Cell phone chip shrinks
C|Net | at | by Mike
Chipmaker RF Micro Devices on Monday unveiled what it claims is the smallest version yet of an integral part of a cell phone known as a "front end receiver." The Greensboro, N.C.-based company said it's shaved a half-millimeter off all four sizes of the receiver, which is the first semiconductor that a phone signal passes through when it reaches a handset. RF Micro Devices spokesman Michael Coady said the new chip designs are to meet the growing demand by cell phone makers for tinier components. That creates room for handset makes like Nokia or Motorola to increase the size of a phone's screen or add new functions, like the ability to watch videos.