The launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 smartphone has been one of the most anticipated releases of a consumer technology device ever – right up there with Google Glass, the HTC One, Sony’s PlayStation 4 and just about every version of the iPhone. As eager as some consumers were to get their hands on the device, there were also plenty of tech enthusiasts who were just as eager to peek under-the-hood and get a look at the technologies that make the Galaxy S4, available for preorders next month, one to watch.

At Broadcom, we find that the thing that helps this device rise above the competition is the top-of-the-line connectivity that’s built into it, from turbocharged Wi-Fi to Near Field Communication.

5G WiFi in the Galaxy S4

Certainly, Wi-Fi connectivity in a smartphone is nothing new. Like the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4 supports 802.11ac technology, the next generation wireless standard that promises gigabit speeds. Samsung’s inclusion of 802.11ac – or 5G WiFi – signals the start of a more widespread wireless upgrade for smartphones. Indeed, ABI Research predicts that 802.11ac will account for 70% of mobile handset shipments by 2015.

The next-generation Wi-Fi technology, which opens doors for new mobile experiences, is a must for data-hungry consumers who increasingly watch video on their mobile devices and have multiple wireless gadgets competing for connectivity at home and on-the-go.

In addition to speeds as fast as 1.3 gigabits per second, 5G WiFi can also “download information three times faster than handsets available today can,” according to the Wall Street Journal’s tech blog. The WSJ report also pointed out that “the new Wi-Fi sits on a less-crowded slice of the wireless spectrum, avoiding interference from devices like Bluetooth headsets and microwave ovens that share space with existing Wi-Fi devices” – a plus for multi-device homes.

It’s also a boon to other new emerging technologies — such as Miracast – by enabling wireless streaming of content between devices without any buffering or lag time.

By supporting 5G WiFi, Samsung is allowing its customers to be among the first to take advantage of the speed and range benefits when used with other 802.11ac products on the market today, including routers from NETGEAR, Belkin, Buffalo and Cisco and notebooks from Asus.  LG also joined the 5G WiFi party recently announcing its plans to incorporate 5G WiFi into Smart TVs this year.

NFC on Tap

Samsung also announced that the Galaxy S 4 includes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which Samsung has dubbed “S Beam.”  Like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, NFC has the potential to transform how people connect, starting with an easier way to make mobile transactions happen with the tap of a phone to a specially-enabled reader.

Samsung made headlines earlier this year when it said it inked a deal with Visa for a large-scale launch of a mobile payment service. Visa’s new “Mobile Provisioning Service” allows consumers to securely download payment account information to NFC-enabled Samsung devices. And Samsung, in turn, will preload Visa’s payWave app on its NFC-equipped smartphones and tablets.

Samsung’s use of the technology could be a springboard for its greater adoption of mobile payments adoption. Visa and Samsung project that this agreement will cover 100 million NFC-enabled devices made and sold by Samsung in the next year.

Although using NFC for mobile transactions is a hot topic, Broadcom envisions a much brighter and broader future for this short-range technology. By incorporating NFC in more places, consumers can seamlessly tap-to-share playlists from one smartphone to another, instantly view a video taken on a tablet up on a big screen TV, and tap-to-print documents directly from their personal mobile devices. These are only a small sample of possibilities that Broadcom sees NFC taking off in the next few years.

We are at an inflection point for mass market adoption of both 802.11ac Wi-Fi and NFC, and Samsung is among the leading-edge smartphone companies bringing the best connectivity of the future to today’s tech-savvy consumers.

Related:

• Report: Broadcom Ranked No. 1 in Wireless; Integration Seen as Key
• HTC One®, With 5G WiFi, “Best in Show” at Mobile World Congress
• From Mobile World Congress: 5G WiFi Ecosystem Grows with Arrival of HTC One® Smartphone

The volume of video being consumed over the Internet is growing at an exponential rate, representing about half of all global Internet traffic today and expected to reach 93 percent by 2015. At the same time, the number of devices consumers are using to watch video is also on the rise. Researchers estimate that approximately 4.8 devices are in an average U.S. household with a home network — nearly double from just four years ago.

The challenge for consumers is how to share their content between devices. That’s where technologies such as Intel® Wireless Display (Intel® WiDi) come into play.

Broadcom today became the first Wi-Fi silicon vendor with a license for Intel WiDi technology in PCs.  As part of this agreement, Broadcom will integrate Intel WiDi software onto its WLAN chips to help drive adoption of the technology in Ultrabook™ systems.  The multistream 2×2 Wi-Fi data rates in Broadcom’s chip coupled with Intel WiDi software will deliver a seamless, high-quality experience to users.

