u-blox has unveiled an expansion to its range of R10 products designed for the rapidly growing LTE Cat 1bis cellular connectivity market. LTE Cat 1bis is projected to dominate the non-handset cellular devices sector, with a predicted market share of 43.6% by 2029, making it the leading cellular technology for IoT applications in the next few years. These new modules enhance u-blox’s LTE Cat 1bis portfolio, catering to both IoT requirements and users transitioning from legacy 2G/3G cellular connectivity.
The new u-blox LEXI-R10 Global module offers a compact LTE Cat 1bis solution, suitable for IoT applications with space constraints like people or pet trackers and wearables. It is the world’s smallest single-mode LTE Cat 1bis module with indoor location capabilities and certification from a US MNO.
On the other hand, the SARA-R10 series offers similar features to the LEXI-R10 Global in u-blox’s popular SARA form factor. With 2G and 3G networks phasing out globally, the SARA-R10 provides an easy upgrade path for product designers using u-blox SARA modules to transition to 4G LTE, the most prevalent global cellular standard.
Both the LEXI-R10 and SARA-R10 modules come with the option to integrate an eSIM and feature an integrated Wi-Fi Sniffer for Indoor localization using the u-blox CellLocate service based on Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
One notable variant is the SARA-R10M10, the world’s smallest LTE Cat 1bis module with embedded GNSS for concurrent communication and tracking. This module is ideal for asset tracking and telematics applications requiring continuous connectivity and precise indoor/outdoor positioning globally. It is also 50% smaller than u-blox’s previous LTE Cat 1bis combo, the LENA-R8M10.
The new u-blox R10 modules offer product designers a 4G cellular connectivity solution for IoT applications that demand moderate data rates, global portability, low power consumption, and compact form factors.
Samples of the LEXI-R10 Global and SARA-R10 will be available by Q3 2024.
