frequency
ranges can pass through them. Die Die Die

• We don’t address passives in this report. Passives are R, L, and C

components for multiple functions, such as impedance matching. Discrete = single/multiple dies with a single function

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 MARKET SEGMENTATION
Module and discrete approaches
Module Discrete
Tx Filter n
Tx Filter n
Tx Filter
Tx1 Filter n

Switch n

Switch n
Antenna
PAn

Tx/Rx
Tx Filter 1

Tx/Rx n

Switch n
Antenna
PAn

Tx/Rx
Switch
Tx Filter 1

Switch n

Cross Switch n
Antenna
PA1 PAn Tx Filter n
Mplexer n PAn

Switch
PA1

Tx/Rx
Main

Main
RF front-end
PA1 Mplexer n Tx Filter 1
devices come in MplexerMplexer
1 n PA1
various forms in Mplexer 1

Switch
mobile phones. Mplexer 1

Switch
Cross

Switch n
Antenna
Integrated Duplexer n

Switch
Cross
architectures Duplexer n

Switch 1
Duplexer 1

Tx/Rx

Switch 1
Antenna
enable the best Duplexer n

Tx/Rx 1
LNA Duplexer 1 Duplexer n

Tx/Rx

Antenna 1
Antenna
Transceiver

Transceiver
Switch
performance and

Switch 1
LNA Duplexer 1 Mplexer n

Switch
Switch 1
board optimization,
LNA Duplexer 1
as well as Rx Filter n Mplexer 1
simplifying Rx Filter n
assembly for the Rx FilterRx1 Filter n
Rx Filter 1

Switch
Rx Filter n

Cross
OEM, while the
discrete approach Rx Filter 1
is the path to take Rx Filter 1
for bill-of-material
optimization and
supply chain
Diversity

Diversity
Rx Filter n
/MIMO

/MIMO
flexibility.
LNA
Rx Switch

Antenna
Rx Filter 1

Rx Switch
Switch

Antenna
Switch
Rx Switch

Rx Filter n

Antenna
LNA

Switch
Rx Filter n
Rx Switch

LNA

Antenna
Rx Filter 1

Switch
LNA Rx Filter
Rx Filter 1 n Rx Filter n
LNA
Rx Filter 1 Rx Filter 1

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RF FRONT-END MARKET FORECAST
Module and discrete market value

2022-2028 RF front-end market forecast – Modules and discretes ($M)

$30,000

As the RF
$25,000
component
density
continues to $20,000
increase, the
Market ($M)

trend towards
in-module $15,000
integration will
keep increasing.
On the other $10,000
hand, discrete
components
will remain a $5,000
significant
alternative over
the forecast $-
CAGR
period. 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
Discrete $4,179 $4,623 $5,050 $6,396 $6,333 $7,001 $7,492 $8,162 $8,628 $8,995 $8,944 6%
Module $7,066 $6,447 $8,047 $12,726 $12,885 $14,032 $14,808 $16,092 $16,942 $17,678 $17,960 6%
Report 2021 $12,019 $12,417 $14,202 $17,391 $18,742 $19,595 $20,409 $21,346

Note: Discrepancies between current data and the 2021 report for CY 2018, 2019, and 2020 are due to the removal of feature phones
from the analysis to comply with the segmentations used in this version of the report.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 61

RF FRONT-END MODULE MARKET FORECAST
Breakdown by type of module

• LPAD-type components are the most 2018-2028 RF front-end market value forecast breakdown by module type ($M)
complex SiP module among the sub- $20,000
7GHz components. It will exhibit 7%
$18,000
CAGR growth from 2022 to 2028.
LFEM-type components will strongly $16,000

increase as well. $14,000

• Module growth is reflecting the $12,000

Market ($M)
growing complexity in RF front-end
$10,000
devices.
$8,000
• Regarding mmWave, AiP is the main
format and will exhibit the highest $6,000

growth, with a 5% CAGR over the $4,000

forecast period. Nevertheless, revenues
$2,000
generated by this segment will remain
limited as long as mmWave doesn’t $-
CAGR

expand into more large markets such 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
2028

as North America. mmWave FEM $- $- $98 $353 $375 $406 $400 $406 $419 $433 $433 2%
AiP $- $23 $259 $646 $643 $689 $686 $721 $754 $828 $874 5%

• As 5G penetrates and becomes LFEM $2,088 $1,840 $1,821 $2,626 $2,669 $2,946 $3,154 $3,625 $3,868 $4,087 $4,154 8%
FEM $528 $578 $581 $510 $441 $397 $390 $365 $361 $347 $341 -4%
established, RF front-end market LPAD $1,882 $1,493 $3,331 $6,926 $7,417 $8,380 $9,004 $9,831 $10,436 $10,930 $11,175 7%
growth will slow down. PAD $998 $985 $636 $367 $321 $286 $277 $278 $268 $249 $217 -6%
PAM $453 $434 $406 $476 $363 $320 $297 $272 $238 $208 $191 -10%
MMMB PA $1,116 $1,094 $915 $822 $656 $607 $599 $595 $597 $595 $575 -2%

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RF FRONT-END MODULE VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by type of module
2018-2028 RF front-end volume forecast breakdown by module type (Munits)

10000

Component volume (Munits)

The growth in 8000
module volume
was boosted in
2021 with the
6000
introduction of 5G
features such as
4x4 MIMO DL and
2x2 MIMO UL in 4000
some cases,
establishing a new
baseline. The
2000
decline in 2022 is
correlated with
weakness in the
market. Further 0
growth will come CAGR
from 5G 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
2028
penetration into
the mid-tier mmWave FEM 0 0 18 66 73 77 83 90 95 101 104 6%
segment. AiP 0 4 45 113 116 121 131 143 153 171 185 8%
LFEM 2144 1886 2193 3419 3349 3531 3733 4016 4281 4502 4564 5%
FEM 441 431 395 389 325 293 279 268 253 246 238 -5%
LPAD 470 404 1112 2182 2272 2539 2782 3066 3346 3589 3690 8%
PAD 682 654 423 242 202 172 159 153 146 134 112 -9%
PAM 923 840 746 812 628 563 528 490 439 388 364 -9%
MMMB PA 1253 1204 1044 971 800 744 735 736 746 751 726 -2%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 63

RF FRONT-END FORECAST: MODULES
Outlook

• Due to the increasing complexity of integrating 5G components along with 4G and other legacy radio components,
complex modules such as LPADs are gaining ground in the market. They offer a compact form factor while packing all
necessary components: PAs, LNAs, filters, and switches.
• However, simpler modules such as MMMB PAs will still be used in combination with antenna switch FEMs, mainly for
LTE handsets.
• In high-end 5G phones, a 2x2 MIMO UL is required, meaning a transmit replication.
• Another driver for complex module growth is the increased output power requested by mobile network operators.
Indeed, in some cases, MNOs request PC 1.5 compliance (i.e., 29dBm at the antenna port) which is not achievable with a
single PA using a conventional technology like GaAs HBT. For this reason, two coherent PC2 PAs will be used instead, as
2x26dBm gives the desired 29dBm.
• LNA front-end module (LFEM) growth will continue being pulled by 4x4 MIMO DL requirements for all phone categories
on HB and UHB frequencies. Two approaches implementing this feature will coexist. The first consists of duplicating the
number of modules to ensure four receive paths for the relevant bands. The second one, likely pulled by a desire for
densification, is the integration of at least two receive paths in a single module connected to two different antennae.
• AiP and mmWave FEM growth will be limited to some geographical regions, i.e., North America, Japan, South Korea,
and a few other countries. Further growth will happen only if another large country beyond the USA goes in this
direction. We estimate that China will not take that path, and Europe is not positioned as an early adopter. Therefore,
growth might come from India, which has just launched its 5G mmWave network.

64
RF FRONT-END DISCRETE MARKET VALUE FORECAST
Breakdown by type of discrete component

2018-2028 RF front-end market forecast breakdown by discrete type ($M)

$10,000
• The discrete component market still is
a significant one that represents a $9,000
large business opportunity. $8,000

$7,000

Market forecast ($M)

• When looking at 5G implementation $6,000
schemes for entry-level phones, we
$5,000
have pushed back our predictions for
adoption beyond 2023, i.e., at a time $4,000

when 5G hits emerging markets where $3,000

many consumers have only modest
$2,000
incomes.
$1,000

$-
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
2028
IF RxTx $- $6 $145 $430 $467 $686 $728 $773 $803 $860 $888 11%
PMIC $237 $267 $412 $678 $711 $803 $883 $952 $988 $1,007 $994 6%
Tuner $747 $837 $989 $1,440 $1,417 $1,507 $1,599 $1,744 $1,816 $1,871 $1,881 5%
Switch $337 $416 $472 $561 $552 $614 $690 $771 $859 $928 $927 9%
LNA/switch $330 $428 $460 $511 $536 $626 $733 $846 $966 $1,072 $1,066 12%
LNA $90 $101 $103 $124 $124 $133 $140 $146 $153 $158 $161 4%
Filter $2,437 $2,567 $2,470 $2,652 $2,527 $2,632 $2,718 $2,929 $3,044 $3,099 $3,027 3%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 65

RF FRONT-END DISCRETE VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by type of discrete component

2018-2028 RF front-end volume forecast breakdown by discrete type (Munits)

60000

50000

Component volume (Munits)

Despite the
growing
complexity of RF 40000

front-end devices,
in-module 30000
integration is not
the only way to
go. We foresee 20000
consolidation of
the discrete
10000
component
market, with
standalone filters, 0
CAGR
switches and 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
LNAs, and, of IF RxTx 0 1.5 32 90 96 102 110 120 129 143 153 8%
course, tuners. PMIC 1245 1301 1673 2417 2377 2506 2631 2786 2922 3023 3046 4%
Tuner 4567 5292 6029 8155 7819 8248 8689 9500 9961 10308 10332 5%
Switch 5099 6016 6594 7319 6861 7312 7876 8601 9339 9911 9880 6%
LNA/switch 1534 1863 1827 1814 1682 1739 1862 2006 2136 2232 2183 4%
LNA 2214 2623 2684 2887 2730 2781 2845 2923 3015 3067 3080 2%
Filter 22384 23792 23422 25248 23756 24671 25866 27891 29321 30215 29610 4%

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RF FRONT-END FORECAST: DISCRETE COMPONENTS
Outlook

• This segment can be viewed as a commodity market with large volume and relatively low ASP. Discrete components
are indeed easiest to procure than modules and available from many vendors. In addition, discrete components offer
flexibility to the OEM in the board design, mainly for Entry and Mid-Tier OEM segment, that don’t require full coverage
devices supporting multiple regional bands.
• Filters will remain the dominant component in this segment. It will increase due to new frequencies to support with the
transition to 5G and consequently new generations of filters such as BAW SMR, FBAR and XBAR resonators.
• In premium phones, the use of antennaplexing, meaning the multiplexing of different radio signals on a single antenna,
will increase as the radio standard to accommodate (cellular, GPS, WiFi, UWB) along with the growing band
combinations will keep exploding. As an effect of an increasing use of carrier aggregation and dual connectivity, the
need for multiplexing will grow as well.
• LNAs, switches and antenna tuners growth will be pulled by similar drivers.
• The growth in PMIC (envelope tracking and power management circuits) will be driven by the need for PA power
consumption optimization over a wider bandwidth while having a greater supply voltage. We assume that this function
will continue to be implemented in discrete components as an IC that is utilized for multiple modules, rather than being
integrated into modules that are already crowded with RF components.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 67

RF Component-Level Market Forecast

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CELLULAR RF FRONT-END COMPONENTS
Classification

• The volumes given in the following forecasts are based on physical dies, even though a physical die often has multiple
functions, for instance, dual-band PAs, multiple-in-one filters, etc.
• We adopted this approach to be better able to analyze the size of the wafer-level market.
• Component classification is linked to die function; e.g., the PA segment is defined as dies intended for signal power
amplification.
• The MMIC category includes integrated mmWave transceivers/front-end components featured in AiP or in mmWave
FEM devices.
• Certain components have been merged into a single category to reduce the number of component classes:
• RFIC is the sum of MIPI controllers, impedance matching circuits, couplers, and PMICs.
• ET is the sum of envelope trackers and average power trackers intended for power consumption management
or power boosting.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 69

PA MARKET FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 PA market forecast breakdown by technology ($M)

$2,500

$2,000

Since 2G, GaAs

has been the
only technology
$1,500
platform for
Market ($M)

cellular PAs as it
offers the best
tradeoff
$1,000
between
linearity, output
power, and
power
consumption. $500

$-
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
GaAs Bi-HEMT $70 $47 $47 $94 $99 $102 $103 $106 $107 $107 $109 2%
GaAs HBT $1,165 $1,073 $1,207 $1,725 $1,644 $1,696 $1,757 $1,837 $1,909 $1,965 $1,961 3%

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PA VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 PA volume forecast breakdown by technology (Munits)

9000

8000
The PA volume
produced 7000
substantially
Component volume (Munits)

increased in 2021 6000

due to new 5G
bands and 5000
features. As for
2022, market 4000
weakness led to a
slight decrease in 3000
volumes.
However, further 2000
growth is to be
expected in the
1000
next five years.

0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
GaAs Bi-HEMT 306 246 222 450 472 492 500 519 528 536 545 2%
GaAs HBT 4911 4701 5076 6600 6178 6421 6802 7273 7770 8193 8253 5%

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SWITCH MARKET FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 switch market value forecast breakdown by technology ($M)

$3,000

RFSOI is set to $2,500

remain the
mainstream
technology for
switches, as the $2,000
best
Market ($M)

cost/performance
tradeoff, with
$1,500
CMOS as an
alternative. We
noticed some
developments $1,000
ongoing on
porous silicon,
which further
improves RF $500
performance and
stability over
temperature.
$-
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
Porous $- $- $- $- $- $0 $0 $1 $2 $3 $3
RFSOI $1,190 $1,248 $1,447 $1,831 $1,770 $1,877 $2,025 $2,182 $2,341 $2,471 $2,487 6%
CMOS $55 $56 $47 $44 $38 $39 $41 $43 $44 $45 $43 2%

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 SWITCH VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 switch volume forecast breakdown by technology (Munits)

20000

18000

As more bands
16000
are combined
and MIMO is
Component volume (Munits)

14000
becoming
democratized, 12000
the use of
switches is 10000
unlikely to
wane. However, 8000
no significant
growth is to be 6000
expected as
switches tend 4000
to be integrated
with LNAs. 2000

0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
Porous 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 19 39 65 62
RFSOI 10760 11143 12373 14249 13267 13645 14500 15618 16734 17629 17693 5%
CMOS 1670 1640 1368 1222 1014 1011 1008 1043 1066 1075 1034 0%

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 LNA MARKET FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform
2018-2028 LNA market forecast breakdown by technology ($M)
$4 000

$3 500

The LNA market

began to be $3 000
boosted by 5G in
2021 due to 4x4
MIMO
introduction $2 500
Market value ($M)

along with a new

cellular band. In
addition, switch $2 000
integration
contributed to
the market value. $1 500
2022 has been
flat due to
market
$1 000
weakness. Longer
term, we expect
further market
growth, pulled by $ 500
5G features.

$-
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
SiGe $ 161 $ 146 $ 192 $ 265 $ 287 $ 320 $ 352 $ 385 $ 410 $ 430 $ 440 7%
RFSOI $1 083 $1 096 $1 230 $1 908 $1 917 $2 155 $2 393 $2 667 $2 958 $3 237 $3 265 9%
CMOS $ 15 $ 12 $ 33 $ 51 $ 56 $ 61 $ 65 $ 67 $ 65 $ 64 $ 63 2%

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 LNA VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 LNA volume forecast breakdown by technology (Munits)

16000

14000

The LNA market 12000

is balanced
Component volume (Munits)

between SiGe
10000
BiCMOS with its
state-of-the-art
noise figure and 8000

RFSOI with its

integration 6000
capabilities,
while legacy
4000
CMOS also
holds a share of
2000
the market.