Wi-Fi Display, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast™ and Intel WiDi are based on the same underlying technologies that allow you to do one very useful thing: easily stream content between two devices wirelessly. Those streams will become more commonplace this year as new standards for Wi-Fi-enabled devices eliminate interoperability and compatibility issues. Intel WiDi and industry standard Miracast are compatible technologies that improve the consumer experience for sharing video content between devices.

Intel and its ecosystem partners have shipped more than 30 million Intel WiDi-capable notebooks. This agreement will help drive the proliferation of the technology across a much broader offering of notebook PCs. Learn more about Intel WiDi, or visit the Intel booth (Central Hall, Booth No. 7252) at the International Consumer Electronics Show, which is this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Not heading to Vegas? Get the latest CES news from Broadcom and our partners by liking us on Facebook, following us on Twitter and reading the blog.

Related:

• Show Preview: A “Geek Peek” at Top Trends for the 2013 International CES
• Broadcom Enhances Display Technology with Miracast™ Wi-Fi Certification
• How to Connect Your Laptop to TV with Intel WiDi

As more users shift from 2G feature phones to sophisticated 3G smartphones — and marching onward to 4G devices, 2013 may herald the first year that smartphones make up more than half of all cellphones shipped globally.  By the end of this year, smartphone shipments are expected to grow 45 percent to more than 717 million units, according to research firm IDC, while sales of feature phones decline.

Part of this growth can be attributed to the immense popularity of the Android operating system. Google’s open-source OS now counts for more than 65 percent of the market, thanks to a broad selection of affordable Android-powered devices and a rich ecosystem of apps.

Broadcom’s own technologies have contributed to the diversity of Android smartphones offered by handset manufacturers.  Our portfolio of platforms for Android Ice Cream Sandwich smartphones, for example, support different tiers of devices, but all deliver powerful graphics, imaging and application processing capabilities in one integrated platform.  This lowers overall manufacturing costs and ultimately, makes for a more affordable smartphone for consumers.

Broadcom is taking Android connectivity to the next level as a contributor to Android’s latest incarnation, dubbed Jelly Bean, which offers superior security and NFC.

Last month, Broadcom’s family of 3G platforms (BCM28145 and BCM28155; and BCM21654G) was recognized with awards from two influential publications in the Chinese engineering and electronics design community:

•  Electronic Engineering & Product World presented Broadcom with an editor’s choice award for “best mobile phone/portable processor platform.”  EEPW invited a panel of industry experts, scholars and engineers to select and review the products.
•  EDN China named the portfolio “Best Product” winner of 2012 EDN China Innovation Award in the embedded systems category.  Over 400,000 readers casted votes as part of the selection process.

As adoption of Android expands, Broadcom continues to be part of the momentum, from the launch of T-Mobile’s Concord phone, the first Android smartphone in North America with a Broadcom 3G baseband platform, to the partnership with Myriad Alien Vue, which delivers popular Android apps to TV sets.

Related:

• Meet the $100 Smartphone: A Top Growth-Driver in Emerging Markets
• Broadcom Fuels the Affordable Smartphone Revolution
• Broadcom’s smartphone platforms optimized for Android Ice Cream Sandwich

When it comes to online connectivity, are you more of a “Always On” consumer, a “Live Wire,” or a “Never-Minder?”

A new study commissioned by Broadcom to explore the ways that Americans use technology to connect with each other revealed seven distinct connectivity styles, defined by two key dimensions: Connectivity, or the level of device and social media use, and behavior, or how Web-enabled devices and online platforms are used to connect to others.

Download the Full Broadcom Connectivity Study Results.

Explore the habits of “Always On,” highly connected consumers. Click to enlarge.

Those who are most connected – dubbed the “Always On” – lead the pack by using technology to proactively engage with others. The high-connectivity  “Always On” are more likely to be female or a Millennial and have a strong preference for screen time over face time. Comprised of about 8 percent of the population, the “Always On”  stand out in many other ways, including:

• They Create: Three in four (75 percent) say they mainly use social media to create new content, nearly six times the national average (13 percent).
• They Carry: The typical “Always On” owns more than four different web-enabled devices (4.1), which is more than one device greater than the national average (2.8).
• They Can’t Disconnect: More than half (51 percent) say they have lost their phone or Internet connection and have experienced “withdrawal symptoms,” which is twice the national average (26 percent).

