RF Micro Devices Inc of Greensboro, NC, USA says that it has shipped more than 1 million RF7196D high-power, high-efficiency CMOS power amplifiers (PAs). As the firm's newest and most innovative CMOS PA, the low-cost RF7196D is in mass production in support of multiple high-volume 2G and 3G handset platforms, and shipments are expected to increase rapidly to about 10 million units by the end of the September quarter.
RFMD says it is seeing strong adoption of its CMOS power amplifier technologies in next-generation handset platforms targeting emerging markets. The firm is migrating its diverse set of customers of 2G power amplifiers (both GaAs and CMOS) to its ultra-low cost RF7196D, and expects that shipments to more than double in the December quarter and exceed 100 million units worldwide in calendar 2014.
"RFMD's ultra-low cost CMOS PA technology delivers excellent overall performance at highly competitive costs versus prior generations," claims Eric Creviston, president of RFMD's Cellular Products Group (CPG). "We intend to launch a broad portfolio of innovative new CMOS products in the coming quarters, and we forecast strong growth in emerging markets across a highly diversified customer set."
Industry analysts forecast that the total addressable market for RF applications in emerging markets will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 20% through 2018 as next-generation 3G and 4G air standards are introduced, as existing subscribers upgrade their devices, and as new subscribers are added.
