Broadcom packs Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and FM transceiver on 65nm combo chip

You can just tell from the wording in Broadcom's latest press release that it's still beaming from the late September court ruling involving it and Qualcomm, as we've never seen any one company so excited about a piece of silicon. The BCM2049 combo chip is built on 65-nanometer technology and combines Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an FM transceiver in one convenient place. Obviously, the chip is being aimed at up and coming music phones, and it also features SmartAudio voice processing, Bluetooth audio streaming and an FM transmit function that will surely be next to worthless in mid- to large-size cities. Whoever made it onto Broadcom's early access list can get samples now, but you'll have to bypass the bouncer in order to get pricing.

[christexaport Posted Oct 24th 2008 9:27AM]

The FM transmitter/receiver wouldn't be useless in mid to large cities. It will be used as a close range signal streamer, like bluetooth A2DP. It allows users to transmit audio from their devices to a specific FM frequency. This will be excellent for those without bluetooth car stereos or those looking to share music with a large group. It will be for close range, like the transceiver in the Nokia N78. It allows users to broadcast audio via FM on a specific frequency at a short range.