手机平台的核心是基频，基频也是整个手机中最关键的元件。

　　2009年手机行业最火热的非智能手机莫属。随着硬件性能的增强，手机越来越像一台PC。而高速3G时代的到来和硬件性能的配合，手机正在进入移动互联网时代。这就意味着越来越多的手机将拥有开放式的操作系统和全网页浏览能力，也就意味着智能手机的份额将大大提升。而苹果IPhone的成功也刺激了PC厂家纷纷进入智能手机领域。

　　在2月16日的全球通讯行业大会上，电脑大厂宏基推出了8款智能手机，并表示3年内要占其总收入的10%，那将是近20亿美元的不小数目。戴尔也将于2月底推出戴尔品牌的智能手机，东芝和惠普则表示会加大智能手机领域内的投入。

　　手机平台厂家自然也加大了对智能手机平台的开发力度。黑手机先锋联发科当仁不让，2009年2月中旬，宣布其第一款GSM/GPRS智能手机芯片MT6253，已被运用在GSM/GPRS网络的手机上。联发科首款GSM/GPRS手机单芯片方案MT6253集成了数字基频（DBB）、模拟基频（ABB）、电源管理（PM）、射频收发器（RF Transceiver）等手机芯片基础元器件，并且支持手机相机、高速USB以及D类音频功率放大器等丰富的多媒体功能。短时间内推出这样高集成化的IC，只有依靠SiP封装。如果走ASIC的老路，开发时间最少增加3倍。

　　同时推出的还有智能手机解决方案MT6516，MT6516支持WVGA级别的LCD解析度、MPEG-2解码、并且整合了多种视频编解码器（Video Codec）以支持CMMB、DVB-T、DVB-H等手机电视应用标准。毫无疑问，联发科会支持Windows Mobile。

　　高通的MSM72XX系列是众多智能手机厂家所采用的，不过这系列的芯片并非为智能手机所设计。为了加大智能手机市场的拓展力度，高通特别推出了针对智能手机的SNAPDRAGON平台，性能强大无比。目前已经确认有东芝和HTC的1款手机采用该平台，该平台也可以用于网络笔记本电脑，支持最大12英寸屏幕。CPU运算速率达到1GHz，DSP运算速率达到600MHz，支持WLAN，GPS，支持37英寸大屏幕级别的720P显示精度。支持手机电视，包括日本的ISDB-T和欧洲的DVB-H。支持1200万像素照相。
 
　　新加入战局的还有Marvell。Marvell在2006年以6亿美元收购INTEL的手机通讯部门，源自XScale技术的Marvell的PXA系列处理器在高端智能手机领域可谓呼风唤雨。在2008年，Marvell分为两条路线。一条是PXA930，将应用处理器和3G的Modem合而为一；另一条是应用处理器，包括PXA310、PXA312、PXA320、PXA168。PXA930是Marvell重点推介，支持3G的Modem，集成电源管理，CPU速率也达到1GHz。

　　不过智能手机也有两派，一派主张将应用处理器和基频处理器分开，另一派主张集成在一起。苹果、诺基亚和日本厂家支持前者，索爱、宏达电、黑莓、MOTO、三星和LG支持后者。这也是为什么英飞凌、德州仪器、意法半导体、NXP不推出单片智能手机基频的原因之一。因为它们也是苹果、诺基亚和日本厂家的支持者。

　　2008年，手机平台行业发生了两件大事。一件是意法半导体、NXP与爱立信移动平台合并三者的手机业务，另一件是德州仪器退出通用型基频市场。
 
　　2008年4月，意法半导体与NXP无线部门合并组成新公司，新公司在2008年8月初运营。2008年8月下旬，新公司再合并爱立信旗下的爱立信移动平台公司（EMP），最终合并到2009年2季度完成。EMP在2007财年收入大约为5亿美元。NXP擅长DSP运算与射频，意法半导体擅长射频与模拟，爱立信移动平台擅长通讯Modem。三强合作，足以与德州仪器、高通抗衡。
   
　　在2008年10月20日，德州仪器对其手机基频战略做了重大调整。德州仪器计划出售其通用型手机基频部门，而为诺基亚等厂家定制基频的部门则继续保留。出售其通用型手机基频部门，可以让德州仪器每年减少2亿美元左右的花费。通用型手机基频部门的产品主要是LoCosto和eCosto，其在2008年带来的收入只占德州仪器无线事业部收入的10%，而定制基频部门的收入则占德州仪器无线部门收入的65%。预计通用型手机基频部门将在2009年2季度找到买家，如果找不到，德州仪器会关闭该部门。德州仪器在定制型基频领域决不会退出，相反会加大投入和意法半导体竞争，因为定制型基频是德州仪器的核心产品。  

Base band, the core of mobile phone platform, is also the key component of a mobile phone.