0
CAGR 2022-
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2028
SiGe 3147 3269 3347 3654 3534 3685 3854 4059 4255 4378 4419 4%
RFSOI 3576 3835 4574 6248 6051 6436 6880 7449 8020 8621 8696 6%
CMOS 50 35 105 242 259 271 280 287 288 288 293 2%

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FILTER MARKET FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

• The filter market is the largest in the 2018-2028 filter market forecast by technology ($M)
RFFE segment and the one with the $12,000
most important technology split.
• SAW-type filters are widely used and
mature. For demanding filter $10,000

requirements, SAW derivatives such as

TC SAW or ML SAW are employed. $8,000

Market value ($M)

Emerging ML SAW combines a
thermal compensation mechanism
with an improved Q-factor. $6,000

• IPD and MLC filters have been used

since the 4G era and have enjoyed $4,000
significant growth with 5G. They will
continue to be in use over the forecast
$2,000
period.
• BAW-type filters handle the most
complex filtering requirements, $-
CAGR
enabling coexistence and higher 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
2028
frequencies to be addressed with a MLC $173 $181 $207 $236 $227 $247 $272 $306 $338 $367 $368 8%
high performance level. On top of XBAR $- $- $- $- $- $- $7 $25 $56 $85 $109 0%

BAW SMR and FBAR, we expect IPD $12 $17 $52 $93 $120 $137 $143 $219 $238 $269 $285 15%
FBAR $821 $691 $823 $1,293 $1,400 $1,538 $1,568 $1,837 $1,817 $1,784 $1,790 4%
significant penetration of XBAR BAW SMR $591 $568 $700 $1,154 $1,161 $1,242 $1,303 $1,393 $1,434 $1,479 $1,487 4%
technology. ML SAW $32 $35 $74 $179 $234 $303 $395 $484 $574 $665 $686 20%
TC SAW $167 $137 $263 $651 $687 $786 $835 $892 $923 $938 $962 6%
SAW $3,596 $3,625 $3,483 $3,680 $3,517 $3,731 $3,850 $4,048 $4,225 $4,273 $4,226 3%

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 FILTER VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 filter volume forecast by technology (Munits)

90000

80000
There were over
70000
50Bunits of filters
Component volume (Mu)
produced in 2021 60000
and 2022, and we
expect 80Bunits 50000
of filters to be
reached by 2027. 40000
The share held by
30000
SAW filters will
erode over time,
20000
though it will
remain high. ML 10000
SAW and XBAR
are expected to 0
CAGR
progress the 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
most as these MLC 4063 4286 5477 6232 5979 6372 6882 7861 8619 9522 9555 8%
technologies are
XBAR 0 0 0 0 0 0 36 169 397 622 791 0%
ramping up.
IPD 101 127 318 556 698 812 871 1389 1548 1789 1891 18%
FBAR 5273 4601 4977 7932 8329 9054 9225 10861 10769 10568 10598 4%
BAW SMR 3586 3427 4017 6553 6648 7152 7724 8476 8978 9400 9525 6%
ML SAW 152 197 547 1425 1869 2479 3283 4050 4925 5778 5971 21%
TC SAW 992 849 1324 2788 2852 3270 3500 3835 4087 4278 4401 7%
SAW 30172 30655 29971 32626 31155 32999 34570 36986 39148 40251 39837 4%

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TUNER MARKET FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

• As for switches, RFSOI will remain the 2018-2028 tuner market value forecast breakdown by technology ($M)
mainstream technology for antenna $2 000
tuners, allowing good-enough
performance at a low cost, while CMOS- $1 800
based tuners will remain an alternative in
the supply chain. $1 600

• MEMS tuners finally hit the market in

$1 400
mid-2022, introduced by Qorvo for
gaming phones, leveraging a dedicated

Market value ($M)

$1 200
antenna for gaming. We expect more
MEMS antenna tuning cases to emerge in $1 000
2023 to address challenging tuning
scenarios. $ 800

• BST used to be employed by leading

Chinese OEMs. The technology was $ 600

proposed by only a few manufacturers: ST

$ 400
Microelectronics and onsemi. However, it
used a rare material supplied by Paratek.
$ 200
This company has been acquired by RIM
(now Blackberry). Following the supply
$-
instability caused by the Covid-19 CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
lockdown, ST Microelectronics and 2028
onsemi decided to remove this MEMS $- $- $- $- $0 $2 $5 $9 $ 12 $ 15 $ 16 110%
technology offering from their portfolio. BST $ 23 $ 22 $ 18 $ 14 $5 $2 $- $- $- $- $- -100%
Therefore, we project a rapid decline. RFSOI $ 714 $ 805 $ 961 $1 419 $1 404 $1 495 $1 584 $1 725 $1 793 $1 844 $1 855 5%
CMOS $ 11 $ 11 $ 10 $8 $8 $8 $9 $ 10 $ 11 $ 12 $ 11 5%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 78

 TUNER VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 tuner volume forecast breakdown by technology (Munits)

12000

10000
RF SOI will be the Component volume (Munits)
leading technology
for antenna tuners. It
8000
allows high-power
handling and high
linearity. MEMS is an
even better 6000
alternative due to its
tuning range, but
adoption has so far
4000
been limited by
manufacturing
difficulties. Qorvo’s
expertise has helped 2000
here, and we expect
MEMS to grow over
the next five years. 0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
MEMS 0 0 0 0 1 14 35 58 79 100 100 109%
BST 166 157 124 92 36 10 0 0 0 0 0 -100%
RFSOI 4197 4941 5738 7930 7659 8098 8521 9297 9721 10037 10074 5%
CMOS 205 195 167 132 124 127 133 146 161 171 158 4%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 79

MMWAVE IC TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS
Converging to a consensus
Due to the distance between the transceiver and the AiP/FEM, the mmWave signal passes
through a two-stage up-conversion. The first conversion stage occurs in the IF transceiver, and Antenna 2
the second stage occurs directly in the AiP/FEM.
Due to the second stage up-conversion, the AiP/FEM MMIC not only contains an RF front-end Antenna 1
chain but also analog functionalities along with digital interfaces. Adding size and cost IF IC
constraints explains why the preferred solution for legacy chipset makers such as Qualcomm, FEM
mmWave
Mediatek, or Samsung is a fully integrated approach that is served by either RFCMOS or FDSOI 28-39GHz
technologies. These requirements make compound semiconductor technologies such as GaN/Si
or GaAs out of reach for mmWave MMIC in handsets. We also exclude SiGe BiCMOS, which does Digital
High IF
not fit the cost target or production capacity requirements when considering die size. 8-12GHz
Modem
However, a candidate approach, leveraging RFSOI, is still ongoing to further optimize the RF
front-end performance while keeping the single-chip approach. There is no commercial offering
at this point, but we expect an advanced RFSOI node beyond the current 40/45nm offering to
mmWave
be developed for this use case. Indeed, increased transmit power is key to meeting
28-39GHz
requirements on the radio link power; low power consumption is a must.
AiP

Integrated approach

Advanced
RF CMOS FD SOI RF SOI

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MMIC FORECAST
Our base scenarios

RF CMOS FD SOI RFSOI

Modem/TxRx MMIC AiP/mmW FEM

1st gen 2nd gen

4th gen
Next-gen
QTM545
AiP

Custom FEM/AiP RF CMOS

Custom FEM/AiP RF SOI ?

Custom FEM
Custom AiP

1st gen 2nd gen 3rd gen 4th gen

Next-gen
QTM052 QTM525 QTM535 QTM545
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 81

MMIC MARKET VALUE FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 MMIC market value forecast breakdown by technology ($M)

$1,200

FDSOI is $1,000
expected to
capture a
significant
share of the $800
market over the
forecast period.
Market ($M)

However,
$600
CMOS, likely to
be produced on
RFSOI wafers,
will remain the $400
dominant
technology as
we do not
foresee a move $200
to FDSOI from
Apple.

$-
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
FDSOI $- $- $- $4 $36 $72 $219 $244 $262 $311 $350 46%
CMOS $- $16 $255 $751 $777 $810 $680 $694 $714 $738 $737 -1%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 82

MMIC MARKET VOLUME FORECAST
Breakdown by technology platform

2018-2028 MMIC volume forecast breakdown by technology (Munits)

300

250
CMOS has been Component volume (Munits)
the go-to solution
for MMICs, as
Qualcomm 200
capitalizes on its
decade of WiGig
expertise. 150
However, FDSOI
was introduced by
Samsung in 2022,
shortly followed by 100
Mediatek. We
expect Qualcomm
to switch to FDSOI
for its next- 50
generation AIP by
2024.
0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2022-
2028
FDSOI 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 7.6 14.5 47.9 53.0 57.8 69.9 80.4 48%
CMOS 0.0 4.4 63.5 178.1 181.7 183.6 166.0 179.5 190.4 202.8 208.7 2%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 83

TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
What are the next disruptions to expect?

• GaAs HBT and Bi-HEMT will remain mainstream for sub-7GHz cellular PAs. Both technologies ensure good linearity, high efficiency, low
leakage, and output power requirements for HPUE compliance: PC2/26dBm at the antenna port. MNOs’ demands for even higher output
power – PC1.5/29dBm – will be achieved using two coherent PAs operating at 26dBm. Therefore, there is no need for higher output power
technology. However, related to the dual-stream 2x2 MIMO up-link trend, some OEMs might find any solution that provides much wider
bandwidth than GaAs appealing in order to merge the main bands in the UHB frequency range – N77/N78 and N79 – onto a single PA.
• RF SOI is the mainstream technology for switches and tuners, with RF CMOS as an alternative. Among the emerging technologies, MEMS is
the most promising, especially for antenna tuning. We believe there is a sweet spot for MEMS tuners for high-end antenna tuning cases.
However, manufacturing MEMS tuners at high volumes remains a pain point. PCM switches promise to drastically improve RonxCoff
performance, which has not been sufficient for the technology to penetrate this market so far.
• While SiGe Bi-CMOS is a great fit for high-performance LNAs, RFSOI will take most of the growth due to the attractiveness of its switch
integration capability. In some cases, advanced CMOS remains a competitive alternative.
• High-performance filter technology such as BAW SMR, FBAR, or XBAR will keep gaining momentum as multi-radio coexistence will become
more of a concern. However, legacy SAW technology will maintain a high take-rate from OEMs seeking only a ‘good enough’ solution. On
the other hand, emerging ML SAW technology will continue to gain momentum as it offers thermal compensation along with multi-band
filtering integration in a small form factor. MLC and IPD filters will still be used in the long run due to their cost advantages.
• CMOS MMICs have been the fastest and most cost-effective way to bring 5G mmWave AiP to market. However, the technology has some
drawbacks, such as output power limitation and power consumption linked to efficiency. One piece of evidence of such limitations is the
spectacular disaggregation of commercial AiP done by Apple. Putting the MMIC in a FEM attached to a passive and implementing a larger
antenna has enabled a better radio link budget due to the higher antenna gain. Very recently, we saw FDSOI emerging in this market in 22
and 28nm, and we are expecting this technology to further penetrate the market over the forecast period. Despite the momentum in
FDSOI, we believe that Apple, which is likely to introduce its own mmWave chipset by 2024, will remain conservative and stick to advanced
RF CMOS, though it could be using RFSOI.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 84

Wafer Starts

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RF COMPONENT/SUBSTRATE CORRESPONDENCE TABLE
Technology, raw material, engineered substrate
Techno/Substrate LT LN Silicon GaAs Sapphire Glass RF SOI FD SOI Comment

SAW 4”, 6” 4”, 6” LT/Sapphire, LT/LT

TC-SAW 4”, 6” SiO2, Si3N4 capping

ML-SAW 4”, 6” 4”, 6” 4”, 6”, 8” LTO, LNO, POI

BAW SMR 6”, 8” AlN/Bragg/Si
FBAR 6”, 8” Si/AlN/Si
XBAR 6” 6” LN/Si
IPD 8” 6” 8”
CMOS 8”, 12” 8”, 12” 12” RF SOI, FD SOI
SiGe Bi-CMOS 8” Epi Ge
GaAs HBT 6” Epi InGaP
GaAs Bi-HEMT 6” Epi InGaP, AlGaAs

GaAs pHEMT 6” Epi AlGaAs

GaN HEMT 6” Epi GaN

Porous silicon 6”, 8”

PTIC 6” 6” 6” BST deposition

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 86

HOW DO RF COMPONENTS TRANSLATE INTO WAFERS?
A look into cumulative die surface

• In this analysis, we have employed our

segmentation for mobile phone
segments, air standards, and OEMs, i.e.,
five points per box plot.
@Yole November 2022
• As a general statement, the cumulative
die surface correlates with the phone
segment for each technology.
• GaAs die surface increases from 4G to 5G
as an effect of UHB implementation.
Premium phones have a higher-still die
area due to the use of 2x2 MIMO UL.
• Silicon die surface is increasing for 5G
devices as more high-performance
FBAR/BAW SMR filters are used, and SiGe
or CMOS LNAs are added.
• LT/LN surface is only slightly impacted by
5G operation, as scaling causes die area
usage to shrink or silicon-based
technologies are employed instead.
• As for RFSOI, there is a clear upward trend
due to 5G implementation, especially in
entry-level and mid-tier phones.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 87

PA WAFER STARTS
Breakdown by substrate type

2018-2028 PA wafer start forecast (kwafers)

900

800

GaAs will 700

remain the
primary
600
substrate for
Wafer starts (kwafers)

cellular PAs.
We have 500
excluded
GaN/Si from 400
our forecast
as this
solution 300
would be too
costly at the 200
system level.
100

0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
GaAs 6" 460 407 445 640 613 632 660 697 730 758 765 4%

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 SWITCH WAFER STARTS
Breakdown by substrate type

2018-2028 switch wafer start forecast (kwafers)

1000

900

RFSOI will 800

remain the
mainstream 700
Wafer starts (kwafers)

switch
600
substrate, with
12” wafers 500

growing the
400
most. Few
silicon wafers 300
are consumed
200
for switches,
and we foresee 100
porous silicon as
0
an option. 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
CAGR
2022-2028
Porous 8" 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 3
RFSOI 12" 2 12 59 102 103 109 115 122 127 131 135 5%
RFSOI 8" 653 646 624 691 620 626 657 699 743 775 774 4%
Si 8" 58 58 48 43 35 35 35 37 38 39 37 1%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 89

 LNA WAFER STARTS
Breakdown by substrate type

2018-2028 LNA wafer start forecast (kwafers)

900

800
Since the
introduction of 5G, 700
12” RFSOI became
the main wafer
Wafer starts (kwafers)

format for LNAs. 600

Indeed, the state-
of-the-art figure of 500
merit and the large
diameter
accommodates the 400
production of large
LNA/switch dies. 8” 300
RFSOI is used for
smaller LNAs, while
8” and 12” silicon 200
will continue to be
used for SiGe 100
BiCMOS and CMOS,
respectively.
0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
Si 12" 6 4 12 17 17 18 19 19 19 19 20 2%
RFSOI 12" 112 91 150 329 329 373 414 464 518 568 580 10%
RFSOI 8" 137 133 108 81 70 69 69 73 76 80 83 3%
Si 8" 52 47 61 81 86 93 102 111 119 124 127 7%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 90

TUNER WAFER STARTS
Breakdown by substrate type

2018-2028 tuner wafer start forecast (kwafers)

600

500
Wafer starts for
antenna tuners
represent around
Wafer starts (kwafers)

400
450-500 kwafers
per year in the 5G
era. 12” RFSOI is
300
employed for
premium phones,
while significant
growth in silicon 200
wafer starts can
be attributed to
MEMS. GaAs 100
wafer starts are
attributed to BST
tuners.
0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
GaAs 6" 6 6 5 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 -100%
RFSOI 12" 12 14 67 172 185 200 207 225 225 225 230 4%
RFSOI 8" 369 403 359 339 273 260 267 281 298 309 302 2%
Si 8" 11 11 10 8 7 8 9 10 12 13 13 9%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 91

 FILTER WAFER STARTS
Breakdown by substrate type

2018-2028 filter wafer start forecast (kwafers)

5000

4500

4000

We expect LT wafers 3500

serving SAW-type
Wafer starts (kw)

filters to keep driving

most of the volume. 3000
LN and LT(N)/O wafer
starts will be boosted 2500
by TC and ML SAW
adoption, 2000
respectively. Silicon
wafer growth will
continue to be driven 1500
by BAW-type filters
and IPD. We foresee a 1000
place for glass wafers
intended for high- 500
performance IPD
filters.
0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
Glass 8" eq 0 3 13 21 26 28 27 42 44 50 53 12%
Si 8" eq 330 294 352 558 565 602 620 695 706 716 720 4%
LT(N)/O 6" eq 22 24 51 118 150 190 249 314 386 457 482 21%
LN 6" eq 127 103 194 467 479 537 565 603 624 633 650 5%
LT 6" eq 2870 2864 2697 2765 2564 2666 2723 2863 2987 3021 2987 3%

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MMIC WAFER STARTS
Breakdown by substrate type

2018-2028 MMIC wafer start forecast (kwafers)

120

mmWave is 100
contributing to
growing wafer
starts. FDSOI
will outgrow the 80
Wafer starts (kwafers)

market as three
chipset
providers have
60
adopted or will
adopt this
technology. We
believe Apple 40
will leverage
CMOS, though
the chip could
be made on 20
RFSOI
substrates.

0
CAGR
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
2022-2028
FDSOI 0 0 0 0 3 6 20 22 24 30 34 47%
CMOS 0 0 29 81 79 78 63 65 69 73 75 -1%

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 93

WAFER START FORECAST
What does the RF front-end market need?

• The RF front-end market is currently navigating fluctuations following the market recovery from Covid-19 in 2021 and
the market decrease in 2022. Fortunately, many wafer suppliers learned from the recent supply shortage and created
long-term customer agreements.
• Another parameter impacting the wafer start forecast is the move to larger diameters, which is underway and ongoing
for several RF front-end technologies.
• GaAs, RF SOI, silicon, LT and LN are the main substrates needed for RF front-end, driving most of the volume.
• For filters, a new category of substrates is emerging, requiring bonding or layer transfer. Multiple material stacks can be
found on the market, such as LT on LT, LT/LN on silicon, LT/LN on sapphire, and LT/LN on glass. Therefore, in this report,
we group these different engineered substrates in the multi-layer SAW (ML SAW) segment.
• The use of FDSOI substrates is increasing significantly in order to serve MMIC demand for mmWave FEM and AiP
applications.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 94

MARKET TRENDS

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 95

5G Market Dynamics

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GLOBAL MOBILE DATA TRAFFIC
Exponential growth continues

• According to the Ericsson Mobility report, mobile data traffic continues to grow exponentially and is expected to follow
the same trajectory over the next five years.
• 5G has been developed as a technology capable of absorbing this data traffic as it is the only technology capable of
meeting efficiency requirements in growing the radio network capacity. At some point, 5G simply will not be a question
anymore.

Global mobile network data traffic (EB per month) Global mobile network data traffic and year-on-year growth (EB per month)

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NETWORK OPERATOR INVESTMENTS IN 5G
Massive CapEx to further expand 5G’s footprint

• Wireless connectivity will continue to play a vital role in the way people live, and businesses operate.
According to the GSMA, 5G will represent more than 70% of MNOs’ investments in all regions except sub-
Saharan Africa.
• 5G has been adopted quickly in pioneer markets such as Asia Pacific, North America and Europe. A new wave
of 5G rollouts is starting in emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, and Latin America.
• OEMs have adapted their 5G connectivity product offerings to these different markets.
Mobile Network
Operators will
invest massively
in 5G over the
next three
years.
Consequently,
5G’s footprint
will continue to
expand.

