Skyworks Ramps Production Of Helios EDGE Radio Solution

Korean handset OEM places volume order

Woburn, MA -- Skyworks Solutions, Inc. today announced that it has received its first high-volume purchase order for Helios, the company's complete radio solution for EDGE, from a leading Korean handset OEM. Skyworks' architecture will be incorporated into a number of bandwidth-intensive, advanced multimedia platforms available early next year.

"We are delighted to receive our first volume order for Helios from a tier-one handset supplier and are pleased to be gaining considerable design win traction with other leading accounts. Our highly integrated solution optimizes power efficiency, improves thermal ruggedness, reduces component count and lowers overall bill of materials," said Kevin D. Barber, senior VP and general manager of RF Solutions at Skyworks. "We continue to simplify RF architectures while successfully transitioning to next generation technologies. Our evolutionary path from GPRS to EDGE is easier for our customers to implement when compared to discrete approaches provided by other suppliers."

According to a recent study published by Visant Strategies, the total number of EDGE subscribers within the next 5 years is expected to surpass 130 million, with the chipset market for EDGE components in wireless handsets expected to approach nearly $2 billion by 2009.

About Helios
Skyworks' complete RF subsystem for E-GPRS (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) mobile handsets includes the company's leadership single-chip direct conversion transceiver, power amplifier (PA) module and a PA controller/modulator. Helios utilizes the company's patent-pending Polar Loop transmit modulation technology, which eliminates expensive components such as SAW filters, and saves handset designers significant space, cost and design-cycle time with improved performance. This approach has the potential to enhance PA efficiency in EDGE mode by up to 10% when compared to conventional architectures, resulting in improved talk times.

Source: Skyworks Solutions