Those mobile phone enthusiasts who yearn for seamless connectivity and higher data transfer rates are in for a treat if this new development is to be considered. Marvell officially launched the Avastar 88W8797 802.11n 2×2 dual-band Wi-Fi SoC, crafted specifically to support high data rates on mobile devices like smartphones and slates. It is said to be the industry’s first multiple input multiple output (MIMO) combination radio with advanced power management.
The single antenna design and its placement in first-generation tablets apparently contribute towards poor wireless performance. Considering existing tablets’ form factors, there is limited scope for the positions in which antennas can be affixed within them. By including a second transceiver in an MIMO configuration, Marvell’s Mobile MIMO technology eliminates this aforesaid problem. The new SoC offers Wi-Fi data rates up to 300MB/s, increasing the involved mobile product’s performance by two-folds irrespective of the device’s spatial orientation. This positioning of the dual antennas on the gadget should guarantee robust performance even if one of them is obstructed.
“As the promise of seamless connectivity fast becomes a reality, Wi-Fi provides a common link across many different mobile devices,” commented Weili Dai, Marvell’s co-founder. “The Avastar 88W8797 represents a breakthrough for our industry: for the very first time the powerful performance of MIMO technology is now available and practical for mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. By integrating multiple cutting-edge technologies and several low-power radios into a single system-on-a-chip, the Avastar solution ushers in an exciting new era in mobile computing and communications.”
With Wi-Fi Tx beamforming technology, the Avastar 88W8797 offers an extensive network range when pitted against current 11n 2×2 products. Its Bluetooth 4.0 low energy capabilities enable various mobile devices including remote controls for home automation, body sensors for health monitoring and more to seamlessly communicate with each other. The SoC also works well with other products that entail MIMO Wi-Fi performance like notebooks, set-top boxes, home media servers and digital televisions.
The Avastar 88W8797 is being unveiled at the MWC 2011.