Source: GSMA Intelligence

Source: GSMA The Mobile Economy Global, 2022
Note: data correct to January 2022

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 98

5G ROLLOUT STATUS – 2022E REGIONAL BREAKDOWN
1.23Bunits smartphones – 6.5Munits radio units

Europe smartphone and RU

volume (Munits)
100%
China smartphone and RU
90% volume (Munits)
80% 0.2
North America smartphone and 70%
115
100%
60% 90%
RU volume (Munits) 80%
50%
5G 70% 1.7
100% 40%
90% 30% 0.4 4G 60%
261
20% 50%
80% 0.2 62 5G
10% 40%
70%
0% 30% 4G
60% 132 20% 1.3
50%
5G Smartphone RU 2022 10%
40%
2022 0%
36
30% 0.2 4G
20% Smartphone RU 2022
10% 24 2022
0%
Smartphone RU 2022 Rest of APAC smartphone and
2022 RU volume (Munits)
100%
CALA smartphone and RU 90%
133 0.6
volume (Munits) MEA smartphone and RU volume 80%
70%
(Munits) 60%
100% 4 0.0 50%
90% 100% 0.0 5G
6 40%
80% 90% 294 1.6
70% 80% 30% 3G/4G
60% 70% 20%
50% 60% 10%
109 0.1 5G 0%
40% 50% 0.2
106 5G
30% 3G/4G 40% Smartphone RU 2022
20% 30% 3G/4G 2022
10% 20%
0% 10%
0%
Smartphone RU 2022
2022 Smartphone RU 2022
2022

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5G DRIVERS AND APPLICATIONS

• 5G was built for MNOs to expand to new market verticals

beyond their core consumer business.
• In addition, the numerous 5G features allowing better resource
usage enables a cost reduction for MNOs, which is key to
profitability.
• As of today, very few applications require ultra-high
bandwidth, very low latency, or both, especially at the
consumer level.
• However, 5G capabilities improve user experience for a
number of existing applications while also enabling new ones.
• Video streaming is currently handled by LTE, though as mobile
data traffic is continuously expanding and LTE network
spectrum is a limited resource, 5G is required to complement
LTE capacity.
• Cloud gaming is at the edge of LTE capability: with less than
10Mbps, gamers will likely experience packet loss and jitter. 5G
will provide a more reliable service, with reduced jitter, which is
key for the gaming experience.
• AR/VR and tactile internet are the most likely use cases
requiring high throughput and low latency. AR/VR is already
employed for manufacturing use cases, for instance in the
automotive industry. However, large-scale deployment for
consumers remains to be seen.
• Holographic calls were demonstrated during the last Mobile
World Congresses. They could become a new way of
interacting once AR/VR democratizes.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 100

5G’S MAIN USE CASES AT THE CONSUMER LEVEL

Tens of 5G stadiums and

venues are flourishing Network operators are
worldwide, which operators promoting their 5G
are eager to adopt to networks by streaming AR
introduce 5G at the concerts, movies, etc.
consumer level.
SoFi stadium in Los Angeles

After entering mobile gaming,

Netflix is seriously looking into
a gaming service, as an Network operators and
extension to its mobile equipment providers have
platform. Portability will be showcased multiple
obviously trigger for gamers to holographic calls during TV
switch to 5G. shows.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 101

5G USE CASES
AR/VR immersive experiences

• During MWC 2022, HTC showcased VR experiences on its Vive platform. More recently, HTC launched a 5G flagship
model, the Desire 22 Pro, to provide users with a gateway to the Metaverse.
• More generally, OEM efforts to improve the AR/VR experience are keeping pace.

HTC demonstration of VR experience

HTC Desire Pro: gateway to the Metaverse
MWC, 2022

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5G USE CASES
5G stadiums

• Increasing immersion to augment the fans’ experience.

• Multiple live video feeds of the event on a smartphone

• View multiple video feeds, including behind-the-scenes event footage
• Access to real-time player stats and interactive exhibits
• Capture and share video and 3D hologram footage
• Enhanced venue navigation and event information
• Engage with other attendees or the performers directly

• Recent examples of MNOs’ initiatives for in-venue augmented experiences through 5G:
• Super Bowl LV, Raymond James Stadium in Florida, February 2021: Verizon
enabled fans to compete virtually via the NFL Ticketholder App.

• Super Bowl LVI, SoFi stadium in Los Angeles, February 2022: Verizon
provided fans with a 5G Multiview experience via the NFL Ticketholder
App.

• Fifa World Cup, Qatar 2022: Ericsson and Oreedo delivered seamless,
immersive, high-performance experiences.

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5G USE CASES
Holographic calls: from idea to proof-of-concept

• Can convey the subtleties of non-verbal communication and

provide a sense of presence and immediacy that enhances the
quality of human interaction. According to recent Ericsson research,
this application is ranked today as one of the most-wanted 5G
applications by consumers, as well as enterprises, in the form of
digital stations for home offices.

• Holographic telepresence was demonstrated during the last two

Mobile World Congresses in Barcelona: MWC 21 and 22, but without
using a mobile phone. More recently, in September 2022, Deutsche
Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone, and Matsuko launched
a new collaboration to develop holographic calls. The purpose is to
bring holographic presence to something as simple as a phone call.
European operators are developing a 5G mobile platform,
combining the real and virtual world: the smartphone camera will
generate a 2D video which is then rendered into 3D holograms in
the Cloud to be streamed to viewers in an AR/VR/MR environment.

• The emergence of lightweight AR glasses and powerful 3D

compression algorithms are key enablers of holographic calling. The
5G network is also a key factor in supporting the end-to-end
pipeline, providing bandwidth, reliability, and low latency to
transmit the compressed hologram. 5G edge capabilities will move
decoding and rendering from the smartphone to the network,
further reducing the latency.

5G supporting the end-to-end holographic

communication pipeline

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MNOS ARE INTENSIFYING THEIR EFFORTS TOWARD THE METAVERSE

• Facebook pioneered the Metaverse concept, opening up new avenues of user

experience for gaming, social media, boutique shopping, or virtual
collaboration.
• Mobile network operators that have identified a business opportunity are
increasingly investing and launching services for AR/VR/XR features with 5G
as an enabling technology, as seen from the following examples.
• Verizon and Meta have entered into a 'first-of-its-kind strategic
partnership” to explore a range of Metaverse opportunities.
• Orange Spain has announced the opening of its first Metaverse store.
• NTT Docomo has committed to a Metaverse future with QonoQ
• SK Telecom has launched its ‘ifland’ Metaverse platform in a further
49 countries.
• T-Mobile has expanded its Accelerator Program, building 5G AR
experiences for smart glasses.
• Sinobo has inked a deal with China Mobile to better tap into the
Metaverse.
• Telefonica has organized a Metaverse day.
• There is no longer a single event where the Metaverse has not been
demonstrated, e.g., the Beijing Winter Olympics, the FIFA world cup, etc.

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MOBILE APP DEVELOPERS ARE INTEGRATING AR/VR

• Since 2020, mobile phone app developers have been designing with AR/VR capabilities in mind.
• Android has the biggest AR/VR mobile application ecosystem.
• The following are some of the most popular apps that integrate AR/VR.

Source: https://www.juniperresearch.com/

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RCS CONTENT SERVICE (RCS)
Refining operator messaging services
2000-2010: the SMS era 2020 and beyond: the RCS/5G messaging era

Over 100 MNO

Initially, SMS was a launches.
revolution in Over 400M active
telecommunication. users.
MNOs are using
RCS as a new
and innovative
service to
promote 5G
networks. The RCS is the new GSMA standard for messaging.
2010-2020: Instant messaging
three major It merges messaging, media content, and booking/payment
carriers in China services through a chatbot and supports person-to-person
have already and application-to-person messaging. RCS comes as an
launched such alternative to instant messaging apps developed by
Facebook, Tencent, etc. It should improve consumer
services.
experience and drive more revenue for MNOs. Multiple
smartphone OEMs already support RCS, such as Samsung,
Huawei, LG, and Sony. Apple had its own standard called
Over time, consumers have shifted from short
iMessage but recently launched Business Chat which is
message services to instant messaging apps
similar to the RCS standard.
which are now very popular for chatting,
exchanging content or even payments.
This market transition has created value for
companies such as Facebook and Tencent that
MNOs are now eager to capture.

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MOBILE NETWORK OPERATOR’S BUSINESS SCOPE IS EXPANDING
Focus on FWA deployment

• Definition: FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) is a connection that provides

primary broadband access through mobile network-enabled
customer premises equipment (CPE).
• According to the latest Ericsson mobility report, over 75% of service
providers surveyed in over 100 countries are offering Fixed Wireless
Access (FWA). In North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa,
this represents more than 80% of all service providers. According to
the report, the number of FWA connections is expected to more
than double in the 2027 time frame.
• With access to mmWave in India, FWA would have a large potential
market, providing an alternative to fiber in a country where wired
networks have not been developed. From this perspective, FWA will
be bridging the digital divide by bringing broadband to people in
remote and rural regions.

Source: Ericsson Mobility Report 2022

Source: Ericsson Mobility Report 2022

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HOW DOES 5G OPERATE?
5G STANDALONE (SA) vs. 5G NON-STANDALONE (NSA)

• Two types of 5G configuration exist on the market:

• 5G NSA
• 5G SA
• 5G Non-StandAlone (5G NSA) leverages existing 4G
deployment. The radio access network is composed of both
eNBs (LTE BTS), acting as the master node, and gNB (5G
BTS) as the secondary node. The radio access network is
connected to an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or 4G core.
• In this option, 5G devices must support LTE and NR
protocols and operate with EN-DC technology.
• In 5G Standalone (5G SA) mode, 4G radio is no longer
required for 5G connectivity. The radio access network
consists of only gNBs (5G BTS) and connects to a 5GC (5G High-level architecture of NSA and SA

Core). The 5GC interconnects with an EPC. Source: GSMA 5G Implementation Guidelines July 2019
Note: data correct to January 2022
• In this option, 5G devices must support NR-only technology,
though LTE protocols will be maintained as a fallback.

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5G SA EXPANSION
Momentum is not yet present

• Early 5G deployments were 5G NSA, permitting

MNOs to leverage their existing assets.

• However, as 5G SA networks enable more use

cases through network slicing, MNOs started to
invest in this technology early on. 5G SA enables
MNOs to deploy a versatile network capable of
operating as a public network while providing
slices to other private users such as enterprises, Countries with identified MNOs investing in public 5G SA networks
governmental, or critical safety organizations.

• At the end of 2022, GSA identified 111 MNOs in 52

countries investing in 5G SA, with 36 having
launched 5G SA networks in 21 countries.

• This level of uptake is relatively low and onlooking

MNOs are carefully evaluating the return on
investment for such a technology.
Number of MNOs investing in 5G SA networks

Source: GSA, November 2022

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HOW ABOUT 6G?
Defining the concept

• The industry is preparing the next-generation air standard, expected

to be released between 2028 and 2030, according to many experts.
• 6G will set a new paradigm for a fully digital connected world, where
network design should support communication, sensing, and AI.
With many technological bottlenecks, the industry is still not ready,
but many research centers are making progress in bringing 6G to
the market.
• 6G networks will likely use the mmWave and THz/sub-THz spectrum,
providing very large bandwidths, very low air latency (0.1ms) and
high sensing resolution at short and middle ranges.
• The ‘Network as a Sensor’ concept will provide a broad range of new
services/use cases:
• enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB+): ultimate immersive
cloud VR, haptic and multi-sensory communication, glass-
free 3D and holographic displays.
• Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency applications (URLLC+): factory of
the future, motion control, efficient collaborative robots,
level 5 autonomous vehicles.
• massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC+): smart
buildings, healthcare, a wide range of IoT services.
• Sensing: high localization and tracking accuracy,
simultaneous imaging, mapping, and localization,
Source: 6G: The next horizon, Huawei, 2021
augmented human senses, gesture and activity recognition.

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5G Spectrum Status

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OVERVIEW OF SPECTRUM RESOURCES

• The 4G market was built on FR1 in low, mid, and high bands (2.6GHz).
• 5G kicked off the rise in frequency for capacity expansion.
• First 5G wave in FR1 UHB, the sub-6GHz era → N77/N78 bands popular, with N79 drawing less interest.
• Meanwhile, FR2-1, i.,e. mmWave, emerged concurrently.
• Second 5G wave in FR1 UHB, the sub-7GHz era → interworking of NR and Wi-Fi, i.,e. NR-U.
• Further FR2-2 spectrum will be rolled out. Implementation remains to be seen.
• 6G will continue the trend toward spectrum expansion.
• Expansion in FR3, i.e. 7-20GHz, a candidate for urban capacity BUT incumbent services use Satcom (Starlink, OneWeb using Ka-
band).
• Expansion in FR1 in the ultra-low band, a candidate for very large IoT networks. Extends from very large sites to the countryside.
• Making FR4 available in sub-THz frequencies opens up new capabilities for wireless sensing.

6G-related
FR4: > 92GHz
5G-related
FR2-2: 52-71GHz

FR2-1: 24-52GHz

FR3: 7-20GHz

FR1 UHB: 2.6-7.1GHz

FR1 LB/MB/HB: 600-2600 MHz

FR1 ULB: 470-590 MHz

Spectrum wedding cake
Source: Nokia, modified by Yole

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5G SPECTRUM BANDWIDTH
Total 300MHz 600MHz 2GHz 7.4GHz
bandwidth
71GHz N257
5G NR N258
mm N259
Wave N260
N261
7GHz N262
5G NR N77,N78,N79,N96,N97, N102, N104

UHB 5G refarming N46,N48

3GHz
5G NR N90,N97 (SUL)

HB 5G refarming N30, N38, N40,N41,N7, N65,N66

LTE
2GHz
NTN N255, N256

5G NR N91,N92,N93,N94 – SDL: N75,N76 – SUL: N80,N84,N86,N95,N98, N99

MB
5G refarming N1,N2,N3,N25,N34,N39,N70,N74,N75,N76

LTE
1.5GHz 5G NTN
5G NR SUL: N81, N82, N83, N89
SUL: Supplementary Uplink 5G NR
LB 5G refarming N71,N12,N28,N20,N5,N8 SDL: Supplementary Downlink
NTN: Non-Terrestrial Network 5G refarming
LTE
0.6GHz
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WORLDWIDE RADIO ALLOCATION FOR 5G
Licensed Shared - unlicensed Considered – under test/auction

N28 N1 N40 N78

N3 N258
N5 N8 N41 N77 N79

N258
N79

5G supports N78 N257

N96-N97
multiple
spectrum types, N77 N102-
both licensed N79 N104 N257
and shared/ N78
unlicensed.
N258 N260
Supported N28 N41 N78 N79 N102-?104
frequencies N259
span from low-
band to N71 N2 N41 N96-N97
CBRS N77 N261 N260 64-71
mmWave. N5 N255 N66 N102-
N104 V E
N262
N256

N28 N78 N96 N258

Frequency (GHz) 1.5 2 3 5 7 24 26 28 39 60 70

Low band Mid band High band Ultra-high band mmWave

Source: Qualcomm, modified by Yole

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FCC’S FOCUS IS SHIFTING TOWARDS THE SUB-7GHZ SPECTRUM

• The FCC has already auctioned almost 5GHz of spectrum in the mmWave market:
• Auction 101 2019/01: $700M on 28GHz spectrum
• Auction 102 2019/05: $2B on 24GHz spectrum
• Auction 103 2020/03: $7.5B on 37, 39 and 47GHz spectrums

• More recently, the FCC has moved its focus to the sub-7GHz spectrum, targeting more than 600MHz
for 5G deployment:
• Auction 105 2020/07: $4.5B on 3.55-3.65GHz CBRS PAL: 3.5GHz band use already opened by creating a three-
Recent auctions tiered framework of users: Incumbents, Priority Access (PAL) and General Authorized Access (GAA).
in the C-band
will drive the • Auction 107 2020/12: $81B on 3.7-3.98GHz spectrum: 3.7-4.2GHz has been made available for 5G, making the C-
next wave of 5G band the largest opportunity for the 5G roll-out in the USA. The FCC is accelerating the transition schedule for
deployments. Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) operations to the upper portion of the band (4GHz-4.2GHz).
• Auction 108 2022/08: $428M on 2.5GHz spectrum, dedicated mainly to rural areas.

Source: FCC

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 CONNECTIVITY FROM ABOVE COMING IN
Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs)

• NTNs include satellite communication networks, high

altitude platform systems (HAPS), and air-to-ground
networks. NTNs will be a growing part of the telecoms
landscape.
• Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity will bridge
the gap for uncovered areas such as the ocean,
NTN is a nascent mountains, and hostile terrains. Eventually, NTNs could
segment in the be used as a backup in case of terrestrial network
telecoms outages, during natural disasters, for instance.
landscape, with
mid band as a 1st • Starlink, one of the largest NTN operators, already has
target spectrum. over 2000 functional LEO satellites, covering 32
Further Different NTN formats
MNO/satellite
countries.
Source: 5G Market Snapshot, GSA 2022
providers are to
be expected over
the next few • NTN bands already have been standardized by 3GPP:
years. • N256: 2170-2200MHz, currently licensed to Dish Network for TV satellite broadcasting.
• N255: 1525-1559MHz
• Spectrum access is a subject of dispute between SpaceX and Dish, not only for the 2GHz band, but also
for the 12GHz band, as the satellite TV provider wants to expand into 12GHz for its 5G network.
• Other MNOs or OEMs sustain better relationships with NTN providers. T-Mobile is partnering with SpaceX
while Apple is working with Global Star.
• We are at the beginning of a new ecosystem.

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 SUB-7GHZ SPECTRUM IS CONSOLIDATING ITS DOMINANCE

• This spectrum is most commonly used around the globe to launch 5G networks. Today, it is considered the most
appropriate spectrum to serve a wide range of use cases cost-effectively.
• GSMA recommends that governments make 2GHz available in the sub-7GHz spectrum in the 2025-2030 time frame
in order to deliver 5G services at a performance level consistent with IMT-2020 (5G) requirements.
• Consequently, most market opportunities will come from this spectrum, explaining the strong interest but high cost
for MNOs. Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and FWA will be the main contributors to value in this area.
Sub-7GHz
• However, the mmWave spectrum is not to be neglected, even though few business opportunities have emerged from
spectrum will
it, as an inflection point around 2028 is to be expected. Indeed, by this timeframe, mmWave will likely be the only way
drive the
to add capacity to meet ever-growing data consumption.
highest values
for 5G in the
next decade,
with eMBB as
the largest
contributor.
mmWave will
come in a
second wave
from 2028
onward.

