5G Smartphone RFFE Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Component (Filters, Duplexer, Others), By Band (Sub-6 GHz, MmWave), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2024 To 2029

The global 5G smartphone RFFE market was valued at US$3,852.245 million in 2022.

GROWTH DRIVERS

• Navigating the changing landscape of RFFE in the 5G era

With the advent of 5G deployment, there is a growing emphasis on exploring new applications to make the most of the advantages that a 5G network offers. The Radio Frequency Front-End (RFFE) plays a pivotal role in a smartphone, influencing radio communication and overall user experience. In light of the recent expansion of 5G commercialization and the need to meet its rigorous demands, significant changes are expected in the design, manufacturing, assembly, testing, and packaging of RFFE components for smartphones. Additionally, the swift commercialization of 5G technologies, the rising adoption of wireless mobile communication devices, and extensive research and development efforts focused on integrating smartphones with RF front-end modules are significant drivers contributing to the continued growth of the market.

For instance:

• In February 2022, pSemi® Corporation, a subsidiary of Murata specializing in semiconductor integration, revealed the expansion of its millimeter wave (mmWave) RF front-end portfolio, primarily targeted at 5G wireless infrastructure applications. The newly introduced products, which are compatible in a pin-to-pin fashion, consist of three beamforming ICs and two up-down converters. These additions provide a high degree of flexibility, allowing for the interchangeability of ICs to cover the entire IF-to-RF spectrum, encompassing the n257, n258, and n260 bands in the 5G frequency range.
• In September 2021, GlobalFoundries (GF), a renowned semiconductor manufacturing leader, and Qualcomm Global Trading PTE. Ltd., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., announced an extension of their fruitful collaboration in the realm of RF (Radio Frequency) technology, specifically focusing on 5G multi-Gigabit speed RF front-end products. These collaborative efforts aim to provide high-speed cellular connectivity, exceptional coverage, and remarkable power efficiency, all within the slim and stylish form factors that consumers anticipate in the latest generation of 5G-enabled devices.

Rise in demand for 5G Smartphones

The increasing adoption of advanced multimode cellular 5G technology, which offers substantial advantages but also brings about greater RF complexity in smart connected devices, underscores the necessity for RF front-end technology across all 5G use cases. This shift means that 5G smartphones will need to be designed to meet a whole new set of requirements. RF Front End (RFFE) technology is widely employed in smartphones, spanning various operating systems such as Android and iOS. The Android system, in particular, plays a pivotal role in promoting the development of RF Front End (RFFE) in the smartphone industry. In summary, the advent of 5G smartphones is boosting the RF content across all tiers, as these devices need to support a host of new features.

In February 2021, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. introduced its next generation of Qualcomm® RF Front End (RFFE) solutions tailored for high-performance 5G mobile devices. These solutions are crafted to bolster advanced performance and enhance power efficiency. They incorporate Qualcomm® AI-Enhanced Signal Boost, facilitating high-performance 10 Gigabit 5G devices to enhance context-based antenna performance. This advancement is a response to the increasing demand for a greater number of antennas and broader frequency coverage in 5G mobile devices.

In June 2022, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. introduced a range of new RFFE modules aimed at delivering top-tier Wi-Fi and Bluetooth experiences. This expanded portfolio is specifically tailored to support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 6E, and the upcoming Wi-Fi 7 standard. These modules are designed to cater to a diverse range of device segments beyond just smartphones, encompassing automotive, extended reality (XR), personal computers (PCs), wearables, mobile broadband, the Internet of Things (IoT), and various others.

Increasing Penetration of Smartphones

The rising use of smartphones directly fuels the expansion of the 5G Radio Front End market. As more people adopt smartphones and seek enhanced connectivity and data speeds, the need for advanced RF front-end components in 5G technology becomes paramount. the smartphone industry drives the demand for advanced RF front-end designs, requiring innovation to meet the rising RF requirements while minimizing space in devices. Traditional chipmakers are responding with comprehensive RF solutions, facilitating the complex transition to 5G smartphones. This evolution highlights the critical role of RF front-end designs in enabling the capabilities of 5G devices.

According to Qualcomm's Annual Report for 2022, the company generated a revenue of $4.33 billion from its RF Front-End segment. This marked an increase from the previous year, where the revenue for RF Front-End was $4.16 billion, reflecting a revenue change of $173 million. Notably, RF Front-End accounted for 11.49% of the total revenue share in Qualcomm's QCT segment. This revenue encompasses sales of various RFFE products, including 4G, 5G sub-6, and 5G millimeter wave components, with a significant portion allocated for handset applications.

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE 5G Smartphone rffe MARKET

power amplifier module (PAM)

The advent of 5G technology has introduced significant advancements in wireless communication, particularly in data rates, latency, and capacity. Among the crucial components in this landscape is the power amplifier (PA), which has gained increased importance with the widespread adoption of 5G. The RF PA serves to amplify the amplitude, power output, or drive capacity of an RF signal. The emergence of 5G has elevated the significance and complexity of designing radio-frequency power amplifiers. Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology has been a pivotal breakthrough in the RF industry and is excellent for transistors that can withstand high temperatures and power levels., offering remarkable attributes like high power density, power added efficiency (PAE), gain, and impedance matching ease

In June 2023, Qorvo expanded its product offerings for 5G base stations. Qorvo introduced the QPB3810, which is a power amplifier module (PAM) based on gallium nitride (GaN) technology. This PAM includes integrated bias control and is designed for 5G massive MIMO (mMIMO) applications. Qorvo also launched the QPB9362, a highly integrated front-end module featuring a low noise amplifier (LNA). This module is intended for 5G TDD (Time Division Duplex) systems. These new products from Qorvo are aimed at enabling high-performance 5G solutions

GEOGRAPHICAL PRESENCE

The 5G smartphone RFFE market is divided into regions Americas, Europe and Middle East Africa, and Asia-Pacific, with a notable focus on Asia-Pacific, where significant growth is anticipated. This growth is fueled by rising smartphone adoption and increased usage of SOI in IoT applications, presenting opportunities for RF Front End Modules (RFFE). Since front-end modules are crucial in various wireless applications like base stations and 5G smartphones, the ongoing capital investment initiative in China, supporting the semiconductor industry, has led the market growth.

MAJOR PLAYERS IN THE MARKET

Several key players in the market, including Qualcomm, Skyworks Solutions Inc., Qorvo, NXP Semiconductor others, offer a wide range of product offerings, which encompass:

5G Smartphone RFFE Market Scope:

SEGMENTATION

The global 5G smartphone RFFE market has been analyzed through the following segments:

• By Component
  • Filters
  • Duplexer
  • Others
• By Band
  • Sub-6 GHz
  • mmWave
• By Geography
  • Americas
    • United States
    • Others
  • EMEA
    • Germany
    • UK
    • Others
  • APAC
    • China
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Others