In the first half of 2014, Wi-Fi chipmakers can be divided into two groups: one focusing on developing Wi-Fi chip solutions with better specifications and higher speed, and the other that is no longer interested in increasing the number of antenna or transmission speed, but instead focusing on meeting Wi-Fi chip demand for emerging applications.
The number of Wi-Fi antenna marks a major difference between the two groups. Chipmakers who focus on pushing high-end specifications mostly support four Wi-Fi antenna specifications with some pushing 6- to 8-antenna solutions.
These chipmakers are also persuading their brand partners to put more antenna in their products to strengthen communication performances. Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone's dual-antenna setup and Asustek Computer's RT-AC3200 router's 6-antenna design are expected to become the new trends for top-end products in the future, Digitimes Research analyzed.
As for the other group of chipmakers who are mainly eyeing the markets for wearable devices and Internet of Things (IoT) are mainly focusing on making their 1- to 2-antenna solutions smaller, cheaper, less power consuming and powerful in terms of performance. They are also working on industries such as car electronics and medical devices.
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