New 802.11n Wi-Fi chip developed for cell phones, mobile devices

Having a phone with built-in Wi-Fi is handy for a number of reasons, from providing faster Web surfing to allowing you to make phone calls over VoIP instead of using cell phone minutes. Of course, the range and throughput your phone can receive depends on the Wi-Fi chip it uses. Broadcom plans to usher in the next wave of Wi-Fi-enabled phones with a new chip that will bring 802.11n's improved performance to mobile devices.

The BCM4329 combines 802.11n, Bluetooth, and FM radios on a single chip. Broadcom claims that a device using the 802.11n chip will have a maximum throughput of 50Mbps—not as fast as a rate as a laptop with a 802.11n radio or using a USB-based adapter, but significantly faster than my iPhone can do today over Wi-Fi. It's also a dual-band solution, meaning it can connect to networks using either 2.4GHz or 5GHz spectrum. The built-in FM transmitter makes it easy to send audio wirelessly from a mobile device to a car or home stereo, while the FM receiver obviously will let a device capture FM radio broadcasts.

Broadcom says it's already sampling the chip to select customers, and plans to ramp up full-scale production next year. Maybe in time for the next-generation iPhone?