Source: The socio-economic benefits of mid-band 5G services, GSMA 2022 Source: The socio-economic benefits of mid-band 5G services, GSMA 2022

Note: ‘Mid-band’ is used by GSMA and OEM to refer to the spectrum between 1GHz and 6GHz. It is equivalent to the terminology ‘sub-7GHz’.

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SUB-7GHZ SPECTRUM – 1/2
Status on the 6GHz band

• The 6GHz band has been launched, with the standardization of 5G NR band 104 for licensed 5G services in June 2022 as part of 3GPP Release
17. The specification for the full band will be addressed in Release 18 by 2024.
• Nevertheless, countries have started making some decisions on the 6GHz band.
• Full 6GHz (5925-7125 MHz) band made available in the US as unlicensed.
• Europe only allocated a low part of the band as unlicensed.
• China will likely use the full 6GHz band as a cellular licensed band.

Source: Broadcom, 2020

Source 6GHz.info – August 2022

Source: ECC Report 302, tentative 6GHz plan, May 2019 RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 119
SUB-7GHZ SPECTRUM – 2/2
6GHz band for WiFi6E/WiFi7

• It is important to remember that WiFi offers an offload mechanism to cellular data, carrying most of the traffic. WiFi is designed to coexist
with cellular data and is here to stay.
• The main change from WiFi5 to WiFi6 is the move from OFDM to OFDMA, facilitating more efficient resource sharing. In parallel, signal
modulation order is increasing from 256 QAM to 1024QAM, enabling higher capacity but also posing challenges as better SNRs are required.
This impacts technology as the signal needs to be far more linear.
• Multiuser MIMO is extended on the DL and beamforming is used by the AP.
• Other features improve overall connectivity resiliency and efficiency, such as BSS coloring, or target wake-time.
• Wider 160MHz (previously 80 MHz in WiFi5) channels are becoming available to enable very high-capacity connections. As a comparison,
100MHz instantaneous bandwidth is used in 5G cellular.
• 6GHz band usage for WiFi (WiFi6E) will increase bandwidth capacity.
• WiFi7 will incrementally expand bandwidth and modulation order. WiF7 specification is due for 2024.

Source: Courtesy of IEEE

Source: Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi 6: Advanced uses for a new era of connectivity, October 2019 Timeline of the 802.11be standardization process

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5G MARKET OUTLOOK
No news in the consumer market, but MNOs keep pushing other verticals

• 5G is improving the quality of service delivered to the user by providing larger network capacity, better radio efficiency, and scalable latency.
This is key to securing the long-term viability of current use cases, such as video streaming, while opening the door to new, use cases, such as
cloud gaming. There is growing interest in new use cases at the MNO level. While immersive AR/VR applications are progressing in the
industrial segment, there is still no killer application in the consumer segment. Nevertheless, in the US, operators are pushing for the
adoption of AR and VR to transform the fan experience in stadiums and venues. In China, technology demonstrations from government-led
projects can be seen. Holographic calls have been demonstrated during MWC for the last two years running. These demonstrations show off
5G’s potential and capabilities.
• Besides mobile and consumer applications, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has become a strong driver for 5G penetration. FWA offers an
interesting alternative to fiber, especially in rural or suburban areas. For more information on the FWA market, please check our FWA 2023
report.
• MNO strategies for 5G differ between markets, including where they involve spectrum allocation/auctions. MNOs are investing in spectrum
to extend or secure their current assets, thus determining their strategy in the radio network rollout. This is the key driver of the growing
complexity in RF front-end that OEMs must cope with. Besides spectrum expansion, MNOs are also looking to transform their core network
architecture, moving from 5G NSA to 5G SA. However, this aspect does not strongly impact the RF front end, instead having more
implications for the baseband.
• From a regional standpoint, both China and the US rapidly implemented 5G in 2020, though with different strategies.
• China has established a strong rollout policy using sub-7GHz bands: 700MHz, 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, and 4.8GHz. The next step is the use of the
licensed 6GHz band for cellular 5G, which will likely delay adoption of mmWave in the country.
• In the USA, mmWave was the first 5G platform, explaining the country’s first position in this technology. Aside from this, spectrum refarming
on the low and mid-band has enabled country-wide coverage. The long-awaited release of C-band spectrum is the latest development
receiving attention. As a result, the momentum for mmWave has decreased, though we estimate investments in the technology will
continue.
• Japan and South Korea are very advanced markets, with most of the population covered by the 5G sub-7GHz spectrum. Japan was the first
country where all operators deployed 5G mmWave base stations, whereas Korean MNOs were far behind their objective, with less than 1,000
mmWave BTS at the end of 2021.
• Europe employs low- and ultra-high band spectrum, while interest in mmWave is predicted in some markets such as Finland and Italy.
• India is the last big market to enter 5G, using low and ultra-high band spectrum while eyeing mmWave.
• Finally, 3GPP Release 17 has extended the mmWave spectrum up to 71GHz, providing more available spectrum. This signifies that the
industry will mature to prepare for new use cases. Additionally, new bands have been made available for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).

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MARKET SHARE AND SUPPLY CHAIN

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OEM Market Share

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SMARTPHONE VOLUME FOLLOW-UP
2022 market share per OEM

• The major change since 2021 has been the

collapse of Huawei, whose market share 2018-2022 smartphone market share evolution (Munits)
shrunk to 0% following the sanctions
imposed by the US that prevented it from
sourcing chips from US-based companies, 1600
notably for 5G. Holding 17% of the
smartphone market volume in 2020, Huawei
used to be the second leader in the market. 1400
Its exit has reshaped the Chinese ecosystem.
• 2022 ranking in percent of total market
volume is as follows.: 1200 Others

Smartphone volume (Munits)

• Samsung: 20% Huawei
• Apple: 18% 1000
Lenovo
• Xiaomi: 14% Realme
• Oppo: 10%
• Vivo: 9% Transsion
• Honor: 8% 800
Honor
• Others: 21%
Vivo
• Since 2021, Huawei’s exit has given Chinese
OEMs room to expand market share, notably 600 Oppo
Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor, which spun Xiaomi
off from Huawei. However, expansion has not
met expectations, as Chinese OEMs suffered 400
Apple
from low demand, lockdowns in China, and Samsung
growing competition abroad. Samsung and
Apple were less exposed to market
fluctuations, explaining the maintenance of 200
their leadership positions.
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

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RF Front-End Market Share

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RF FRONT-END MARKET SHARES
Module and discrete components (PA modules, cellular FEMs, filters, switches, LNAs, tuners, MMICs and AiPs)

• Broadcom led the market with a 19% share in

2022, leveraging its high-end custom PA module 2022 VS. 2021 RFFE MARKET SHARE (%)
offering while adding design wins on diversity
modules.
• Qualcomm ranked second in the RFFE market in
2022, leveraging its end-to-end approach. The
company had a high take rate with Chinese 3%
OEMs but suffered from this exposure in 2022 5%
and the mmWave slowdown. 19%

• Qorvo secured a 15% share, enjoying design wins 3% 2%

12% 17%
across US and Chinese OEMs for their flagship
product lines. 13%
Broadcom
• Skyworks also secured a 15% market share
despite greater exposure to Chinese OEMs and Qualcomm
the growing competition with Qualcomm and Qorvo
other Chinese RF front-end manufacturers.
Inner: 2021 $19.1B Skyworks
• Murata was on the low side in 2021, and this trend Outer: 2022 $19.2B
15% 20% Murata
continued in 2022. The company accumulated 14%
multiple issues from its exposure to Chinese 17%
Others
OEMs, growing competition around its filters, and
restructuring its module portfolio. The Yen Maxscend
depreciation in Q4 2021 did not help. Vanchip
• The Chinese RF front-end makers Maxscend and
15%
Vanchip are consolidating their market share, 15%
riding the tailwind of market expansion and the
need for localization in the domestic market.
15%
• Other players include MediaTek, NXP, Infineon, 15%
Wisol, etc.

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PA MODULE MARKET SHARES

• Broadcom is still leading the PA module

market, capitalizing on its compact 2022 vs. 2021 PA module market share (%)
integrated MB/HB LPAD solutions with
innovative dual-side-molding BGA
packaging. The company can pack complex
RF functionalities into a small package.
Broadcom’s main clients are Apple, 7%
Samsung, and OnePlus.
• Skyworks is maintaining its ranking and 7%
share, boasting a wide portfolio of 9%
customers. 4% 5%
• Qorvo is also preserving its position, proving 36%
Broadcom
its resiliency to increased Chinese 32%
7%
competition. Skyworks
9%
• Qualcomm lost market share in the PA Qorvo
module segment. Indeed, the company is 10%
Inner: 2021 $8591M Qualcomm
focusing on offering light-type cellular PA Outer: 2022 $8757M
modules targeting low-CA-complexity Murata
markets such as China. Vanchip

• Murata lost some market share and Others

restructured its module portfolio to position 15%
itself as a more profitable business. 15%
22%
• Other fabless companies operating in China
have gained in market share. Vanchip and
Smarter Micro represent the main players
that have had 5G design wins with Chinese 22%
OEMs in their local market: Oppo, Vivo,
Xiaomi, and Honor.

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FEM/LFEM MARKET SHARES

• Murata led the market in 2022. It

competes in LB to UHB and is involved in 2022 VS. 2021 FEM/LFEM MARKET SHARE (%)
the supply chain for flagship models at
Apple and Samsung.
• Qualcomm has switched from a high
take-rate of its LNA banks to a high take- 7%
1%
rate of diversity modules integrating the 1%
filters. It expanded its leading position on
5%
UHB diversity modules. Nevertheless, it 3%
2%2%1% 27%
lost market share following market
weakness in China. 23%
Murata
14%
• Skyworks is stabilizing its market share by Qualcomm
featuring LB and MB/HB diversity 13%
Skyworks
modules based on its broad portfolio of
technologies. Inner: 2021, $3136M
Qorvo

• Qorvo had great momentum in 2021 with Outer: 2022, $3110M Broadcom
supply for flagship models at all OEMs, Wisol
and stabilized its market share in 2022. Maxscend
25%
• Broadcom has just entered the FEM Others
market, with UHB modules for the iPhone 30%
13, thanks to its flagship filter technology,
21%
and is continuing to grow.
25%
• Other Chinese players are emerging, but
Maxscend remains the domestic leader
for RF modules. It gained 7% market
share in 2022.

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FILTER MARKET SHARES
Discrete Front-End

• Murata leads the filter market with its 2022 vs. 2021 Filter market share (%)
SAW and MLC technology. Murata
acquired Resonant for its XBAR filter
technology to reinforce its position in the
market.
1%1%
• Qualcomm is maintaining its position in 6%
the discrete filter business, with market
share inherited from RF360. The company 6%
1%3%
is building on this expertise with its ultra- 6%
SAW and newly developed ultra-BAW
filters supporting from 2.7GHz to 7GHz for 6%
cellular and WiFi7. Murata

12% Qualcomm
• Qorvo has a piece of the discrete filter 41%
43%
Qorvo
market, mainly due to its antennaplexing 11%
offering leveraging its BAW SMR Inner: 2021, $2652M Broadcom
technology. Outer: 2022, $2527M Wisol

• Broadcom slightly expanded its market Taiyo Yuden

share on discrete filters, mainly based on 11% Kyocera

antennaplexing solutions for flagship Others
phone models. 12%

• Wisol and Taiyo Yuden remain strong

filter players for the open market. 21%

• Other Asian companies are starting to

challenge the leading companies for 19%
simple filter orders, though the gap with
leading players remains significant.

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LNA MARKET SHARES
Discrete LNAs and LNA/switches

2022 vs. 2021 LNA market share (%)

• Qualcomm lost some market share in

discrete LNA banks but is migrating its
offering toward LFEM-type products.
2%
2% 2%
• Mediatek has consequently taken the
open slot, offering LNA banks for mid-tier 13% 2%2%
and entry-level phones. 4%

• Maxscend is consolidating its 12%

leadership position in the discrete RF Qualcomm

segment in China, including LNAs. Mediatek
Inner 2021, $635M
• NXP, Infineon have marginal market Outer 2022, $660M 48% Maxscend
NXP
shares which didn’t exceed 2% in 2022. 53%
Infineon
Others
27%

33%

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SWITCH MARKET SHARES
Discrete switches

2022 vs. 2021 switch market share (%)

• Maxscend is consolidating its strong

position in the discrete segment, with
51% of the market share for discrete 7%
switches last year. 1%
5%
• Qorvo is losing share to Maxscend but 2%
5%

still ranks second thanks to its design 5%

wins with Samsung and Chinese OEMs

12%
in the premium segment. Maxscend
15%
Qorvo
• Infineon also suffered from Inner: 2021, $561M 47% Infineon
competition with Maxscend and lost Outer: 2022, $552M 51%
Skyworks
market share. Sony

• Skyworks maintains its marginal share Others

in the discrete switch market.

26%
• Other players are taking more share of
24%
a commoditizing market.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 131

TUNER MARKET SHARES
Discrete tuners

• Qorvo maintained its leading position in 2022 VS. 2021 TUNER MARKET SHARE (%)
tuner supply to the main OEMs.
Nevertheless, it faced growing
competition and consequently lost 2%
market share in 2022. The company
announced an improved antenna tuning 2% 1%1%
5%
product line, aiming to remain the market
leader and is leveraging its MEMS 6% 1%
3%1%
technology to do so. 5%

• Maxscend has increased its market share 8% Qorvo

once more. The company has a good Maxscend
track record but will have to adapt to its Qualcomm
main foundry being acquired by Intel. 45%
Inner: 2021, $1440M 47% Infineon
18%
• Qualcomm has a significant market share Outer: 2022, $1417M Murata
18%
across multiple OEMs with aperture and Skyworks
impedance tuners. Qualcomm upped its
Sony
efforts to further gain market share and
recently introduced an AI-based antenna Others
tuner as part of its new generation of RF
front-end chips. 17%

• Infineon’s share continues to be eroded

over time, while Murata has managed to 22%
stabilize its market share.
• Sony, Skyworks, and other players share
the rest of the market.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 132

PMIC MARKET SHARES
Discrete PMICs

• Qualcomm’s share of the PMIC market 2022 VS. 2021 PMIC MARKET SHARE (%)
(ET) is highly correlated with its share
of the baseband market. It is losing
share to Mediatek, which keeps
gaining ground in the mid-tier and
premium segment. The company
launched its seventh generation ET in 10%
2022.
10%
• Mediatek is gaining share as the
11%
company continues to lead in the low- 34%
end and mid-tier segment while its 12%
36%
efforts toward the premium segment Qualcomm

start to pay off. Inner: 2021, $678M

Mediatek

Outer: 2022, $711M Samsung

• Samsung’s share is relatively stable
Skyworks
and strongly driven by its mid-tier 14% 15%
device offerings. However, the Qorvo

company will restructure its

smartphone portfolio strategy to
increase profitability. 27%
• Skyworks and Qorvo have a similar
product portfolio and get their PMIC 31%
share from their business with Apple.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 133

MMWAVE COMPONENTS MARKET SHARES
AiP, FEM and IF RxTx

• Qualcomm faced growing competition in 2022 vs. 2021 mmWave components market share (%)
2022 but is still leading the market. It
provides AiP solutions for multiple
mmWave phones. However, Apple does
not use Qualcomm’s off-the-shelf
offering. 1% 3%

• USI reinforced its second-place position.

For its iPhone 12/13/14 lineup, Apple has 0%
0%
been relying on USI for its customized
antenna modules.
• Murata is the second supplier to Apple for 29%

mmWave FEM and AiP. This ensures 32%

42%
Murata’s third-place position while Qualcomm

Murata is trying to expand its mmWave Inner 2021 1429$M Murata

48%
business with its compact L-shaped Outer 2022 1485$M USI
mmWave AiP. This latest product Samsung
leverages Murata’s MetroCirc technology.
Mediatek
• Mediatek comes as a new entrant in the
mmWave market. Its product offering,
including an AiP and IF transceiver, has
already been adopted by Motorola. 23%

• Samsung is taking a piece of the market

with its IF transceiver but is not offering
an AiP. However, the company has a 22%
mmWave chipset employed within
Murata’s L-shaped AiP.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 134

Ecosystem and Technology Landscape

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 135

RF FRONT-END LANDSCAPE
Fabless Foundry/Fablite IDM

> 100 $M

> 100 $M > 100 $M

< 100 $M

< 100 $M < 100 $M

> 100 $M > 100 $M > 100 $M

Leading RF < 100 $M < 100 $M < 100 $M

front-end
players are
trying to
> 100 $M > 100 $M > 100 $M
master most of
< 100 $M < 100 $M < 100 $M
the value
chain
internally.
> 100 $M > 100 $M > 100 $M

< 100 $M < 100 $M < 100 $M

> 100 $M > 100 $M

< 100 $M < 100 $M

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 136

 TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE
Cellular power amplifiers – Low-noise amplifiers

HBT pHEMT Bi HEMT SiGe Bi-CMOS CMOS RF SOI

*
**
PAs
LNAs

* PA driver
** mmWave MMIC

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 137

TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE
Switches and tuners

RF SOI CMOS pHEMT MEMS p-Si

Tuners
Switches

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 138

TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE
Filters

SAW TC-SAW ML-SAW BAW SMR FBAR MLC IPD

I.H.P SAW

Development

* Placed on the BIS entity list at the end of 2020.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 139
TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE
mmWave MMICs

Fully integrated Requires additional up/down conversion chip

CMOS FD SOI RF SOI SiGe Bi-CMOS pHEMT

Foundries Fabless/IDMs

**

* Prototype/Unconfirmed
** For infrastructure
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 140
 SILICON FOUNDRY CAPABILITY FOR RF – 1/2
200mm 200 or 300mm 300mm
Node (nm) 350 250 180/150 130/110 95/90 65/55 45/40 28 22 16 14 12
RF CMOS CR013G N28HPC+ 22ULP 16FFC
LNA
RF SOI 0.13SOI
Switch Switch N40SOI
sub-6GHz mmWave 5G, automotive
SiGe
Main foundries for
+ GaN Radio transceiver
RF devices hold a Switch Switch/LNA and PA
large portfolio of RF CMOS 65LP/55LP 40LP/28LP 14LP
technologies. TSMC
has introduced its RF SOI 7RF/7SW 8SW/UC10* UC11/12/13* RF SOI45 22FDX 12FDX
N40SOI technology
and is expected to SiGe 5PAX 7WL 8XP 9HP mmWave
mmWave
start volume + GaN/Si Low power
production this SiGe PA Automotive radar, LiDAR, infrastructure Automotive radar
year.
GlobalFoundries RF CMOS
will increase its
FDSOI capacity RF SOI LNA, switch LNA, switch
with new facility ,
adjacent to ST’s
300 mm existing in RF CMOS TS18 TS13 TPS110 TPS65LP Automotive radar
Crolles, France.
RF SOI SB18HC Switch/LNA
SiGe Switch
SBC18H3 Automotive radar, LiDAR, infrastructure

RF CMOS
0.2µm LNA
RF SOI Switch 0.13µm
Switch
SiGe

* pSemi dedicated process RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 141
SILICON FOUNDRY CAPABILITY FOR RF – 2/2

200mm 200 or 300mm 300mm

Node (nm) 350 250 180/150 130/110 95/90 65/55 45/40 28 22 16 14 12
RF CMOS LNA, PA and FEM
LNA C65SOIFEM SOIMMW FD28
RF SOI H9SOIFEM
+ SiC Switch
BiCMOS55
SiGe BiCMOS7RF BiCMOS9MW

RF CMOS
LNA
On top of RF SOI Switch 0.055µm
0.13µm IPD
increasing their Tuner
capacity, the SiGe
foundries are
expanding their 0.18µm
services, and RF SOI
RF-IPs.
Switch
RF SOI 0.13µm Tuner

RF SOI 0.13/0.11µm Switch

Switch
RF SOI 0.18µm 0.13µm Tuner
LNA

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 142

 WAFER SUPPLIERS FOR RF DEVICES
By substrate type

Sapphire

The substrate
supply chain for Glass
RF components
is well
consolidated.
Okmetic has LTO/LNO
expanded its
high-resistivity
RFSI ®
LT/LN
substrate
portfolio with
Ultra-Flat
substrates (UF- GaAs
RFSi®) for ML-
SAW filters.