By contrast, the “Never-Minders,” a group that makes up about 2 percent of the population, avoids phone, text, email or social media communications and admits to being apprehensive about using technology. 

Between the two extremes are five other connectivity styles:

• “Live Wires,” comprised of about 35 percent of the population, are highly connected people who are most likely to use technology to stay in touch with family and friends. Most own smartphones (68 percent) and many also own tablets (38 percent) and Web-enabled TVs (24 percent).
• “Social Skimmers” make up about 6 percent of the population, own many devices and are highly connected – but are more likely to use technology to receive information, rather than to engage with others.
• “Broadcasters” are a low-connectivity group that use technology selectively to create new content and tell others what they are doing, as opposed to commenting in a more conversational fashion. They make up about 8 percent of the population.
• “Toe-Dippers” are the largest of the low-connectivity users, consisting of about 27 percent of the population. They primarily use technology to converse with others and mostly use desktop (64 percent) and laptop (54 percent) computers. Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) uses a smartphone.
• “Bystanders” are the least connected group, owning few devices and using a limited number of social media sites. They make up about 15 percent of the adult population in the U.S. and are most likely to use technology to keep up with news and current events (31 percent).

What is your Connectivity Style? Take the survey below.

The survey also revealed an interesting trend around the connectivity traits of women, who outnumber men when it comes to mobile device ownership and the ways in which they use tech devices to connect. The study found that 70 percent of women, compared to 51 percent of men, use communications tools mainly to stay connected with family. More of them own laptops than men (67 percent vs. 63 percent), smartphones (47 percent vs 38 percent) and tablet computers (28 percent vs. 23 percent).

Women are also more likely than men to:

• Take a picture with their mobile phones and send it to friends (70 percent vs. 56 percent)
• Record and share a short video with friends (30 percent vs. 24 percent)
• Go dual screen, such as commenting online while watching a television program (34 percent vs. 26 percent)

When it comes to online connectivity, what’s your style? Take the two-minute survey below and find where you live on the connectivity spectrum.

T-Mobile’s Concord: Part of a wave of sub-$100 smartphones.

The adoption of smartphones continues to gain global momentum – and one of the main drivers is affordability.

Broadcom has found itself at the center of this trend, providing the technology that’s helping manufacturers and suppliers bring the cost of smartphones down to unprecedented levels. In some cases, those price points are dropping below $100, a magic number that’s seems to be fueling the growth of the market in the U.S. and abroad.

AT&T, for example, made a splash this week with its plans to offer a full-feature Windows smartphone for a $99 contract price, a retail threshold that’s been called “aggressive” by the New York Times and “significantly less than what most had anticipated” by Wired.

Call it the new normal for an industry that’s seeing both momentum and potential around affordable smartphones. Earlier this year, Broadcom announced the BCM21553 – a “3G phone-on-a-chip” that’s now powering T-Mobile’s Concord and Vodafone’s Smart 2 devices. Looking forward, Strategy Analytics projects the adoption of affordable smartphones to continue to grow through 2017. By then, these sub-$100 phones are expected to make up an estimated more than a quarter of the global smartphone market and account for more than $240 billion in sales.

Drilling down further, it’s the emerging markets where the growth potential is most staggering. By 2017, these devices are estimated to make up 24 percent of the mobile phone market in Brazil, 26 percent in Russia, 22 percent in China and 19 percent in India.

“Smartphone penetration is still relatively low,” Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, said in a statement. “Most of the world does not yet own a smartphone and there remains huge scope for future growth, particularly in emerging markets such as China, India and Africa.”

In addition to lower retail prices, even prepaid smartphones – contract-free devices with pay-as-you-go voice and data plans – are becoming real alternatives for economy-minded consumers who want all the features and experiences of a smartphone without being locked into a monthly bill.

In fact, smartphone sales during the first half of the year saw a healthy boost from demand for prepaid devices, according to research by the NPD Group. Total smartphone unit sales in the second quarter of 2012 were up 9 percent from the same period a year earlier. It’s worth noting, however, that all of the growth was driven by increases in prepaid smartphone sales.

In part, that’s because today’s prepaid phones are no longer sub-par phones with limited capabilities.

“Prepaid smartphones are no longer just cheap, also-ran options, focused on older and less capable phones,” said Stephen Baker, vice president and senior industry analyst for NPD Group. “As the smartphone market matures, and as growth slows, carriers have been smart to aggressively market some of their best current smartphones on a prepaid basis to a new set of customers.”

