Infineon Makes UMTS Phones Usable Worldwide

New features such as fast data transmission and new applications like recording, sending and receiving video clips or receiving television while on the move are generally associated with the new UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) mobile radio standard. But "universal" does not automatically mean that a UMTS handset will also work anywhere in the world. A total of six frequency blocks have been defined for providing UMTS services worldwide. To make next-generation mobile phones “universal” in the truest sense of the word, Infineon Technologies AG recently introduced a new chip which accommodates the transmit and receive electronics for all six frequency bands in a footprint measuring only 5mm on 5mm. SMARTi 3G is the name of the smart chip, which Infineon unveiled this week at an industry conference in California.