RF SOI

Silicon

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 143

FOCUS ON CHINESE RF FRONT-END COMPANIES

Entered the STAR

A- $2.1B market
Poised to achieve
IPO Poised to a $340M IPO
$129M C series receive $777M

Placed on BIS B-round

entity list. $47M B-round
I - $40M
$15.7M
Many RFFE A-
companies have * round
entered China's
Nasdaq-style
STAR market,
facilitating
access to the
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
capital market
and attracting
more
companies.
B-round
Entered the
$40M STAR market
A-round Poised to win a
$22M IPO

A-round D-round B-round C-round C-round

$814M
$15M $620M $393M

* Huntersun changed its name to OnMicro and spun off its filter business under the name Huntersun-MEMS.
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 144
RF FRONT-END COMPANIES IN CHINA
Per company headquarter location

Chengdu Wafer foundries active in

Beijing/Tianjin RFFE

Shanghai/Wuxi Compound semi.

CMOS, RF SOI, IPD

Wuzhou

Acoustic filters

Xiamen/Zhangzhou
Shenzhen/Hong Kong

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 145

 THE CHINESE FABLESS PRODUCT LINE IS EXPANDING
Hitting advanced 5G

Chinese fabless
companies have
expanded their
RFFE portfolio
through
modularization OM9902-11 OM9902-11 OM9576-11
and increasing 4G MMBA PA MMBA PA 5G L-PAMiF N77/78
HB/MB/LB, 3G/LTE/NR，HB/MB/LB, 1T2R
complexity. 4HB/5MB/5LB
New modules
could support
advanced 5G
phases 5N and
7, in the UHB
and sub-6GHz.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 146

 MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS, FUNDRAISING AND COLLABORATIONS
M&A Fundraising, investment Commercial launch Collaboration, commercial agreement

Mediatek launches Dimensity

8000 5G Chip Series
Skyworks Qorvo partners with
acquires Nordic on UWB
Avnera
Qualcomm to use
for $425M Qualcomm launches
Soitec’s POI for filter
Snapdragon X70 5G-AI
Qualcomm/Apple Maxscend Lansus raises $15M Modem-RF system
drop all litigation raises $129M Radrock Tech RoFS placed on
raises $620M BIS entity list
UMC acquires
Mie Fujitsu TST invests $15M in Sawnics Xiaomi invests
for capacity expansion in Onmicro Huawei invests in filter Unisoc raises $814M ST and Globalfoundries to open a new
Semi for 300mm FD-SOI Foundry in France
company Shoulder EpicMEMS
$477M
raises $47M
Murata invests $7M in Resonant ST Microelectronics
ST Microelectronics acquires
acquires Cartesiam
BeSpoon and Riot micro Qualcomm and Samsung expand their
ST Microelectronics partnership through to the end of 2030.
Murata, Skyworks and Qorvo MediaTek invests buys ExaGaN
$40M in Vanchip ST Microelectronics acquires
collaborate with MediaTek on 5G
SOMOS semiconductor
Panasonic Semiconductor Solution Vanchip goes to the
On Semiconductor sells its TPSCo share to Nuvoton STAR market
acquires Globalfoundries’ Wise Road Capital (CN fund)
Fab10 for $430M acquires Magnachip for $1.4B
Murata
OmniVision buys Kyocera buys acquires
WillSemi for $2B AVX for $1B Resonant
Qualcomm acquires Nuvia for $1.4B
NXP buys
Infineon buys Marvell
VIS acquires Mediatek acquires Intel’s Enpirion Skyworks acquires Silicon Labs
Cypress power solution for $85M (automotive and infra BU) for $2.75B
GlobalFoundries
Fab3E
Apple launches
Qorvo acquires iPhone 14
Qualcomm buys Qorvo acquires Decawave $400M and
Taiyo Yuden Qorvo buys Qorvo buys
RF360 $3.1B Active Semi Custom MMIC $100M
buys Elna SevenHugs NextInput
Huawei launches Mate50
with satellite texting feature
Murata acquires
ETA Wireless

2018-Q2 2018-Q3 2018-Q4 2019-Q1 2019-Q2 2019-Q3 2019-Q4 2020-Q1 2020-Q2 2020-Q3 2020-Q4 2021-Q1 2021-Q2 2021-Q3 2021-Q4 2022-Q1 2022-Q2

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 147

MAIN RF FRONT-END PLAYERS’ REVENUE DEVELOPMENT
Ranking of the main RF front-end players

• Broadcom was the only top-five RFFE company

to record growth in 2022. Its wireless Business Top 5 ‘RFFE’ revenue, $M
Unit grew 10% in CY2022. Broadcom continues to
lead the market, benefiting from the ramp-up of $25,000
5G flagship models launched by its major
customers: Samsung and Apple. Wi-Fi
connectivity has also greatly contributed to
revenue growth as the company is at the
forefront of Wi-Fi6/6E SoCs. $20,000
$6,839
• Qualcomm’s RFFE segment revenue decreased
by 8% in CY2022. Indeed, competition from China $7,500
in the low- and mid-tier segment and expected $5,611
mmWave adoption have limited the company’s
revenue growth. However, Qualcomm still is
ahead of Skyworks and Qorvo. $15,000
$4,640 $4,229
• Murata’s HF device and communication module $3,010
segment dropped 18% in CY2022 following $3,898
growing competition and demand weakness.
Indeed, Murata faces more competition in the $1,613
$10,000 $2,605 $3,490
filter business while restructuring its module
activity to improve its profitability. We expect $2,284 $2,817
Murata to invest more in the premium segment.
The first visible sign of this is an investment in $2,883
Resonant for its XBAR technology. $2,234 $3,523
$3,248
• Skyworks and Qorvo recorded an 8% and 19% $5,000
decline in their mobile segment, respectively, in
CY2022. Again, market weakness and growing $5,331 $5,865
competition are behind these revenue decreases. $4,855
$3,992
Both companies prepared for such a scenario and
have anticipated it through investments in other
market verticals. $-
CY19 CY20 CY21 CY22

Murata Skyworks Qorvo Qualcomm Broadcom

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 148

ECOSYSTEM AND TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE: KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The RF front-end market reached over $19B in 2021 but flattened in 2022 following demand weakness and inventory
correction.
• In 2021, Qualcomm led the market with its end-to-end approach, followed by Broadcom’s custom PA module offering.
Skyworks and Qorvo have similar company profiles with a broad RF portfolio serving all market segments, although
Skyworks has been more exposed to increased Chinese competition. Murata’s revenue was low, suffering from growing
competition on its filters and restructuring its module portfolio.
• In 2022, traditional players were impacted by the deterioration in the macroeconomic environment. Except for
Broadcom, revenues generated by companies in RFFE-related segments have decreased.
• The Chinese RF front-end ecosystem has been growing, with fabless companies mainly emerging, most taking a share
of their local market. Maxscend, Vanchip, and Smarter Micro are the most relevant examples, though Maxscend recently
invested in upgrading to a fablite business model. There is a long list of companies with great ambitions and access to
financial capital through public offerings on the STAR market. However, not all initiatives will succeed, and we expect
consolidation to happen in the mid-term.
• To sum up, Chinese RF front-end players capture a limited fraction of the market, as OEMs still rely on the leading
players for their premium products, but the largest Chinese companies are on their way to catching up with the leaders.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 149

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 150

Radio Access Technology

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 151

AIR STANDARD EVOLUTION
Towards network standard unification

1980 1990 2000 2010 2022 2030

1G 2G 3G 4G 5G 6G

AMPS GSM WCDMA FDD-LTE (A) NR NR

TACS CDMA CDMA2000 TDD-LTE (A) NR-Light
ETACS D-AMPS TD-SCDMA NTN
NMT450 PDC WiMAX
Standard NTT/JTACS/NTACS PHS
unification C-Netz
Radiocom 2000
has been
RTMI
followed by
an explosion
in mobile
applications

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 152

5G AT THE CENTER OF MULTIPLE RADIO ACCESS TECHNOLOGIES
Operating on the licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrums

NR Licensed
LTE/NR
5G operates on
the LTE and NR NR-U
licensed eLWA eLAA
spectrums. The
use of
LWA LAA
unlicensed LTE-U
spectrum is also

5G
very important.
LAA has already
penetrated 4G
handsets and
will be further
used in 5G
handsets. Shared Unlicensed
CBRS, LSA Wi-Fi

MulteFire

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 153

WHERE ARE WE HEADING IN THE CELLULAR RF FRONT-END SEGMENT?

• 3GPP keeps adding new features, expanding use cases.

• Growth in the cellular RF front-end market is not likely to stop.

5G Advanced and 6G Timeline

5G phase 1 5G phase 2 5G phase 3 5G-Advanced

NR bands FR1/FR2-1 NR bands FR2-2 NR bands FR2-2 AI/ML for NR

MIMO MIMO improved NR-light/RedCap NR-CA
Beamforming EN/NR-DC improved NR for NTN network Multi Rx DL FR2
Dual connectivity Extended range MIMO improved NR duplex operation
LAA unlicensed WiFi/NR interworking Sidelink improved Band combination simplification
Satellite 5G UE power saving Positioning improved Air to ground NR network for IoT

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 154

 3GPP TIMELINE

Years
20 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

R15 R16

5G phase 1 and 2 5G Evolution 5G Advanced Beyond 5G 6G

R17 R18 R19 R20 R21 R22 R22 R23

5G NR spectrum < 71GHz > 71GHz

Positioning accuracy < 1m < 10cm

Latency <1ms <0.1ms

NR-U <7Ghz 51-71GHz

6G research and development

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 155
3GPP RELEASE 17 IS EXPANDING ON 5G FOUNDATIONS
New verticals, use cases and spectrum extension

Release 17
introduces new
and enhanced
5G devices and
applications,
and extends the
mmWave
spectrum.
System
capabilities
have been
improved with
non-terrestrial
network
enablement
and topology
expansion.

Source: 3GPP Release 17:, Qualcomm, March 2022

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 156

 3GPP RELEASE 17
Three pillars 5G proximity services
Industrial IoT • NR D2D discovery and communication
• NR positioning improvement Enlarge the ecosystem Edge computing improvements
• NR operation up to 71GHz • Network and application layer support for
• URLLC enhancement, time-sensitive discovery, registration, and AS relocation, etc.
communication
• Management and security
• NR sidelink enhancement
Non-public network improvements
Massive IoT
• Neutral host support
Release 17 adds • Low-complexity NR devices
• NPN management
specific NR for • NB (Narrow band) IoT and LTE-M improvements
NTN support and Network slicing
IoT. Other features Satellite
are improved such • Support for enforcement of GSMA Generic Slice
• Satellite (NTN) NR New system enablers
as coverage and templates (GST).
power saving. • NTN NB-IOT/LTE-M
• e.g., max number of UEs per slice, UL/DL data
Beyond practical Drones rate per UE in a slice
improvements,
new applications • Remote identification and tracking Network automation
and verticals have Broadcast over 5G • Supports new use cases e.g., slice SLA assurance
also been opened and architecture e.g., distributed NWDAF by
up. • For mission critical applications, V2X, etc. No receiver
only mode. enhanced NWDAF in management data analytics
service in OAM.
• NR multicast and broadcast
5G vertical application and network APIs
• MIMO improvements
• New middleware between vertical applications
• Dynamic spectrum sharing
and the underlying infrastructure.
• NR coverage improvement
• Simplifies the deployment of vertical systems at a
• UE power saving improvement large scale.
• Multi-SIM support Improve performance
• Integrated access and backhaul enhancement and efficiency
• CA, DC/new bands RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 157
 3GPP RELEASE 18
Main features

Expansion to New Verticals Even More Extreme KPIs

• 5G smart energy and infrastructure • Tactile and multi-modality
communication services: immersive
• 5G railway communication systems real-time experiences
(Smart stations)
• Low-power high-accuracy positioning
• Guidelines for nonterrestrial 5G systems for Industrial IoT scenarios with 1-2 years
such as HAPS, satellites, aeronautical, etc. battery lifetime

• 5G timing resiliency system Timing as a

• Enhancements to interconnected service for Transportation, Energy,
As a first mission-critical service systems
milestone toward Finance, etc.
advanced 5G,
3GPP Release 18
will introduce AI
and ML to
provide data-
driven, intelligent
AI ML
network New System Enablers New Network Scenarios
solutions. • Enhancements to residential 5G i.e. the
• Ranging services ‘point-and-play’
devices behind residential gateways,
• Enhanced support of network slicing small indoor base stations, etc.

• Data integrity to protect IoT • Personal IoT networks such as home

communications IoT, wearables, etc.
• Support for service function chaining • Vehicle-mounted relays

• Evolution of IMS multimedia telephony • Access to localized services: ‘on

service (XR) demand’ temporary Neutral Host
scenarios

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 158

3GPP RELEASE 18: MAIN FEATURES
Enhanced capabilities

• More MIMO antennas/layers for U: up to eight for single-user MIMO and twelve for
multi-user MIMO. This is dedicated for CPE, FWA, vehicles and industrial devices.
• Frequency-selective precoding in large UL bandwidths.
• Spatial multiplexing and diversity techniques .

• Uplink enhancements: power domain aggregation for CA/DC and enhanced transmit
power efficiency.
• NR multi-band UL carriers: the UE can perform random access on any of these UL
carriers and transmit data over multiple bandwidth parts over multiple bands
According to
without activation/deactivation of secondary cells.
Release 18,
handsets should
operate in NR-DC • NR DC enhancement targeting sub-7GHz and mmWave: Layer 1/2-based intercell
mode. mobility: configuration of multiple cells, dynamic switching, etc.
• NR-DC with selective activation of cell groups via L3 enhancement
• Conditional handover enhancements, including Master Cell Group and Secondary
Cell Group

• Single-Frequency Full-Duplex (SFFD) for a dynamic TDD.

• Spatial/beam isolation: Two separate antenna panels for simultaneous Tx/Rx
• Devices will remain half duplex.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 159

3GPP RELEASE 18: MAIN FEATURES
Smart mmWave repeaters

• Smart repeaters can go a long way towards solving coverage and range challenges for the mmWave spectrum. In addition, they
are synchronized with network gNB equipment, and don’t need fiber backhaul connections.
• Unlike traditional network devices, they dynamically optimize the overall network performance according to changing
environmental conditions and improve point-to-point and line of sight connections by leveraging active phased array antennas.
• Smart repeaters can be used indoors, mounted on utility poles outdoors, or cascaded in a mesh network topology.

Smart
repeaters will
accelerate
the time to
market and
reduce the
cost of
deploying
mmWave
networks.

