Broadcom introduces the BCM4389 Wi-Fi 6E client chipset

     The Wi-Fi Alliance previously announced the 802.11ax standard for the 6 GHz band, referred to as Wi-Fi 6E. At CES 2020, Broadcom announced several Wi-Fi 6E access point solutions. Now, Broadcom has announced the launch of the BCM4389 client Wi-Fi 6E chipset. Consumers can expect to see this chipset in the next generation of high-end smartphones. In the Wi-Fi Alliance announcement announced at CES, we've already seen the benefits of Wi-Fi 6E, which features lower latency, higher throughput, and a greater number of 160 MHz channels.

     The BCM4389 builds on the Broadcom BCM4375, which happens to be the current leading client Wi-Fi 6 chipset in the smartphone market. In addition to supporting 6GHz, tri-band simultaneous operation and 160MHz channel support, the BCM4389 also brings additional power efficiency due to the use of 16nm process technology and architecture improvements. The previous BCM4375 uses a 28nm process that supports 2x2 2.4 GHz and 2x2 5 GHz, while the new BCM4389 adds 2x2 6 GHz to it.

     Bluetooth 5.0 features have also been improved in terms of MIMO support. Broadcom claims that the BCM4389 can reduce pairing time by a factor of 2, while also alleviating problems when connecting to Wi-Fi. The icing on the cake is that MIMO support works in tandem with implicit beamforming to ensure that traditional Bluetooth devices can also benefit from it.

     Chip vendors like Broadcom and Qualcomm have found it relatively simple to add 6 GHz support to their existing 802.11ax product lines. Qualcomm has yet to publicly announce a Wi-Fi 6E product, though they did talk a lot about preparations at Wi-Fi 6 last year. Broadcom, though, seems to have made the announcement first. Once licensed by the FCC, device vendors should be able to easily roll out Wi-Fi 6E support in their products. For consumers, the improved power efficiency and the simultaneous operation of three frequencies should be very welcome news.