Technology, Process and Cost

Google Pixel 6 Pro mmWave 5G Chipset

By Yole SystemPlus — Feb 2022

A study of the complete first generation of the 5G millimeter-wave chipset from Samsung, including an L-shape antenna module from Murata.

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With a forecasted CAGR of 72% in shipped units between 2022 – 2025, the 5G market is expected to be profitable in the next few years. In this context, Google has begun gambling on mmWave 5G communication. In its latest generation (6) of Pixel, the company decided to implement a 5G mmWave chipset newly developed by Samsung for U.S. models only – which represent 55% of Yole’s RF Front-End Module and Connectivity market forecast by region.

The fifth-generation Pixel smartphone also featured mmWave compatibility, but like many other OEMs the chipset was supplied by Qualcomm. For generation six Google changed suppliers, allowing Samsung to supply 5G components to enable mmWave communication in just the U.S. version of the phone.

The chipset in the Google Pixel 6 Pro comes with three subsystems spread throughout the smartphone. The first system-in-package (SiP) in the chain consists of the baseband processor Shannon 5123 and the IF RFIC (intermediate frequency / radio frequency integrated circuit) Shannon 5710. Both come from Samsung. The other device is a front-end module specially designed to work with a double antenna system.

In this chipset, Samsung supplied both the transceiver and the PMIC included in the FEM. The FEM is implemented on a PCB substrate design by Murata, called MetroCirc™. This solution has a unique L-shape design that delivers a secure mmWave wireless communication environment in two directions using a single transceiver. A key advantage here is the cost reduction gained by reducing the number of modules required. Another advantage is that it offers greater coverage using the same number of modules.

This report includes a full exploration of the system, with a detailed study of the SiPs and including die analyses, processes, and board cross-sections. Also provided is a complete cost analysis and a selling price estimation of the system. Finally, we furnish a technical and cost comparison with the 5G mmWave chipset from Qualcomm implemented in Apple’s iPhone 12 series.