Network smart repeater

extending range and coverage

How smart repeaters enhance e-coverage

Source: GSMA, November 2022

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 160

5G: Key Features

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 161

MODULATION, WAVEFORM AND CHANNEL BANDWIDTH EVOLUTION

Sub-7 mmWave

Tx/Rx CP-OFDM
Tx
Waveform Rx

5G sub-7GHz
and 5G
mmWave will Tx DFT-s-OFDM
use different Rx CP-OFDM
(though still Source: Research Gate Source: Research Gate
OFDM-based) Performance Comparison of OFDMA and SCFDMA in LTE Fourier Transform Based Transmission Systems
Systems for Broadband Wireless Communications
waveforms than
LTE and larger 256QAM
Modulation

bandwidth, BPSK to 256QAM BPSK to 256QAM

Rx
separated by Tx/Rx
Tx/Rx
wider sub- 64QAM
carrier spacing.
Tx

5 to 100MHz 50 to 400MHz

Sub-carrier spacing
Sub-carrier spacing
Sub-carrier spacing

120kHz
30kHz
5MHz 10MHz 20MHz
Channel

15 kHz

5 to 50MHz 50 to 200MHz

60kHz
15kHz

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 162

 3GPP RELEASE 17
CA combinations on the rise

CA aggregation by 3GPP release

Carrier
aggregation 1600
enables larger
bandwidth for a
1400
faster data rate.
3GPP’s releases Inter band 5CC
from 12 to 16 have 1200
increased band
Inter band 4CC
combinations. In

CA band combination
release 17, the 1000
number of band Inter band 3CC
combinations has
increased by 800
Inter band 2CC
more than four-
fold. This will 600
have a direct Intra band mixed contig/non
impact on the RF contig
front-end in 400 Intra band non contig
mobile handsets.
(b) 200 Intra band contig

(a)

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 163

3GPP RELEASE 17: REDCAP DEVICES

• eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broad Band), URLLC (Ultra-Reliable

Low-Latency Communication) and mMTC (massive Machine-
Type Communication) have already been introduced in
previous releases as key enablers for 5G use cases and verticals.
• Release 17 introduces RedCap lower complexity devices. It
scales down wideband 5G NR design i.e., 100MHz bandwidth to
RedCap has been 20MHz/100MHz in sub-7GHz/mmWave.
introduced for IoT
use cases and to • Device complexity decrease with:
enhance 5G
proliferation. For • A reduced number of radio receiver (RX) antenna
smartphones, we branches: for instance, a regular 5G NR device requires
expect redcap to four antennas in the new sub-7GHz bands, i.e.,
replace entry level Source: Ericsson, October 2021
n77/n78/n79, n41, etc., whereas NR Light requires one
smartphones.
Thus, this or two antenna branches.
segment should
support the L-NR,
• Reduced RX and radio transmitter (TX) bandwidth
keeping a reduced
• Half-duplex operation, meaning that the UE is not
footprint and a
limited power required to transmit and receive at the same time.
consumption.
• RedCap has been optimized for IoT use cases, especially for
industry and enterprise verticals, and will pave the way for
future applications such as smart grids and cities.
• Meanwhile, smartphone device manufacturers should adapt
their entry-level/low-end segment to take advantage of this
concept, supporting new NR-L bands.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 164

SIDELINK IN RELEASES 17 AND 18
Expanding 5G sidelink capabilities

• The sidelink relay can be either a network-to-device relay, where the relay UE
connects a remote UE to the network, or a device-to-device relay, where the
relay UE connects the first remote UE to a second remote UE.
• Release 17 has expanded sidelinks beyond automotive applications, including
device relays that can efficiently extend network coverage. Thus, release 17
Release 17 enables the meeting of key requirements at device level, such as reducing
introduces the latency and power consumption with RedCap devices. Release 17 has also
main features Sidelink Device-to-Device
introduced the NR-L bands to ensure coexistence between adjacent bands in
that will impact
the licensed spectrum.
devices for
sidelink • Release 18 is bringing improved performance, efficiency and further use case
operations, expansion. It supports unlicensed spectrum, multi-beam operation and carrier
mainly through aggregation. The release supports L2/L3 devices for device-to-device relays.
the RedCap
For network-to-device relays, it completes some features needed to cover
concept and NR
mobility scenarios not covered in release 17. This release also introduces
Light bands.
Release 18 advanced positioning.
Sidelink Network-to-Device
expands sidelink
capabilities with
CA and support
for unlicensed
spectrum.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 165

IMPACT OF 5G FEATURES ON RF COMPONENTS
Growing bill of materials, tighter specifications

Technology/Feature Application RF component affected

• 4x4 MIMO DL • Band > 2.5GHz • 4 Rx chains (LNA, switch, filter) needed
• 2x2 MIMO UL (N77,N78,N79,B41/B7/B39) • 2 PA modules for these bands (*)
• Two coherent Tx • Band N41,N77,N78,N79 • PA integration in the diversity path (**)
• Diversity Tx

• Support for NTN

4x4 MIMO DL • Band N255/256
is the 5G
feature which • Dual connectivity (EN-DC) • Addition of a complete radio chain (NR)
has the • Non-standalone operation stressing linearity, intermodulation
largest impact requirements
on bill of
materials. • High-power UE/Power class 2 • PA/filter design must accommodate +3dB
• Power class 1.5 • Band N41/N77/N78/N79 • 2 PA PC2 = 1 equivalent PA PC 1.5 (29dBm)
• Band N41/N77/N78/N79

• Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) • Ultra-fast antenna switch requirements

• All 5G NR bands

• Wideband operation: 100MHz • Multiple component design: PA (+ET and APT

instantaneous • Band N41/N77/N78/N79 booster), filter, switch, LNA

(*) Though a 2x2 MIMO UL is preferred by the carriers, some companies are validating a single Tx link as an adequate solution for low-cost RFFE, e.g. China Mobile.
(**) A diversity Tx link would improve UE transmit gain. However, no commercial release of this feature has been seen so far. We expect Apple to be one of the OEMs to first
implement this feature in its iPhones.
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 166
HIGH-POWER USER EQUIPMENT – POWER CLASS 2
A must for 5G NR TDD bands

• At frequencies above 2.5GHz, there is an important gap between UL and DL coverage.

• Thus, switching from a PC3 (23dBm) to PC2 (26dBm) UE helps in reducing the gap.

UL 23dBm at UE antenna Note

UL 26dBm at UE antenna PC2 is only allowed on TDD
HPUE affects the bands (40,41,77,78,79) as the
DL coverage
design of the full
UL duty cycle is only 50%, thus
enabling SAR compatibility.
RF chain. In a
It is not allowed on FDD bands
configuration as the duty cycle cannot be
with a single Tx, controlled.
the PA must drive
additional power
• The consequence is that the PA must drive higher power compared to a PC3 device to achieve 26dBm at the
(3dB). This
antenna port.
configuration will
likely be applied • Thus switch and filter must accommodate higher power while minimizing insertion losses.
to low-cost
26dBm
devices.

RFFE block
> 3dBm > 31dBm

BB TRX PA Switch Filter

DPD control loop

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 167
HIGH-POWER USER EQUIPMENT – POWER CLASS 1.5
New request for NR and EN-DC from MNOs

• The 3GPP WF has been discussing implementation of PC1.5 for UE in the

bands n41, n77/n78, and n79. PC1.5 allows for an increased UE output power
(29dBm) instead of 26dBm for HPUE.
• 3GPPRAN4 agreed at RAN4#95e to introduce this feature into 3GPP Release
16 for n41 NR SA and intraband EN-DC. The discussion is ongoing on
whether to introduce the PC1.5 n77/n78 feature in Release 17.
PC1.5 is • Furthermore, in March 2021, China Mobile (CMCC) proposed the
desired by development of a new PC1.5 HPUE feature for the n79 5G NR band to
several MNOs
improve uplink coverage in the 4400-5000MHz frequency range.
in order to
increase the • In practice, the uplink coverage is reduced in this 5G NR band due to Power class definition
UL coverage the reduction of power spectral density due to an increase in
and improve transmission bandwidth without increasing the UE transmission
the radio link power.
budget.
• The 3GPP WF seems to agree that PC1.5 29dBm should be achieved
using dual Tx chains as a first measure (26dBm + 26dBm), i.e. dual PAs,
since there are no 29dBm PAs deployed in UE currently.
• The first device to demonstrate PC 1.5 capabilities is the New Motorola
Edge, launched on the T-Mobile Network. Measurements have
demonstrated a three-fold higher uplink capacity.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 168

TWO-TRANSMIT COHERENT TRANSMISSION
Nice to have, likely implementation for flagship phones

• This approach enables better performance for the transmit gain, thus resulting in a higher signal-to-
noise ratio. However, it increases the bill of materials and poses additional challenges for smartphone
OEMs for integration in phone cases.

This option is • UL MIMO operation can be applied on top of diversity Tx to enable UL and DL data rate
preferred by improvement.
network
operators as it • To reduce the BOM, the second UL path and the diversity Tx can be mutualized. In some cases, for
provides better entry-level phones, i.e., phones below 3000 RMB or $460, this feature is not necessary.
performance and 23dBm
is likely to reduce
the cost of
network RFFE block
deployment. < 31dBm
However, it poses
big challenges to
smartphone PA Switch Filter
Note
OEMs regarding
integration and < 3dBm 23dBm In some cases, HPUE is required for
cost of this configuration, meaning the use
implementation. of two Tx RF chains at 26dBm, as in
BB TRX RFFE block
the Sprint network, for instance.
< 31dBm

PA Switch Filter

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 169

SUPPLEMENTARY UPLINK (SUL) FOR 5G
Basics

• UE Tx power is lower than base station Tx power. As a result, UE

up-link coverage is lower than its down-link coverage.
• The issue becomes more critical when the UE is located at cell
edge, leading to a degraded radio link.
5G NR bands
• Supplementary Up-Link (SUL) has been proposed as an
have been
alternative to cope with this issue. The principle is to use a
opened to
secondary up-link at lower frequency to extend the UE up-link
support SUL, as
coverage when required, so when the UE is moving beyond the
5G NR ULs
uplink coverage, the UE would use SUL bands for transmitting
higher than
data.
3.5GHz might
be weak at the • Attention must be paid to coexistence cases between existing Source: Sharetechnote.com
cell edge. LTE bands and 5G NR for SUL. SUL band combinations
However, SUL SUL_N3_N80
adoption has
SUL_N8_N81
yet to be seen.
SUL_N20_N82
SUL_N28_N83
SUL_N1_N84
SUL_N66_N86
SUL_N34_N95
SUL_N40_N97
SUL_N39_N98
SUL_N24_N99

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 170

SUPER UP LINK
An alternative to the 3GPP SUL

• Super up-link is a joint technology innovation from Huawei and

China Mobile. The principle is like SUL, but the operating mode
is slightly different.
• Instead of using dedicated TDD bands for the supplementary
up-link, an FDD up-link is used. In this way, the operator can
Super up-link ensure an up-link is always available without any risk of
has been interference.
developed to
improve 5G • Conch, a Chinese building manufacturing company, has
up-links. It is sampled this technology using Huawei’s CPE for one of its
likely to apply mining facilities, enabling better performance of its network to Source: Huawei
to industrial ensure state-of-the-art automated mining operations and
use cases improved surveillance resolution.
rather than
consumer • This certainly is a step forward for industrial automation in
ones. China and could become a worldwide industry standard as
3GPP has accepted this innovation.
• In addition, super up-link also has been demonstrated on
Huawei Mate 40, 20X, Honor V30, and Nova V7 devices.

Source: GTI Industry Briefing, May 2020

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 171

SOUNDING REFERENCE SIGNAL (SRS)
Basics

• A sounding reference signal is intended for TDD operations.

• During SRS operation, a reference signal is sent from the UE to
the base station.
• This reference signal gives information about the combined
effect of multipath fading, scattering, Doppler effect, and power
loss of the transmitted signal.
SRS antenna
switches will • As such, the base station estimates the channel quality using
be a key this reference signal and manages further resource scheduling,
component beam management, and power control of the signal.
for optimized • SRS is a lot more flexible in 5G NR than in LTE due to more
channel OFDM symbols and period and resource blocks and will be
selection. supported in 5G phones with the integration of an SRS antenna
switch.
• SRS antenna switch time must be very short: max 2.5µs.
• Thus, specific designs are needed for this type of switch.
• We assume MEMS technology will help to deliver this type of
switch.

Source: Skyworks whitepaper 5G NR solutions

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 172

5G NSA EVOLUTION – 1/4
NSA to SA deployment

• The dual approach is most beneficial from a data-rate point of view. Reports from the field show that 5G
NSA is scaling very rapidly and will probably support over a billion subscribers by the end of this year.
• The majority of 5G SA deployments today are confined to a handful of companies, such as T-Mobile,
Vodafone Germany, the Netherlands, and Korea Telecom. The main MNOs are currently employing a wait-
and-see approach.
5G NSA is
currently • The MNO migration from 5G NSA to SA will undergo several phases. LTE and NR UEs will co-exist in the NSA
scaling very scenario. Local or regional SA UEs are expected in some regions, where the users will switch from NR to LTE
rapidly. if roaming or outside of NR coverage.
Several
countries are
starting with
this approach
before
transitioning
to 5G SA in
the future.

Source: Samsung
Migration roadmap from 4G to 5G

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 173

5G NSA EVOLUTION – 2/4
EN-DC: Understanding the expected performance

• E-UTRAN New Radio Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) technology enables the use of both
4G and 5G to improve coverage and reliability from a UE perspective but also reaches
higher DL data rates.
• Mobile devices that support EN-DC will have two concurrent radio connections to the
EPC, one via 5G NR and the other via LTE.

• Disparities between 4G and 5G coverage are likely due to higher frequencies often
used in 5G. Source: GSMA

• A possible application for EN-DC is illustrated here:

• In area A, there is both 4G and 5G coverage (on the UL), and thus a UE capable
of EN-DC can transmit data by both the 4G and 5G networks. As major
smartphones generally support two transmission channels (2Tx), one Tx can be
used for LTE and the other for 5G NR.
• In area B, because there is only 4G coverage (on the UL), the UE can only
transmit data via LTE.

Source ZTE: 5G Uplink Enhancement

Technology White Paper

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 174

5G NSA EVOLUTION – 3/4
EN-DC’s demonstrated performances

Various companies have demonstrated EN/DC capabilities through dedicated tests. Some illustrative
examples are included here:
1- Ericsson and Qualcomm have demonstrated their Radio System mmWave Streetmacro 6701 base
station, Snapdragon X60 5G Modem-RF system, and third-generation QTM535 mmWave antenna
modules using a form-factor test smartphone. The demonstration combined eight 100MHz mmWave
EN-DC tests
channels in the n257 (28GHz) band, with two 20MHz of 4G LTE CA for a total aggregated BW of 840MHz
have to deliver a 5Gbps data rate for a single user.
demonstrated
increased
speeds and
capacity,
leveraging the
4G core
network.

2- Samsung surpassed the symbolic 5Gbps threshold to reach 5.23Gbps in March 2021, using commercial
devices, a BTS, and a Samsung 20+ phone in their lab. They also combined eight 100MHz 28GHz
mmWave channels with two 20MHz of 4G LTE.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 175

5G NSA EVOLUTION – 4/4
3GPP Release 17 EN-DC DL combinations

EN DC Inter-band combinations, Release 17

1800

1600

1400

1200

Band combinations
• The number of inter-band combination in 1000

EN-DC offers a 3GPP release 17 has drastically increased to

substantial 3884 as a result of EN-DC making possible the 800

number of band
combination of E-UTRA bands with FR1. The
number of possible combinations increases
combinations. 600
further to 4201 with FR2 and 2053 when
combined with FR1 and FR2. These numbers 400
represent a six-fold increase compared to the
number of configurations in release 16.
200
• With this increased number of combinations,
release 17 can leverage the highest bandwidth 0
2 3 4 5 6
from LTE and 5G networks and increase Inter band EN-DC configurations
aggregated speed. Modems inside number E-UTRA + FR1
503 1526 1360 460 35

smartphone handsets should support all Inter band EN-DC configurations

number E-UTRA + FR2
1322 1592 1002 285 0
these combinations. Inter band EN-DC configurations
0 553 813 571 116
number E-UTRA + FR1 + FR2

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 176

5G SA EVOLUTION – 1/2
Dual connectivity (NR-DC)

• Contrary to EN-DC, which aggregates LTE and 5G to enhance performance, New Radio Dual
Connectivity (NR-DC) is unique to standalone 5G, connecting the master node to the 5G Core
Network (5G CN).
• It can connect to two different NR base stations. For example, one covering sub-7GHz, and another
using the mmWave spectrum. It significantly improves network performance, with higher data rates
NR-DC is (UL and DL) and better coverage without LTE involvement. Combined with SA capabilities such as
expected to ultra-low latency, network slicing, and improved security, NR DC will push the boundaries of 5G
combine FR1
technology.
and FR2
bands,
delivering an
increased
data rate in
addition to SA
capabilities:
low latency
and network
slicing.

5G NR-DC

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 177

5G SA EVOLUTION – 2/2
EN-DC aggregates the sub-7Ghz and mmWave spectrum

• The first demonstration of NR-DC aggregating sub-7Ghz and

mmWave spectrum happened last year: Mediatek and Ericsson
aggregated eight 100MHz carriers in the N261 band and 60MHz in the
N77 band in the second node to reach a total data rate of 5.1Gbps.
This was done with MediaTek’s M80 5G modem and Ericsson’s Radio
System hardware(*)
EN-DC offers
an appealing
option for 5G • More recently, the Thai operator AIS, together with Qualcomm and
SA ZTE, has combined one 100MHz channel of 2.6GHz and four 200MHz
deployments, channels of mmWave at 26GHz. The demonstration delivered 8.5Gb/s
with DL and 2.17Gb/s UL speed. The test used a reference smartphone
demonstrated equipped with a Qualcomm modem/RF Snapdragon X65 and
increased mmWave AAU infrastructure hardware supplied by ZTE.
data rates and
coverage.
• The Australian operator Optus has teamed up with MediaTek and
Ericsson to join the 3.5GHz mid-band with the newly-acquired
mmWave 26GHz band. The demonstration used a device featuring a
MediaTek M80 5G modem and Ericsson’s RAN Compute (basebands).

(*) RAN products used in the demo: AIR 6449 (sub-6GHz) and Streetmacro 6701 (mmWave)
Source: https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2021/4/ericsson-mediatek-dual-connectivity-5g-standalone-path

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 178

THE CHALLENGE OF DUAL CONNECTIVITY (EN-DC)
Nonlinearity and desensitization

• In the case of two contiguous LTE and NR tones transmitting a signal, low Inter-Modulation Distortion
(IMD) is expected, resulting in low desensitization, i.e., noise on the receive band.
• The problem is when two non-contiguous LTE and NR tones transmit a signal. Then, noticeable IMD
Dual appears, which could desensitize one of the receive bands, thus degrading the downlink
connectivity
performance.
will be
imposed by
carriers as per
their spectrum
allocations. RF
front-end
players will
have to cope
with
desensitization
issues in the
design of
modules and
components.

