The millimeter wave (mmWave) antenna module of iPhone12 uses three millimeter wave antenna modules provided by USI. USI is a SiP design and manufacturing company based in Shanghai. This will be their first design victory in this field!
USI millimeter wave module labeled 339M00104 S30U7FH
Although the rest of the Qualcomm X55 5G modem RF system is used, it is shocking that Apple abandoned Qualcomm on this component. In order to emphasize the importance of this design victory, it is important to know that so far, every US mobile phone shipped with 5G mmWave has used Qualcomm antenna modules.
Qualcomm is a global leader in 5G mmWave solutions, so this defeat proves that their leadership is not impeccable. There are many rumors that Apple will develop a custom front end, but most people think that it will be targeted at sub-6GHz components. Instead, Apple is using Qualcomm's SDR865 transceiver and subsystem.
Many people would think this is a typical Apple supplier diversification and cost-cutting measures, but it is more likely that the antenna module thickness provided by Qualcomm is not up to Apple's requirements. Qualcomm's mmWave antenna module is the second-generation QTM525, which is advertised as less than 8 mm thick. The thinnest shipped device equipped with an X55 modem and QTM525 antenna is the 7.8mm S20+. The thickness of the new iPhone is only 7.4 mm. Qualcomm's next-generation QTM535 is already thin enough, but it is part of the X60 platform in 2021. Apple's pursuit of maximum thickness necessitated the development of a customized mmWave antenna.
Although there are leading technology suppliers in the industry with advanced mmWave technology that can provide standard miniaturized antenna modules, major smartphone or mobile device manufacturers still tend to build miniaturized antenna modules by themselves and develop proprietary designs and functions. Therefore, it is necessary to cooperate with module suppliers with strong R&D and testing capabilities and complete laboratory facilities.
Judging from the press release, this part is almost certainly an exclusive product of Apple, with a lot of cooperation and design by Apple.
About USI Huanxu Electronics
USI Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. invested 51 million U.S. dollars in March 2003 to build a large-scale electronics manufacturing service company in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. The company is located in the national-level Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park and currently employs more than 4,000 people.
USI Electronics Co., Ltd. focuses on high-end electronic products such as EMS, JDM, and ODM for information, communications, consumer electronics and automotive electronics. Its main products include WiFi ADSL, WiMAX, WiFi AP, WiFi Module, Blue-Tooth Module, LED Lighting & Inverter, Barcode Scanner, DiskDrive Array, network storage, memory chip, fingerprint reader, etc.