Broadcom Announces New 5G 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO Chip Will Likely Power Future iPhone

Communications chip maker Broadcom announced a first of its kind 5G WiFi Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system-on-a-chip that will bring faster 802.11ac connectivity with 2x2 MIMO to mobile devices.

The Broadcom BCM4354 chip  is the first to implement 2×2 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) on a smartphone, bringing up to twice the Wi-Fi performance with 25 percent more power efficiency than the current 1x1 MIMO chips.

Consumers expect a fast, always-on smartphone experience. Performance however can be degraded by many factors including how a phone is held or positioned. In the past, MIMO systems have solved these problems on tablets and larger devices by using multiple antennas. With Broadcom’s advanced antenna and PHY design, the BCM4354 can now deliver the benefits of 5G WiFi 2×2 MIMO to smaller platform designs like smartphones while reducing implementation complexity for designers. This achievement enables the industry’s first practical implementation of 2×2 MIMO on a smartphone, opening the door for a new market segment.

The new ship uses two spatial streams for speeds up to 867 Mbps, some smartphone incorporated 802.11ac Wi-Fi that using single stream from Broadcom such as the BCM4335, Samsung's Galxy Note 3 one of these. 

MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) uses multiple antennas for both the transmitter and the receiver, giving the wireless signal a more reliable path when there's a lot of interference. Apple first adopted MIMO technology for the iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina display.

802.11ac is the newer Wi-Fi standard, which is considered "Gigabit Wi-Fi" it is faster than previous standard 802.11n, can deliver data rates up to more than double those of a typical 802.11n network. With the addition of Broadcom's Transmit Beamforming technology, photo and video uploads can be twice as fast at crowded events.

In addition, Broadcom's Transmit Beamforming (TxBF) technology further improves rate over range performance in congested environments for data-intense applications. Photo and video uploads to social networking sites, for example, will be twice as fast in crowded sporting events or concert venues.

Broadcom provides the Wi-Fi bluetooth for Apple's iPhone, so it's possible that the iPhone 6 will feature Broadcom's newest chip marking the first iPhone with 802.11ac support. Earlier iPhone 6 rumors pointed to 802.11ac support. Apple also uses Broadcom's technology in its line of Macs that support 802.11ac, including iMac, Retina MacBook Pro, and the newest MacBook Air.


Source: Broadcom via MacRumors