Related:

• T-Mobile Taps Broadcom for Affordable Smartphone
• Vodafone Launches Smart II, an Affordable Smartphone for the Masses
• Broadcom Fuels the Affordable Smartphone Revolution
• All Things D: Entry-level smartphones better, thanks to Broadcom
• Bringing the “Smartphone Experience” to All

It’s no secret: The smartphone has become more than just a business tool for on-the-go executives. Today’s smartphones are mobile computers for the masses, devices that allow everyone from teens to seniors the freedom to stream movies, chat with friends, play games and more.

Certainly, robust mobile data networks and well-stocked mobile app stores have been driving forces behind the adoption of smartphones in developed nations. But none of these bells and whistles matter if the average Joe can’t afford one of his own.

T-Mobile Concord

Affordability coupled with high performance is key for putting the technology within reach. And that’s where Broadcom comes into play.

The Complete Package

Over the last few years, Broadcom has emerged as one of the top five players among chipmakers who design applications processors. Today marks yet another significant milestone for Broadcom – the launch of T-Mobile’s Concord prepaid smartphone, the first Android smartphone in North America with a Broadcom 3G baseband platform.

Read T-Mobile’s news release here.

Following the launch of Vodafone’s Smart2 earlier this year, the T-Mobile Concord, which is powered by the BCM21553, is the second tier 1 operator-branded smartphone powered by a Broadcom platform announced this year.

With a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 7.2/5.8Mbps HSPA modem, WLAN, AGPS & BT, the T-Mobile Concord offers a rich Internet, multimedia and connectivity experience at an incredible price, under $100 at some retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target.

Driving Down Costs

What’s driving down the costs of smartphones?

First is the emergence and continued development of the Android operating system, a powerful software platform that smartphone makers are leveraging to build a huge ecosystem of devices. In June, Google announced that nearly 1 million new Android devices are activated daily – yes, every day – according to Hugo Barra, Google’s director of product management for Android. That momentum encourages software developers to create an ever-growing offering of apps and services targeting these handsets.

Second, technology companies like Broadcom are providing a complete platform approach, doing much of the system development work in advance so that smartphone manufacturers can quickly bring their devices to store shelves.

But, arguably the most important development is the rise of integrated smartphone system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions, an area where Broadcom excels.

The baseband SoC — the nerve center of a smartphone — enables all the key functions to happen from one piece of silicon. Broadcom’s baseband SoCs offer cellular connectivity, the ability to run the operating system and a vast array of applications, and provide cutting-edge multimedia capabilities — all on a single chip.

Higher levels of integration and overall fewer chips in the phone not only lowers power consumption and extends battery life. It means that smartphone makers pay less than if they had to buy a handful of discrete chips to accomplish all these tasks. They can then pass that savings on to consumers and offer a feature-rich smartphone experience that’s affordable for all.

Related:

• Vodafone Launches Smart II, an Affordable Smartphone for the Masses
• Broadcom Fuels the Affordable Smartphone Revolution
• Bringing the “Smartphone Experience” To All
• Broadcom’s Smartphone Platforms Optimized for Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Industry buzz:

• AllThingsD Interview: Broadcom CEO Touts Gains in Low-End Android Market

Broadcom is taking 5G WiFi technology to the next level with the BCM4335 combo chip for the entire mobile device ecosystem.

The power of 5G WiFi takes connectivity to a new level, delivering amped-up access to HD video, streaming music and digital photos via smartphones, smart TVs and other consumer electronics.

Since the unveiling of Broadcom’s first 5G WiFi chip at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show a number of companies have launched products with the 802.11ac technology, including networking products such as routers, as well as client devices like notebooks and PCs.

Today, Broadcom is taking 5G WiFi technology to the next level with the launch of the BCM4335, a new combo chip designed for mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and ultrabooks. The BCM4335 includes a complete 5G WiFi system – along with Bluetooth 4.0 and FM radio – on a single, integrated chip.

With this combo chip, Broadcom is the first company to sample 5G WiFi solutions for every major wireless product segment. The BCM4335 complements the growing ecosystem of 5G WiFi access products and will bring the full benefits of the technology to the mobile experience. It enables a more seamless and satisfying experience when streaming video, sharing files or synchronizing media libraries to smartphones, tablets and mobile PC products.

Broadcom combo chips are among the most widely adopted in the wireless industry. The key to its success? The combo chip. Broadcom’s engineered complete radio systems onto tiny pieces of silicon, providing device makers  the flexibility to easily add the most advanced wireless capabilities to any platform.

