RF Micro Devices' POLARIS TOTAL RADIO Transceiver Achieves Full Type Approval with Leading Handset ODM
Source/Type: RF Micro Devices, Inc. - Company News Releases

September 22, 2003... GREENSBORO, North Carolina
RF Micro Devices, Inc., a leading provider of proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless communications applications, today announced its POLARIS(TM) TOTAL RADIO(TM) transceiver has achieved Full Type Approval (FTA) with Chi Mei, a leading Taiwanese handset Original Design Manufacturer (ODM). The POLARIS transceiver is the world's first fully integrated quad-band transceiver solution and the first solution with a fully integrated digital interface between the handset's baseband and radio.

This marks the first time FTA has been achieved in a handset using RFMD's POLARIS TOTAL RADIO transceiver. FTA is the official certificate of conformance to GSM/GPRS standards, and all GSM/GPRS handsets must pass FTA before being released to the market. FTA is the most significant milestone in the certification of GSM/GPRS handsets as it represents the final approval before production shipments begin.

Chi Mei expects to produce GSM/GPRS handsets, modules and PC cards using the POLARIS TOTAL RADIO transceiver for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Shipments of the POLARIS TOTAL RADIO transceiver are expected to begin in the December 2003 quarter with mass production volume to commence in the March 2004 quarter.

Bob Bruggeworth, president and chief executive officer of RF Micro Devices, said, "Our POLARIS transceiver products represent a significant opportunity for RF Micro Devices by diversifying our product portfolio and greatly increasing our total addressable market in handsets. Given our leading market share in power amplifiers for the GSM/GPRS market and our strong relationships with the world's leading handset manufacturers, we fully intend to take significant market share in the $1 billion market for cellular transceivers."

Alastair Upton, general manager of the digital cellular product line at RF Micro Devices, said, "We are pleased Chi Mei has selected our POLARIS TOTAL RADIO transceiver for next-generation quad-band GPRS Class 12 handsets. We have a strong relationship with Chi Mei based on their success with our GSM PowerStar(TM) power amplifiers, and we are excited to expand our content in their phones to include transceivers."

Upton continued, "Our customers value the high levels of integration, small form factor, reduced component count and superior radio performance of the POLARIS TOTAL RADIO transceiver. They also value our product roadmap, which features successive generations of POLARIS with higher levels of integration and functionality. Additionally, our leadership position in multi-chip module manufacturing provides us a clear advantage in integrating essentially all the major RF building blocks - including active and passive circuitry - into a single TOTAL RADIO module."

The POLARIS TOTAL RADIO transceiver is a highly integrated GSM/GPRS radio transceiver that performs all the functions of the radio section of GSM/GPRS handsets. The transceiver implements both very low IF (VLIF) and direct conversion receive (DCR) architectures and provides selectable analog and digital I/Q baseband interfaces. Additionally, POLARIS reduces total component count by integrating voltage control oscillators (VCOs) and loop filters. The POLARIS transceiver achieves exceptional RF performance particularly in sensitivity and low power consumption by capitalizing on the best combination of semiconductor process technologies. The POLARIS TOTAL RADIO transceiver is offered with RFMD's PowerStar(TM) power amplifiers - the industry's leading GSM/GPRS power amplifiers with integrated power control.

RF Micro Devices, Inc., an ISO 9001- and ISO 14001-certified manufacturer, designs, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary RFICs primarily for wireless communications products and applications such as cellular and PCS phones, base stations, WLANs, and cable television modems. The Company offers a broad array of products - including amplifiers, mixers, modulators/demodulators, and single-chip receivers, transmitters and transceivers - representing a substantial majority of the RFICs required in wireless subscriber equipment. The Company's goal is to be the premier supplier of low-cost, high-performance integrated circuits and solutions for applications that enable wireless connectivity.


Contact:
RF Micro Devices, Inc.
Dean Priddy or Doug DeLieto
336-664-1233

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