August 15, 2024 /SemiMedia/ -- u-blox recently announced an expansion to its popular range of R10 products for the fast-growing LTE Cat 1bis cellular connectivity market. Predicted by analyst firm Techno Systems Research Co., Ltd to account for 43.6% of all non-handset cellular devices by 2029, LTE Cat 1bis is expected to be the best-selling cellular technology for the Internet of Things (IoT) for the next four to five years. The new modules strengthen u-blox’s LTE Cat 1bis portfolio, serving both the IoT and users migrating from legacy 2G/3G cellular connectivity.

The new u-blox LEXI-R10 Global provides an ultra-compact 16 x16mm LTE Cat 1bis solution that can be used worldwide in size-constrained IoT applications such as people or pet trackers and wearables. The LEXI-R10 Global is the world’s smallest single-mode LTE Cat 1bis module with indoor location and a US MNO certified core.

Meanwhile, the new SARA-R10 series brings the same capabilities as the LEXI-R10 Global to u-blox’s popular SARA form factor. With 2G and 3G sunsets continuing globally, the SARA-R10 offers product designers using 2G and 3G u-blox SARA modules a straightforward upgrade path to 4G LTE – the most widely available global cellular standard today and for many years to come.

The LEXI-R10 and SARA-R10 offer the option to embed an eSIM, and both modules also include an integrated Wi-Fi Sniffer, providing Indoor localization via the u-blox CellLocate service based on both a Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

One of the variants is the SARA-R10M10, the world’s smallest LTE Cat 1bis module with embedded Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) capable of concurrent communication and tracking. It is the ideal solution for asset tracking and telematics applications that demand continuous connectivity as well as indoor and outdoor positioning anywhere in the world, thanks to the blend of GNSS, Wi-Fi scan and global LTE coverage. This module is also 50% smaller than u-blox’s previous LTE Cat 1bis combo, the LENA-R8M10.

The new u-blox R10 modules give product designers a 4G cellular connectivity solution for IoT applications that require medium data rates, worldwide portability, ultra-low power consumption and compact sizes.

The first LEXI-R10 Global and SARA-R10 samples will be available by Q3 2024.