Technology, Process and Cost

RF Front-End Module Comparison 2021 - Volume 3 – Focus on Samsung

By Yole SystemPlus — Dec 2021

Evolutive technical and cost comparison between the radio frequency front-end module technologies integrated in Samsung’s 2019-2021 smartphone series.

Evolutive technical and cost comparison between the radio frequency front-end module technologies integrated in Samsung’s 2019-2021 smartphone series.

Last year, System Plus Consulting opened up hundreds of front-end modules (FEMs) and components in select flagship smartphones to provide an overview of the radio frequency (RF) FEM market. Gathering this information into four reports, ranging from player’s evolution to a world area analysis, offered an opportunity for tracking the evolution of this technology market.
This year, System Plus Consulting again offers different volumes of technical and cost comparisons for smartphone RFFEMs. Each report focuses on a specific subject: it can be a player’s evolution, a specific technology, or a comparison of flagship devices.
This third volume provides insights into technology and cost data for FEMs and several components found in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series in 2021. Included is a comprehensive overview of the RFFEM architectures on the market, comparing available smartphones from each company – with a focus on Samsung. Component dependency of Samsung to a specific manufacturer is revealed, along with the different choices in integration of communication technology – even millimeter wavelength (mmWave) signal support in Samsung’s latest generation. This volume also reveals how Samsung maintains its leadership on several levels in these markets.
With teardowns of the smartphones, the main RF modules and components have been extracted and physically analyzed – from the output of the transceiver to the antenna. Packaging, sizes, and technologies were also studied to provide a large panel of technical and economic choices as well as an overview of the market.
Lastly, this report includes a statistical analysis for most of RF front-end modules and explains the smartphone maker’s choices and supplier tendencies. All RFFEM are integrated in this report, from baseband to antenna tuner, on 5G, 4G, Wifi, BT, GPS, and UWB.