 The BCM4335 is Broadcom’s most advanced combo chip yet, packing an incredible amount of networking and connectivity  into a chip that’s small and energy efficient enough to fit into the sleekest designs. As the new chip appears in smartphones and mobile devices in the next year, consumers will begin to experience the full benefit of radically fast, reliable Wi-Fi in the palms of their hands.

Related:

• 5G WiFi Lineup Continues to Grow: Welcome D-Link
• 5G WiFi: Pioneering the New Generation of Wireless Connectivity
• 5G WiFi: Introducing a Wi-Fi Powerful Enough to Handle Next-Gen Devices and Demands
• Broadcom’s 5G WiFi Makes Technology Top 100 List for 2012

Industry buzz:

• Broadcom Promises Triple-Speed 5G WiFi for Mobiles in Early 2013
• Broadcom Announces its First Super-Fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi Chip for Mobile Devices
• Mobile Gigabit Wi-Fi Will Make Your Internet Three Times Faster
• Broadcom 5G WiFi Chip Introduced
• Broadcom Touts 5G Wi-Fi Mobile Chip
• Broadcom Unveils Mobile-Friendly 802.11ac Wi-Fi Chip
• Broadcom Announces 802.11ac Combo Chip, BCM4335
• Broadcom Announces its First 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip for Smartphones
• Broadcom execs say operators will dive deeply into 802.11ac
• The rollout of 802.11ac Wi-Fi: Q&A with Broadcom senior VP Michael Hurlston

There’s a growing trend today around the demand and emergence of affordable smartphones and today, Vodafone put a stake in the ground further validating it.

Vodafone’s launch of the Smart II, which offers a high level of performance, connectivity and functionality at unprecedented price points, represents a significant step toward getting smartphones in the hands of more people – many whom may have never owned a smartphone before. Much of the world – especially emerging economies – is still transitioning from basic phones to smartphones. In fact, some estimate 90 percent of the available market in the coming years will be for entry- to mid-level smartphones.

The Vodafone Smart II, which features Broadcom’s BCM21552 832 mHz processor, has twice the processing power of the most desired smartphones of four years ago at a fraction of the price. It gives new smartphone users a high-end mobile Internet experience and an uncompromised level of functionality.

Vodafone has designed the Smart II to address the needs of customers who have yet to realize the benefits of handheld computing and the benefits that come with it. This new device opens a new world of mobile content and services – from news apps and email to social networking and mobile commerce – that not only will save them time and money but also will help them manage their busy lives.

Related Posts:

• All Things D: Entry-level smartphones better, thanks to Broadcom
• Bringing the “Smartphone Experience” to all

Industry Buzz:

• Engadget: Vodafone UK launches Smart II: Android Gingerbread for £70 (hands-on)
• Android Central: Vodafone UK introduces the modestly-priced Smart II
  
• Recombu: Vodafone Smart 2 available now

WICED is now one step closer to making the Internet of Things a reality.

The Internet of Things is a movement to connect the way that the world communicates – in the home, in the hand and across the broadband network with a general goal of establishing connectivity between appliances, devices, machines and people. As such, Broadcom’s 802.11n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WICED (Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices) platform is designed to enable Wi-Fi in several emerging applications, including connected appliances, smart energy systems and cloud-based health and home management services.

WICED is the world’s first Embedded module to receive a “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n” designation from the Wi-Fi Alliance. This certification signifies that Broadcom’s technology has been demonstrated to interoperate with other Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products already on store shelves. The certification process is crucial to the dynamic Internet of Things ecosystem helping to reduce buyer confusion and improve the user experience by virtually guaranteeing seamless connectivity between emerging and existing wireless devices.

The first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED product was announced in 2000. Since then, thousands of products have been certified and numerous certification programs have been launched. Certification programs include basic connectivity, security, authentication, and Quality of Service (QoS), as well as simplified setup of security-enabled home networks, radio performance, convergence with cellular, and high throughput. Broadcom is a strong supporter of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Since the launch of 802.11g, Broadcom has been selected to participate in approximately eight Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ client- and access-point test suites.

The lineup of products powered by Broadcom’s 5G WiFi technology continues to grow, with Belkin being the latest to adopt the technology for a new portfolio of products.

Today, Belkin is announcing the June availability of its line of wireless routers supporting the new 802.11ac wireless networking standard. Broadcom was the first company to release a chip powered by the technology, a more powerful and robust successor to the current 802.11n technology. Broadcom’s 5G WiFi chips deliver Ethernet-quality speeds that are three times faster and six times more power efficient than previous generations of Wi-Fi.