3G Handset Hardware

In the two previous chapters we identified that one of the principal design objectives
in a cellular phone is to reduce component count, component complexity, and cost, and
at the same time improve functionality. By functionality we mean dynamic range—that
is, the range of operating conditions over which the phone will function—and the ability
to support multiple simultaneous channels per user. We showed how GPRS could
be implemented to provide a limited amount of bandwidth on demand and how GPRS
could be configured to deliver, to a limited extent, a number of parallel channels, such
as simultaneous voice and data. However, we also highlighted the additional cost and
complexity that bandwidth on demand and multiple slots (multiple per user channel
streams) introduced into a GSM or TDMA phone.