Source: Skyworks whitepaper, 2019

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 179

CHALLENGES FOR MMWAVE SPECTRUM (FR2)
Propagation characteristics

• Line-Of-Sight (LOS) propagation: 28GHz and 39GHz are subject to 21dB and
24dB higher LOS, respectively, than the 2.6GHz band.
• Rain attenuation: According to the FCC’s Office of Engineering and
Technology Bulletin on mmWave Propagation, rain attenuation ranges
from 0.05dB/km to 25dB/km (@28GHz) and 0.08dB/km to 35dB/km
(@39GHz). This translates to up to 2.5dB (@28GHz) and 3.5dB(@39GHz) of
rain attenuation for every 100 meters with a rainfall intensity of 150mm/h.
• Foliage attenuation: According to the FCC bulletin referenced above,
foliage attenuation at a 10-meter depth is estimated to be 17dB on the
28GHz band, which is 11dB higher than 2.6Ghz. For the 39GHz band, this
attenuation is 19dB.
• Building Penetration Loss (BPL): is higher in commercial buildings than Source: GSA, November 2022
residential due to building materials and window isolation techniques.
28GHz is subject to 6dB to 14dB higher BPL over 2.6GHz. 39GHz is subject
to 8dB to 17dB higher BPL.

Source: GSA, November 2022

Source: GSA, November 2022

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 180
MMWAVE TECHNOLOGY
Some definitions

• At mmWave frequencies a larger number of antenna elements can fit

into a relatively small antenna form factor.

• In theory, the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) of the antenna

array is represented by the following equation:

EIRP (dBm)= P_out(dBm/element) + Individual_element_gain( dB) + 10*log10(N_elem) + 10*log10 (N_elem)

*Individual_element_gain( dB) + 10*log10(N_elem): represents the antenna gain

Beamforming directs power in desired
*10*log10 (N_elem): represents the beamforming gain, beamforming enabling the antenna to orient the directions
beam in the direction of the UE without mechanical rotation.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 181

MMWAVE TECHNOLOGY ROLLOUT ROADBLOCKS
Main issues to overcome
BTS
• mmWave technology comes with two main issues to be mitigated:
UE
• a limited coverage and a high-power consumption.
UE CPE
• To mitigate these limitations, several technics are explored and might be used over the next few years. smartphone
• Reminder on the limited coverage: mmWave transmission is subject to imbalance between the UL (UE to
BTS) and the DL (BTS to UE). In other words, the link is not symmetrical. This is because the antenna array
in a BTS is much wider than in a UE (smartphone or CPE). Thus, there is a big difference in the antenna gain
and the beamforming gain as can be seen from below GSMA’s chart.
• Several technics can be employed for improving the BTS / UE imbalance at mmwave.
• Using High Power UE which is likely for CPE but not for smartphone.
• Using improved UL carrier aggregation.
• Might negatively impact the power consumption (more decoding required)
• Improve the BTS sensitivity to mmWave signals
• Cost adder to the MNOs Source: GSMA 5G mmWave Deployment Best Practices,
November 2022. Annotations from Yole
• Using Low Band (ie sub 7 GHz, instead of mmwave) for the UL while keeping mmWave for the DL
• EN-DC or NR-DC and NR-CA. Promising but remain to be seen.
• The power consumption issue at mmWave comes from both the baseband processing to enable the beamforming and
the RF front end low efficiency.
• This issue not only causes a quick battery drain but also overheating of the device which might affect its
performances.
• Power consumption occurs in transmit and receive mode.
• Implementing a discontinuous reception mode (or C-DRX from 3GPP release 15) is improving the
power consumption on the receive mode. It consists of turning On and Off the downlink channel.
• On the transmit mode, one of the only parameter to play with (on UE side) is to improve the RF
front end efficiency, thus favoring improved performance technology platform such as FDSOI or
RFSOI.
• SiGe BiCMOS or Compound Semi would be an even better choice, however we estimate cost
constraints on the smartphone market makes them nonrealistic. Source: GSMA 5G mmWave Deployment Best Practices,
November 2022.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 182

NR-U: THE NEXT STEP FOR 5G – 1/2
NR-U will increase data rate or enable private cellular networks

• 5G NR-U will allow users to benefit from 5G technology developments:

higher reliability, lower latency, and faster data rates, in unlicensed
spectrum, either in stand-alone or license-assisted (anchored) mode.
• For MNOs, combining their licensed bands with the unlicensed spectrum
enables them to reach higher capacity in the anchored mode. They may
also take advantage of the unlicensed spectrum in busy areas to offload
some traffic. The stand-alone mode permits enterprises to deploy their
private cellular network for industrial applications, for example.

Source: Qualcomm

Source: Qualcomm

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 183

NR-U: THE NEXT STEP FOR 5G: 2/2
NR-U in Release 17

• 3GPP Release 16 opened the use of unlicensed

• A 1st example is the 6GHz spectrum which has been
made available in the US (by FCC) and in other part of
the world (Europe, Latin America, Asia). The available
bandwidth depends on government legislation.
• The NR-U standard will support this 6GHz bandwidth, in
addition to 5GHz and 2.4GHz in the US.

Source: Qualcomm

• 3GPP Release 17 included 60GHz of spectrum in the NR-

U standard. This expansion of unlicensed spectrum will
further enhance URLLC applications and private
networks.

Source: Qualcomm

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 184

RF Architecture Trends

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 185

UNDERSTANDING THE LATEST EVOLUTIONS IN RF ARCHITECTURE
Using the latest iPhones, a driving product

iPhone series 12,

13 and 14
support
multiple radios.
In cellular, an
extensive
number of
bands is
supported.
iPhone 14 iPhone 12 iPhone 13 iPhone 14
incorporate NTN Pro Max 5G US A2342 Pro Max 5G US A2484 Pro Max 5G A2651
connectivity. Specifications:
5G sub-7GHz and mmWave with 4x4 MIMO
5G NR: Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38,
n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79
mmWave: n260, n261 5G NR: n29, n30 5G NR: n14, n26, n53, n70
Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO and LAA mmWave: n258
WiFi-6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO
Bluetooth support
Ultra-wideband support
Extended GPS support
NFC support
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 186
RF FRONT-END ARCHITECTURE IN THE IPHONE SERIES
A common architecture, covering multiple cellular bands

V
FR2
Dual PA module
Ka with different
band
combinations

The RF front-
end
UHB
architectures
from the
iPhones 12 to 14
are superficially HB

very similar.
FR1

MB

LB

Cellular RFFE modules in iPhone 12/iPhone13/ iPhone14

Note: Other modules in RFFE are dedicated to supporting UWB, WiFi (2.6GHz/5GHz), and GPS (L1/L5). The architecture is quite
similar.
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 187
 RF FRONT-END ARCHITECTURE IN THE IPHONE SERIES
It’s all in the modules

IPD
FBARFilter FBAR
FBAR Filter FBAR Filter
filter
Filter filter
Filter
BAW Filter
IPD
Filter Filter
Filter
A deeper look Filter
BAW
Filter
Filter
Switch
Switch

inside Switch

modules PA
Switch
LNA
bank
PMIC

highlights the PA
Switch
LNA
bank
PMIC

growing bill of
materials. Switch
Avago AFEM8240
#dies: 14
Qorvo QM 76285
#dies: 11
PA LNA PMIC
bank

SKY 58245
#dies: 5

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com

188
Technology and Components

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 189

RF FRONT-END SEMICONDUCTOR PLATFORM EVOLUTION SUMMARY
2010 2020 2030 2040

Sub-THz SiGe BiCMOS

LNA
> 100GHz InP

PA
FR2-1 RFSOI

MMIC
20-52GHz CMOS FDSOI
FR3
GaN/Si

PA
7-20GHz
BAW SMR/FBAR
XBAR
Filter

ML-SAW
SAW/TC SAW
BST MEMS
Sub-7GHz

Switch Tuner

CMOS/RFSOI
FR1

P-Si?
GaAs CMOS/RFSOI

SiGe BiCMOS
LNA

GaAs CMOS/RFSOI
GaN/Si?
PA

GaAs
RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 190
POWER AMPLIFIER CLASS AND TECHNOLOGY
Which type of PA are used for mobile handsets?

• For mobile handsets, two classes of PA are

commonly used: Class AB and Class F.
• Actually, all PAs today are Class AB-based PAs but
with an added open or short circuit to create
harmonic resonators and thereby create a class F
or an inverse-class F PA.
• Two major physical factors must be considered to
understand the difference between the theoretical
InGaP HBT PAE of a PA and the actual PAE, and the
GaAs PAs are difference between the performance of different
still the best PA technologies like CMOS and GaAs: Source: Electronic tutorial
platform for
high PA o The ‘Knee voltage’
efficiency. o The ‘Frequency response’ of the PA
o PAE real = PAE ideal/(1 + Vknee/Vsupply ideal)
o The frequency response and gain of the
transistor are impacted by electron mobility.
• In terms of both knee voltage and frequency
response, GaAs still is the best compromise for the
performance of the PA.
Source: Uni Pamplona

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 191

POWER AMPLIFIER CLASS AND TECHNOLOGY
Peak to average ratio (PAPR) – 1/2

• Peak to average ratio (PAPR) describes the signal variation between its peak and average power levels; it is usually used
to evaluate the output envelope variations. As such, it is defined as the ratio between 𝑃𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑘 , the maximum power and
𝑃𝐴𝑣𝑔 , the average power value of the transmitted signal.
𝑃𝐴𝑣𝑔
𝑃𝐴𝑃𝑅 =
𝑃𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑘
• This parameter is of importance in recent OFDM and OFDMA modulations due to the addition of a larger number of
independently modulated sub-carriers.
• In the case of subcarrier waveform constructive addition, peaks at much-higher-than-average levels are formed in the
output envelope.

PAPR in time domain

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POWER AMPLIFIER CLASS AND TECHNOLOGY
Peak to average ratio (PAPR) – 2/2

• Furthermore, the operation at high PAPR forces the PA to operate at a large OBO to support the strict linearity
requirements, which leads to a significant decrease in efficiency. This is less acceptable for higher output RF power levels
that cause more power wastage and consequently necessitate complex and more expensive heat transfer solutions.
• Higher power devices with a large dynamic range, the improvement of clipping and filtering or crest factor reduction
techniques, or OFDM hybrid options can be used to accommodate linearity and efficiency requirements.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 193

POWER AMPLIFIER CLASS AND TECHNOLOGY
Broadband and reconfigurable PAs

Broadband
and/or
reconfigurable
PAs are
required to
fulfill the
current FBW
requirements.
FBW: Fractional Bandwidth

The recent 3GPP releases significantly increased the number of bands and their bandwidth, which led to
increased constraints on PAs. Nowadays, broadband and/or reconfigurable PAs are required to fulfill
these FBW requirements. This opens the way for various approaches, such as load modulation and
Doherty (and pseudo-Doherty) architectures in mobile handsets.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 194

POWER AMPLIFIER CLASS AND TECHNOLOGY
Could Doherty PAs return for 5G?

• Doherty PAs have a proven track record of efficiency in infrastructure and for high-power
applications. They may make a comeback in 5G mobile handsets, as both the level of output power
(HPUE) and PAPR constraint increases while requiring better efficiency for lower battery usage.
• For example, recent academic works have described a reconfigurable PA covering the 2.6GHz band
with a 34% FBW and -35.7dBc ACLR, and a 31dBm average output power reaching 42% PAE without
DPD using SOI technology.

Doherty PAs
are
considered
candidates
for high-
efficiency
HPUE.

Source: EUMW2020

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 LOW-NOISE AMPLIFIERS
The main developmental topic is integration

• Whether discrete or integrated into a module, the LNA for 5G must accommodate higher frequency
than for LTE.
• Obviously, integrated LNAs provide better loss performance at system level, especially at higher
The design of frequencies such as 3.5GHz.
5G LNAs has • In any case, the LNA noise figure must be improved as frequency increases:
been
anticipated by
the
semiconductor
industry, which G: LNA gain
already has IIP3: LNA linearity
optimized f: Frequency of operation
designs for Wi- F: Noise figure
Fi at 5GHz. We PDC: DC power consumption
believe CMOS
SOI will prevail
as it offers an
• SiGe HBT and SOI CMOS technologies compete in this area. SiGe offers better gain and noise figures
interesting
integration while SOI CMOS offers better linearity. Typical LNA figures of merit for both current technologies in
path. production are in the range of 200 at 5GHz (Wi-Fi).
• However, SOI CMOS scaling enables not only an LNA performance improvement, but also the ability
to integrate switches with LNA onto a single die, resulting in a better form factor.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 196

SWITCH TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION
State-of-the-art RonCoff – Towards disruptive switch technology

• GaAs was the legacy technology for RF switches until 2010.

• RF SOS from pSemi and later RF SOI have displaced GaAs
switches as RonCoff performance has improved 20% per year,
offering technical advantages while having better flexibility
RF switch RonCoff evolution
and lower cost. 900

As a
• Further RF SOI improvements in design and scaling are 800
mainstream
ongoing worldwide in foundries. RF SOI should reach a
technology, 700
RFSOI performance plateau towards 2025. psemi
600 TowerSemi
performance • PCM (Phase Change Material) also offers an interesting

RonCoff (fs)
improvement is technology that would enable further integration of switches 500
ST Microelectronics
ongoing. MEMS directly in the backend. As of today, we have not seen any sign GlobalFoundries
finally hit the 400
of maturity of this technology developed by TowerSemi. PCM Infineon
market and is
expected to
uses manufacturing processes reaching state-of-the-art below- 300 GaAs

emerge in 2023 10fs RonCoff and record cycling endurance. Prior to this MEMS
200
for next- demonstration, PCM switches were only investigated by PCM
generation research institutes such as XLIM or HRL. 100 Magnachip
tuners.
0
2005 2015 2025
Timeline

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TECHNOLOGY FIGURE OF MERIT
𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 : a critical parameter for future generations

• 𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 is a critical parameter for transistor and technology choice; it defines the frequency of 0dB power
gain. RF applications are usually developed below the transistor 𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 /3 frequency, as a rule of thumb.
• 𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 is expected to gain importance for future generations of wireless communication beyond sub-
7GHz 5G, where some advanced nodes such as CMOS (e.g. RF/FD/PD SOI) 22 or 28nm nodes can go
as high as 90GHz for RF FEM applications. SiGe HBT technologies are also a crucial contender, as they
provide higher 𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 . For example, the IHP 0.13µm SG13G2 BiCMOS process has a 𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 of 450GHz.
• A 𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 larger than 0.5THz is expected to become a standard requirement for some FEM applications
𝐹𝑚𝑎𝑥 is a in five to ten years. This might go higher with usage of THz in 6G.
critical
technology
parameter
that will play
an important
role beyond-
5G
development.

Source: Dr. Michael Peeters’ presentation at IMS2020

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 198

 ACOUSTIC FILTER TECHNOLOGY IS AT A TURNAROUND
Toward wider bandwidth

• The coupling coefficient (k²) of a filter is a function of the filter

bandwidth.
• Maximum k² with LTE bands was 7% (B41) which was
Coupling coefficient (k²) per frequency
achievable by legacy acoustic wave filters such FBAR, BAW and bands
SMR or SAW. 30%
Sc doping, new material, new technology?
The initial roll-out • 5G NR at 3.5GHz and above has introduced wider bands, thus
of 5G devices higher coupling coefficients: as high as 13%, 14%, and 24% are 25%
5G bands N77
supporting sub- required.

Coupling coefficient (k²)

6GHz wide bands
• To date, few companies have managed to achieve such wide
are based on LC 20%
bandwidth filters with an acoustic-based technology
filter technology.
In parallel, the • Resonant with its XBAR technolo,gy has changed the N78
15% N79
industry is piezoelectric material from AlN to LN to achieve a k² of
developing 24%. k²
acoustic filter
technology to • Increasing scandium doping in the AlN piezoelectric 10%

achieve high k² layer is a way to increase k² but has drawbacks in

and solve future terms of layer crystalline defects which in turn lead to
5%
coexistence a spread of performance, and thus, a yield issue. The
issues with Wi-Fi. industry is trying to pursue this option. Broadcom
managed to achieve a k² of 15% with a good yield. 0%
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
• The other alternative is to change technology and switch from
acoustic filters to LC filters, either with IPD or with MLC Frequency (MHz)
technologies. Tier-1s have adopted this approach for their initial Coupling coefficient is defined as the ratio of bandwidth over the
5G components. Still, they will likely need acoustic technology center frequency.
to be available as interference and coexistence issues with WiFi
will increase over time with a larger number of 5G devices.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 199

COEXISTENCE CASE REVIEW
Towards a future need for tight filtering

• Coexistence is a well-known issue for Wi-Fi 2.4GHz and cellular bands, requiring tight filtering.
• Some 3.5GHz bands will already pose coexistence challenges (B42 in Japan, CBRS and C-band in the USA, Wi-Fi 5GHz
and Wi-Fi 6GHz in the USA), leading to similar cases requiring high-performance filtering.
Legend
! Means less than 200MHz between bands

2.4GHz Wi-Fi 5G NR n77 5G NR n79 5GHz Wi-Fi 6GHz Wi-Fi

2412/24 B41 B 3600/41 4500/46 5150/535 5470/58

! !
84 42 00 00 0 50

B40 ! 2412/24 B41 3300/34 3500/36 4800/49 5150/535 5725/58

!
84 00 00 00 0 50
!
!
2412/24 ! B7 3400/38 5150/535 5470/57 5935/641
84 up 00 0 00 5
! !
B3 ! 2412/24 ! B41 3550/36 3700/42 5170/533 5490/58 5925/712
0 84 50 CBR 00
Auction 0 35 5
S 107
Reallocation of
2412/24 ! B7 3400/37 satellite 5170/533 5490/58 Plan for 6GHz Wi-Fi
84 up 00 0 35
3700/4000 for
5G
4100
2300

3000

3200

3400
3500

4300

5300

5500

5700

6100

6600

6900
7000
3800
2500

2700

3600

3900

4500

4700

5000

5200

5400

5600

5900

6300

6500

6700
5100

7100
2400

2600

2900

4000

4200

4400

4600

4900

5800

6000

6200

6400
2800

3100

3700

4800

6800
3300

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 200

FILTER TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO
Which technology for which 5G NR band?

