RFMD intros power amplifiers with breakthrough peak efficiency

BARCELONA, SPAIN: RF Micro Devices Inc. announced the availability of the RF724x family of HSPA+ power amplifiers. RFMD's RF724x power amplifiers are ultra-high efficiency, single-mode 3G/4G components that reset the bar for performance in smartphones, tablets, and other high-performance data-centric connected devices.

RFMD's RF724x power amplifiers support ultra-high peak efficiency of 48-51 percent, significantly above current competitive offerings. Additionally, when combined with one of RFMD’s companion DC-DC converters or with chipsets featuring on-chip DC-DC converter functionality, RFMD's RF724x power amplifiers can deliver best-in-class DG.09 performance as low as 13 mA – directly translating into superior 3G talk time. RFMD’s RF724x product family is comprised of five PAs covering WCDMA bands 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8, addressing the most common 3G/4G frequency bands and band combinations.

Eric Creviston, president of RFMD's Cellular Products Group (CPG), said: "RFMD's RF724x power amplifiers are specifically designed to reduce the thermal impact of data usage in smartphones while enabling increased battery life during data-based applications like web surfing, video calls and internet radio services. We anticipate significant customer adoption this year, and we expect our first production shipments will commence for a leading North American smartphone manufacturer later this quarter."

All RF724x power amplifiers are packaged in a standardized 3x3 mm footprint, significantly improving smartphone platform flexibility and ease of implementation. RFMD's RF724x power amplifiers also feature an integrated high directivity coupler, standard 2-bit GPIO control logic, and low insertion phase shift between bias states.

RFMD offers a broad portfolio of 3G solutions in single-mode and multimode converged and hybrid architectures to ensure compatibility with leading chipset providers and enable global platform manufacturing.