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How can you be so sure that future phones won't have so much more antennas? Is there a technical limitation (e.g. limited space) or too much cost per antenna th

How can you be so sure that future phones won't have so much more antennas? Is there a technical limitation (e.g. limited space) or too much cost per antenna that prevent it from happening?

ksec 5y ago
Yes both Space ( in terms of 8x8 antenna+, ) and Cost. There is also the question of needs. Even Laptop are now going back to 2x2. With WiFi 6E, on a 2x2 you get 2.4Gbps max ( With 6Ghz Spectrum ), on WiFi 7 this get up to ~5.76Gbps. I know this isn't real world speed but I think it shouldn't be hard to achieve 1Gbps+ real world in half decent scenario. Which is plenty for Smartphone. Broadcom also stopped making 4x4 WiFi chip, mostly because there isn't a market for it. It remains to be seen if Mediatek wants to test WiFi 4x4 Market again. And to clarify to my original post ( cant edit any more ), I mean 4x4 antenna on LTE / 5G in iPhone 11+, not 4x4 on WiFi iPhone 5G.
- atonse 5y ago
  Also I’m still struggling to see a purpose for that speed outside of a monitor connection. So MAYBE wireless HDMI using Wi-Fi but that’s it. Can’t think of any other reason where you couldn’t just use a cable.
  - sharikous 5y ago
    I am struggling too but capacity creates the needs. It won't be long before someone will find something to fo with it
    - atonse 5y ago
      Yeah but that hasn't happened. We've had ubiquitous wired ethernet for a decade now? I know that 10g is big in datacenters, etc but outside of that (and even in offices and videoconferencing scenarios) the bandwidth hasn't been necessary. Still comes down to specialized settings like video production which already have wired setups for these things for the reliability and predictability. For consumer and mass market stuff, it's just not there. Video compression is only getting better, and 4k still barely has enough uptake, let alone 8k. And even 8k would comfortably sit within 1g.

How can you be so sure that future phones won't have so much more antennas? Is there a technical limitation (e.g. limited space) or too much cost per antenna that prevent it from happening?

ksec 5y ago

Yes both Space ( in terms of 8x8 antenna+, ) and Cost. There is also the question of needs. Even Laptop are now going back to 2x2. With WiFi 6E, on a 2x2 you get 2.4Gbps max ( With 6Ghz Spectrum ), on WiFi 7 this get up to ~5.76Gbps. I know this isn't real world speed but I think it shouldn't be hard to achieve 1Gbps+ real world in half decent scenario. Which is plenty for Smartphone. Broadcom also stopped making 4x4 WiFi chip, mostly because there isn't a market for it. It remains to be seen if Mediatek wants to test WiFi 4x4 Market again. And to clarify to my original post ( cant edit any more ), I mean 4x4 antenna on LTE / 5G in iPhone 11+, not 4x4 on WiFi iPhone 5G.

atonse 5y ago
Also I’m still struggling to see a purpose for that speed outside of a monitor connection. So MAYBE wireless HDMI using Wi-Fi but that’s it. Can’t think of any other reason where you couldn’t just use a cable.
- sharikous 5y ago
  I am struggling too but capacity creates the needs. It won't be long before someone will find something to fo with it
  - atonse 5y ago
    Yeah but that hasn't happened. We've had ubiquitous wired ethernet for a decade now? I know that 10g is big in datacenters, etc but outside of that (and even in offices and videoconferencing scenarios) the bandwidth hasn't been necessary. Still comes down to specialized settings like video production which already have wired setups for these things for the reliability and predictability. For consumer and mass market stuff, it's just not there. Video compression is only getting better, and 4k still barely has enough uptake, let alone 8k. And even 8k would comfortably sit within 1g.