900 N77

MLC and IPD

Wideband is
necessary for
data rate
XBAR
improvement 600 N79
will be handled 500 N78
Bandwidth (MHz)

by BAW and
FBAR
technologies FBAR XBAW
along with MLC
and IPD. Multi-
layer SAW
technology will 200 Multilayer N41
N4
also have 100 SAW 0
opportunities. N66
75 N25 N7
N3
50 N28 N2 N1 BAW SMR
25 N71
N5
SAW
10 TC SAW

Frequency (GHz) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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SURFACE ACOUSTIC WAVE FILTER TECHNOLOGIES
Principles, strengths and weaknesses

SAW IDT Multi-Layer IDT

Low cost Surface coupling SAW
→ Band pass filter Surface coupling
Low cost and → Band pass filter
The trend is temperature
RF in Piezo layer
towards high-
performance
RF compensated RF in
out RF Insulating
SAW filters layer
providing Bulk piezo out Absorbing
adequate LT layer
Bulk
performance Bulk parasitic Si/glass/sapphire
at an
affordable TC SAW IDT The acoustic wave is confined to the thin
cost. TC-SAW Temperature Surface coupling piezo film, removing bulk parasitic reflection.
and ML-SAW The structure is temperature-compensated
compensated → Band pass filter by construction, while the IDT is not
are
particularly constrained, enabling a higher Q factor, thus
interesting. RF in Oxide or better bandwidth. The drawback is the
RF
nitride layer higher cost of the engineered substrate.
out
Bulk piezo
LN
Examples of Multi-layer SAW
- IHP SAW (device)
Bulk parasitic
- POI (substrate)

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FOCUS ON ML-SAW
Great momentum is attracting a whole ecosystem

Fabless
companies

Filter
foundries

Substrate
providers Manufacturing
equipment Testing
equipment

Filter
IDMs

Source EVG: fusion bonding process sketch

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 203
 BULK ACOUSTIC WAVE TECHNOLOGIES
Principles, strengths and weaknesses

Additional An alternative possibility for the piezo layer

FBAR capping
High performance Metal
Fabrication cost is high due electrode - Mono crystal AlN (XBAW)
to cavity processing, the Piezo layer
additional capping and
- LN z axis (XBAR)
Bulk acoustic piezo layer (AlN) doping Air
with scandium and gap
wave
trimming for tight control
technology of film thickness. The Bulk Si
remains well- technology is available in 8”
suited for wafers.
high Mo
frequency
and wider
BAW SMR Piezo layer Alternative approach using epitaxy
Medium performance Mo
bandwidth. Fabrication cost is lower than Oxide
Alternative FBAR. The structure leverages W
- cREO
technologies the Bragg mirror effect and
Oxide
are also being provides good heat
W
developed. dissipation, enabling a low
temperature drift compared Oxide
to FBAR. Piezo layer thickness
is also tightly controlled by Bulk Si
trimming.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 204

ANTENNA TUNING
A necessary technology

• The primary impact of 5G is the introduction of new radio bands over a wide range of frequencies.
This comes together with MIMO and CA requirements while keeping previous connectivity on, i.e.
3G/LTE, GNSS, and Wi-Fi/BT. Therefore, the number of antennas will soon increase from between two
to six, to between six to ten, but with increasing space constraints.
• As a result, antennas need to become smaller, so antenna efficiency and bandwidth are dropping.
Antenna tuning mitigates this effect by enabling the antenna to reach the right performance point
for each frequency band.
5G will impact
the number
of antenna
tuners
required in
mobile
phones.

Source: Qorvo Source: Qorvo

• 5G will reinforce the need for antenna tuning solutions.

• As for switches, there are two legacy technologies for antenna tuners: SOI CMOS and bulk CMOS.
However, alternative technologies such as PTIC and MEMS are available on the market. MEMS is
particularly attractive for complex tuning scenarios.

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ANTENNA TUNING TECHNIQUES
Impedance tuning and aperture tuning

• The goal of antenna tuning is to improve antenna efficiency. With the ever-smaller phones, the
antenna size, as well as its positioning in the phone continues to be subject to new constraints, and
this results in decreased overall efficiency at the antenna system level.
• To improve this efficiency and to allow a single antenna to address multiple bands, antenna tuning
has become a must-have.
• Antenna efficiency is divided into two components: the antenna’s radiation efficiency, which is
strongly linked to match the antenna’s electrical length and the signal wavelength, and mismatch
Two
losses, which happen at the antenna feed when the antenna impedance does not match the RF line
components
impedance.
of antenna
efficiency are Antenna efficiency = radiation efficiency + mismatch losses.
addressed by
two different • To reduce mismatch losses, impedance tuning is possible, and it allows adaptation of the antenna
tuning impedance to the signal frequency and improves transmission efficiency.
approaches. • In order to improve radiation efficiency, aperture tuning is possible. In this case, the antenna’s
‘electrical length’ is adapted to the signal wavelength.
• Advanced phones include aperture tuning as the multitude of frequency bands, as well as the need
for simultaneous transmission for carrier aggregation of different frequency signals make the
frequency matching in the antenna a critical aspect for data transmission.
• Most advanced phones include both approaches to optimize total antenna efficiency.

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ANTENNA TUNING PHYSICS
Electrical length and aperture tuning

• The condition for resonance in a monopole antenna is for the element to be an odd multiple of a
quarter-wavelength, λ/4, at least for its electrical length. The electrical length can differ from the
physical length. As an example, the presence of a nearby object creates a parasitic capacitance and
will decrease the velocity of the wave, thus increasing the electrical length of the antenna.
• In practice, it is possible to modify the electrical length of an antenna, either by adding a ‘loading coil’
in series to electrically lengthen the antenna or by adding a capacitor in series to electrically shorten
it.
Aperture
tuning is • Aperture tuning is based on optimizing the electrical length of the antenna. A multiple-throw switch
performed by is linked to the antenna, and can add capacitance in series, an inductance, or shorten the system in
modifying the order to tune the antenna to the right resonant frequency.
antenna’s • Antenna tuning for multiple frequencies is also challenging, as the antenna electric length must
electrical
match two different frequencies. In practice, the lengthening or shortening effect of the added
length.
inductance/capacitance is also correlated to its position on the antenna. Each resonant frequency has
a voltage peak at resonance on the antenna. Placing a tuning element close to the voltage peak will
have a strong effect. On the other hand, placing it close to a zero voltage will reduce its effect.
Therefore, to offer two different antenna lengths depending on the required frequency, a clever
placement of the tuners is necessary in order to place each one of them closest to the desired
frequency peak, and the farthest from the unwanted zero frequency.
• This way, it is possible to optimize the antenna for a multitude of frequencies, and therefore offer a
large bandwidth for its use.

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ANTENNA TUNING PERFORMANCE
Aperture tuning main characteristics

• The main characteristics of aperture tuning elements are linked to their behavior in both the off-state
and the on-state, as well as their linearity and peak power handling.
From Qorvo’s perspective, the main characteristics to look for are as follows:
• Tuner switches:
Antenna tuners • Use switches with low RON and COFF to minimize the losses in the system.
are like a switch
regarding the • Use high-linearity tuner switches to avoid impact on radiated spurious emissions (RSE) and
RonCoff TIS.
performance,
except for the • Switches must be multimode for tuning 2G/3G/4G/5G standard frequency ranges.
fact that it must
• Switches should be capable of handling high RF voltages for broadband antenna applications.
tolerate a
higher voltage • Tuning components:
range, so a
specific design • Use capacitors with a capacitance value greater than 0.5pF to avoid using a component with
is required. high tolerances.
• Avoid using inductors with an inductance value greater than 36nH.

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POWER MANAGEMENT AND BATTERY LIFE
Battery-life improvement

• Mobile smartphones and handsets generally are limited when it comes to battery size and life, and
thus efforts are necessary to take advantage of the available resources.
• Nowadays, 4G/5G PAs face higher challenges than previous generations when it comes to linearity
and efficiency. Firstly, the increasingly complex modulation schemes require higher PAPR; this ratio
has an important impact on PA efficiency. Considering that a PA is most efficient when running at
maximum output power, its efficiency decreases for lower powers. Another factor that can
significantly reduce PA efficiency is its bandwidth, where covering a broader frequency range tends
The number to reduce its efficiency.
of bands and
PAs will • Digital pre-distortion (DPD) can reduce AM-AM distortion by pre-distorting the signal, i.e. introducing
significantly an ‘invert distortion’ at baseband level and before entering the RF transmit path. When this signal is
impact fed into a PA operating in compression, the output signal is correct. This technique allows use of the
battery PA in the compression region and the improvement of its efficiency.
lifetime. • However, this technique relies on powerful signal processing and is far from optimal for all small
handsets. Average power tracking and envelope tracking were introduced to optimize the handset’s
battery life.

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POWER MANAGEMENT IC
Average power tracking (APT)

• APT determines the appropriate supply voltage to avoid wasting energy when the PA is running
below its maximum output power, while preserving linearity on the whole bandwidth.
• In practice, APT adjusts the PA voltage supply to function as close as possible to the compression
point, controlled by a slow protocol that adapts the voltage supply periodically. It does not change
until the next 3GPP control slot.

APT adjusts the

PA voltage
supply to APT
reduce power Voltage supply
wastage, while
preserving
linearity and Signal
efficiency.

Source:Qualcomm

• This solution is suitable for large operating bandwidth at the expense of some efficiency, i.e. some
energy is still dissipated as heat. A typical BW of 100MHz is currently required and power
requirements are expected to increase in the future.

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POWER MANAGEMENT IC
Envelope Tracking (ET)

• Envelope tracking is another solution to improve the RF PA efficiency i.e., improve its capability to
convert DC power to RF power, and thus reduce heat dissipation.

Envelope
tracking is
more efficient
than APT but
has BW
limitations.

Source: Mathworks (The benefits of Envelope tracking)

• The main idea is to deliver the appropriate DC power to the PA to get the maximum output RF power
instantly and continuously. Envelope trackers, or supply modulators in general, dynamically modify
the voltage supply to track the RF signal envelope.
• This optimizes the DC power delivered and avoids unnecessary heat dissipation like APT. Its ability to
rapidly change allows it to be more efficient than APT.
• Nowadays, this is the go-to solution and can be combined with APT in some cases.

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 POWER MANAGEMENT IC
Envelope tracking (ET)

• Supply modulators are usually represented by their output

voltage and their BW; the trend for mobile handsets is to
increase the ET BW and the output voltage/power. 130MHz ET or higher

The evolution of
power • A large ET BW is important to track signal amplitude
management is
closely related to without distortion. An ET BW two to three times the
100MHz ET
the trends in RF channel bandwidth is used, as a rule of thumb.
components, first
driven by larger
bandwidth (i.e.
CA and 5G • Thus, 60MHz ET BW was sufficient for LTE, while a 100MHz 60MHz ET
bands), better BW is necessary for 5G NR applications. Larger ET BW will
linearity and be needed for future 5G NR releases. This is mainly driven
lower power
consumption.
by carrier aggregation, but also due to the fact that some
40MHz ET
There is now an MNOs secured large spectrum bands, such as China
additional need Mobile (160MHz), while China Unicom and China Telecom
to boost the PA have a combined 200MHz.
performance 20MHz ET
(HPUE).

APT only

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POWER MANAGEMENT IC
Envelope tracking (ET): Recent research

• The capability of a supply modulator to handle 2G/3G/4G/5G PAs, or at least several standards
simultaneously, will become a necessity for future designs, opening the door for better circuit
integration.
• High output voltage is also an essential factor as it allows for a higher output power for PC2 and PC1.5
HPUE power levels, and better PA efficiency.
• Recent research has shown that an NR 130MHz ET BW is achievable using the hybrid switching
supply modulator approach, with an output voltage supply reaching 5.8V using a 3V battery.
Recent research • Better overall performance can be attained with higher nominal voltage batteries. However,
has shown that nowadays the conventional Li-ion batteries used for consumer applications cannot go much higher
an NR 130MHz
than 3.8V. Placing batteries in series seems to be too complex a solution for handset applications at
ET BW is
achievable. the moment.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 213

RF COUPLERS
Towards integration in active components

• A coupler can be regarded as a power measurement device. It is a passive circuit that often
comes in the form of an MLC or IPD device.
• It samples a fraction of the RF power passing through it depending on the coupling value
(i.e., 3dB, 10dB etc.) of the device.
• This component is generally used at the output of a PA module and fed to the baseband as a
means to control the transmitted signal power and to correct it for linearity dynamically in
the baseband. This operation is known as DPD (Digital Pre-Distortion) and is frequently used
in mobile phones.
• Dual-directional couplers are currently used in high-end phones to enable the monitoring of
forward and reverse power simultaneously. Monitoring the reverse power mode helps to
dynamically select the best radio link for the receive side.
• Dual-directional couplers are starting to become integrated in silicon-based LNAs/switches
as a high Q-factor becomes available on this technology platform.

RF Front-End for Mobile 2023 | Report | www.yolegroup.com 214

OUTLOOK

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5G MARKET OUTLOOK
No news in the consumer market, but MNOs keep pushing other verticals

• 5G is improving the quality of service delivered to the user by providing larger network capacity, better radio efficiency, and scalable latency.
This is key to securing the long-term viability of current use cases, such as video streaming, while opening the door to new, use cases, such as
cloud gaming. There is growing interest in new use cases at the MNO level. While immersive AR/VR applications are progressing in the
industrial segment, there is still no killer application in the consumer segment. Nevertheless, in the US, operators are pushing for the
adoption of AR and VR to transform the fan experience in stadiums and venues. In China, technology demonstrations from government-led
projects can be seen. Holographic calls have been demonstrated during MWC for the last two years running. These demonstrations show off
5G’s potential and capabilities.
• Besides mobile and consumer applications, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has become a strong driver for 5G penetration. FWA offers an
interesting alternative to fiber, especially in rural or suburban areas. For more information on the FWA market, please check our FWA 2023
report.
• MNO strategies for 5G differ between markets, including where they involve spectrum allocation/auctions. MNOs are investing in spectrum
to extend or secure their current assets, thus determining their strategy in the radio network rollout. This is the key driver of the growing
complexity in RF front-end that OEMs must cope with. Besides spectrum expansion, MNOs are also looking to transform their core network
architecture, moving from 5G NSA to 5G SA. However, this aspect does not strongly impact the RF front end, instead having more
implications for the baseband.
• From a regional standpoint, both China and the US rapidly implemented 5G in 2020, though with different strategies.
• China has established a strong rollout policy using sub-7GHz bands: 700MHz, 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz, and 4.8GHz. The next step is the use of the
licensed 6GHz band for cellular 5G, which will likely delay adoption of mmWave in the country.
• In the USA, mmWave was the first 5G platform, explaining the country’s first position in this technology. Aside from this, spectrum refarming
on the low and mid-band has enabled country-wide coverage. The long-awaited release of C-band spectrum is the latest development
receiving attention. As a result, the momentum for mmWave has decreased, though we estimate investments in the technology will
continue.
• Japan and South Korea are very advanced markets, with most of the population covered by the 5G sub-7GHz spectrum. Japan was the first
country where all operators deployed 5G mmWave base stations, whereas Korean MNOs were far behind their objective, with less than 1,000
mmWave BTS at the end of 2021.
• Europe employs low- and ultra-high band spectrum, while interest in mmWave is predicted in some markets such as Finland and Italy.
• India is the last big market to enter 5G, using low and ultra-high band spectrum while eyeing mmWave.
• Finally, 3GPP Release 17 has extended the mmWave spectrum up to 71GHz, providing more available spectrum. This signifies that the
industry will mature to prepare for new use cases. Additionally, new bands have been made available for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN).

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CELLPHONE MARKET DYNAMICS – OUTLOOK
Hard times for the cellphone industry. Will emerging markets be the key?

• The cell phone market recovered in 2021 following the dip caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. However, pre-
Covid-19 levels have not been reached due to chip supply shortages.
• In 2022, the smartphone industry was seriously impacted following a global macroeconomic downturn: a market decline
with high inflation caused by geopolitical tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions between China and
Taiwan. This downturn resulted in consumer hesitancy in purchasing new phones, thus pushing OEMs to enter an
inventory correction phase. The Zero-Covid policy in China further destabilized the smartphone manufacturing industry.
• Despite these challenging conditions, 5G phone production reached parity with 4G phone production in 2022, though
we believe the market penetration of 5G would have been higher without the aforementioned external factors. 5G
resilience can be explained by the fact that OEMs have prioritized their premium segments.
• We expect the mobile market to be flattish in 2023, as we don’t see any short-term improvement in the global economic
situation and, thus, no impetus for recovery.
• In the longer term, growth should come from emerging countries such as India, which might offset the Chinese market
decline over the next few years.

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RF FRONT-END MARKET OUTLOOK
With the increase in the RF front-end BOM, players are striving for differentiation

• The RF front-end market made a leap forward in 2021 as an effect of post-Covid-19 recovery and 5G penetration.
• CY2022 ended up flat following the smartphone market decline associated with lower-than-expected 5G penetration.
Consequently, the bill-of-material growth engine has been in low gear.
• During the last two years, 5G has evolved, bringing increasing complexity from, for instance, the need for MIMO UL/DL
support, an increasing number of CA combinations, and more coexistence scenarios to manage. Consequently, the bill of
materials has increased.
• The 4G semiconductor technology portfolio has evolved to accommodate 5G specifications. For instance, GaAs-based
PAs are still used for mobile phones, RFSOI remains the technology of choice for switches, LNAs, and antenna tuners,
and SAW/BAW technologies remain the filter standard. What is noticeable is the increase in the number of variations of
such technology. Take SAW-type filters, for example, for which bonding techniques are used to improve RF performance
while minimizing size.
• New technologies are now emerging, such as the long-awaited MEMS solution for antenna tuning that hit the market in
mid-2022, introduced by Qorvo, and FDSOI, which is becoming mainstream for mmWave transceivers.
• Meanwhile, other technologies are phasing out, such as BST for antenna tuners, while other technologies at the
development stage are trying to position themselves to tackle the market. Some examples are porous silicon, which
would provide improved switch linearity performance to the RF front-end industry, or GaN/Si PAs with state-of-the-art
power-added efficiency and wideband operation capability.
• The RF front-end market is still led by large players, while some competition is emerging from China. However, all
leading players have faced reductions in their revenue from the smartphone market.
• On the competition from China, the growth of these fabless/fablite players is mainly coming from the local market pull
at this stage.

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