RF Micro Devices®, Inc. (NASDAQ: RFMD), a leading provider of proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless communications applications, today announced that its SiW3500 Bluetooth SoC is the enabling technology in Bluetake Technology's award-winning i-PHONO Mini, the new version of its popular Bluetooth enabled stereo headphone. The i-PHONO Mini recently won "Overall Bluetooth SIG Best of CES" and "Best Stereo Audio" awards at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The i-PHONO Mini stereo headphone benefits from the lowest power consumption in the industry. Existing Bluetooth headphones require frequent recharging or the use of heavy battery cells that are large and uncomfortable to wear. The i-PHONO Mini offers a small, lightweight and comfortable design with extended operating times.
"Due to the popularity of MP3 players and the wide use of mobile phones, consumers are now looking for a single device that functions both as a mobile phone headset for hands-free communication and as stereo headphones. And they don't want to be entangled in wires," said Ming Chen, Vice President, Product Development Department at Bluetake Technology. "When developing the i-PHONO Mini, we were looking for a highly functional audio processing platform that seamlessly integrates with Bluetooth wireless technology and would allow for very small devices. With the SiW3500, we were able to produce one of the lightest, smallest and most portable converged devices on the market."
Market research firm IMS Research estimates that shipments of wireless headsets will grow to nearly 90 million units each year by 2007, with stereo headphones expected to account for a significant percentage of the total. RFMD® supplies complete Bluetooth hardware and software solutions into multiple markets and anticipates growth in the market for wireless stereo headphones.
"With RFMD's world-class Bluetooth performance and ultra low power consumption, we are in a unique position to drive growth in the emerging wireless headphone market and continue to increase our dollar content in high-growth wireless applications," said Dave Favreau, General Manager of RFMD's WPAN Product Line. "It has been a pleasure to support Bluetake Technology with our SiW3500, and we are pleased to see them receive recognition for the superior quality and performance of their i-PHONO Mini."
RFMD offers a complete solution for stereo headphones, including proven interoperable stack and profiles, OEM configurable user interface, product customization services, reference designs and production tools. The hardware and software are all pre-qualified with the Bluetooth SIG, enabling the fastest possible time-to-market for customers developing end products.
The SiW3500 is also used in many Bluetooth enabled handsets and is available as part of an Advanced Headset Reference Design jointly developed with AMI Semiconductor.