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It isn't hard to design a phone with a completely separate baseband processor and wireless subsystem. People don't do it because it is more expensive than the
by ansible 9y ago
It isn't hard to design a phone with a completely separate baseband processor and wireless subsystem.
People don't do it because it is more expensive than the integrated solutions. It also takes up more precious real estate on the PCBs. And uses more power.
So if you're willing to compromise on all that, it can be done.
- JoshTriplett 9y ago> It also takes up more precious real estate on the PCBs. There's no fundamental reason you have to use any more space to have the correct architecture (baseband as subordinate peripheral with no access to host); it's just a lot harder than buying a stock modem peripheral.
- adamweld 9y agoThe fundamental reason is that no chipset mfn is going to separate the modem from host on a single IC. Thus you are adding a second complex BGA package and interconnects that take up space.
- petecox 9y agoOn power drain, it's an internet phone, the GSM/LTE module only needs to be active when you're not in range of wifi. Which for certain use cases such as being at home in an office, much of the day it can be switched off. In urban areas, one might connect to wifi hotspots such as Fon (which in my country is branded by one of the telcos as Telstra Air).