Intel wants to be inside your mobile device in more ways than one. Its Atom processors have already made into several new tablets, and now the chip giant has launched a multimode LTE modem as well. The XMM 7160 is a 2G/3G/LTE, multi-band solution aimed directly at the market now dominated by Qualcomm, the first company to launch a multimode LTE modem.
Offering both a powerful processor and a multimode LTE modem is a competitive advantage for a chipmaker, because it enables device makers to source both components from one supplier. But companies may still choose to mix and match; Samsung chose Intel’s new XMM 7160 modem for its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Europe and Asia, but the tablet’s processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.
Although Intel launched its first LTE solution last year, the new chip is a significant upgrade because it offers multimode capability, meaning a device maker does not have to source 2G or 3G modems for an LTE phone or tablet. The XMM 7160 provides connectivity across 2G, 3G and 4G LTE networks, supports 15 LTE bands simultaneously and is voice-over LTE (VoLTE) capable.
Intel’s deep pockets have helped the company move quickly into the LTE modem market. The company bought Infineon’s wireless business in 2011, and this summer it bought Fujitsu Semiconductor Wireless Products, the successor to Motorola’s former semiconductor group and maker of a multimode LTE transceiver. The company has also invested $30 million in its own wireless certification lab at its campus near Portland, Oregon. The lab performs conformance testing for wireless modems, after the initial testing conducted by device makers and before carrier interoperability testing.
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