The year of 2009 will witness the prosperity of smart phone. With the increasingly enhancement of hardware performance, a mobile phone will be more like a PC. In addition, as 3G is arriving, the mobile phone is marching into the mobile internet era, which indicates that more and more mobile phones will have open operating system and the function of full web browsing. Meanwhile, the success of IPhone has promoted more PC manufacturers focus on smart phones.

During the world’s communication industry conference on Feb 16 2009, Acer announced eight new smart phone models, and the revenue from those eight models are expect to account for 10% of Acer’s total revenue in the next three years, which is about US $2billion. Moreover, Dell will also launch its own smart phone by the end of Feb 2009, Toshiba and HP will also tend to enlarge their smart phone investments.

Mobile phone platform manufacturers certainly have made more efforts on smart phone platform developments. In the middle of Feb, 2009, MediaTek announced its launch of MT6253, its first GSM/GPRS smart phone chip, which integrates the basic components like DBB, ABB, PM, and RF Transceiver, it also supports abundant multimedia functions such as camera, high speed USB and Class D audio power amplifier. Not like ASIC, the SiP packaging has made the success of such a high-integrated IC in a short term.

MT6516, another smart phone solution simultaneously launched by MediaTek, which supports WVGA LCD resolution, MPEG-2 decoding, and mobile phone TV application standards like CMMB, DVB-T, and DVB-H, by the integration of various video codec. And no doubt that MediaTek supports Windows Mobile.

Although it has been adopted by many smart phone manufacturers, Qualcomm’s MSM72XX series was not originally designed for smart phone. In order to expand the smart phone market, Qualcomm launched the dramatically SNAPDRAGON platform focus on smart phones. So far, it has been adopted by Toshiba and HTC. Moreover, its CPU and DSP speed can respectively reach 1GHz and 600MHz, moreover, it supports WLAN, GPS, 12 million-pixel camer and mobile phone TV (including ISDB-T and DVB-H)

Marvell, the new entrant, it had acquired INTEL’s mobile phone communication division at the cost of US $600 million in 2006. Originated from XScale technology, Marvell’s PXA processor series achieved a great performance in the high-end smart phone sector. Marvell had divided into two routes in 2008, one was PXA930, integrating application processor and 3G Modem; the other was application processor, including PXA310, PXA312, PXA320 and PXA168.

However, there are two sides regarding smart phones, one side insists to separate application processor and base band processor, while the other side claims to the integration. Apple, Nokia and Japanese manufacturers are supporting the former, while Sony Ericsson, Acer, HTC, BlackBerry, MOTO, Samsung and LC are for the other side. It also the main reason why Infineon, TI, ST, and NXP do not launch single-chip smart phone base band, because they are also the supporters of Apple, Nokia and Japanese Manufacturers.

Two big events had taken place in global mobile phone platform industry in 2008, one was mobile phone business integration of ST, NXP and Ericsson mobile phone platform (EMP), and the other was TI quits the general base band market.
 
In Apr, 2008, ST and NXP wireless division co-established a new company, which started its operation in the beginning of Aug, 2008. Then the new company starts to remerge the EMP (the revenue of EMP was US $500 million in 2007FY), and the merger is expected to complete in 2009Q2. NXP, ST and EMP are respectively good at DSP operation and radio frequency, radio frequency and analog, and communication Modem.
   
TI had made significant adjustments to its mobile phone base band strategy on Oct 20, 2008. It planned to sell its general mobile phone base band division, which could save approximately US $200 million expenditure each year, but it still maintained the division producing custom base band for manufacturers like Nokia. The main products of TI’s general mobile phone base band division were LoCosto and eCosto, and the annual revenue of this division only accounted for 10% of TI’s total wireless revenue in 2008, while the proportion for the custom base band division was 65%. It is expected the general mobile phone base band division will be sold out in 2009Q2; otherwise, TI will shut it up. However, TI will enlarge investment in custom base band sector, to compete with ST rather than quit.