Broadcom on Monday introduced the BCM4359, the company's "first 5G WiFi 2x2 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) combo chip with Real Simultaneous Dual Band (RSDB) support for mobile devices."


What's all that mean for consumers? Broadcom's new MIMO solution lets smartphones and other devices transmit and receive data over two bands at the same time, which the company promised delivers a "dramatically improved experience to highly connected, multi-tasking users."


Broadcom in Barcelona this week for Mobile World Conference, where the company is showcasing its new BCM4359 chip and another new cost-effective solution for more mainstream smartphones, the BCM43455 1x1 5G WiFi combo chip for mass market smartphones.


"Our new BCM4359 chip extends Broadcom's leadership in high-performance MIMO technology," David Recker, Broadcom's senior director of wireless connectivity, said in a statement. "As Wi-Fi and Bluetooth continue to advance and adoption continues to skyrocket, consumers have come to expect a flawless experience when connecting wirelessly. By enabling smartphones and tablets to simultaneously operate in more than one unlicensed frequency spectrum, this advanced 5G WiFi MIMO combo architecture ensures the most highly connected users have the most optimal experience."


With RSDB support, the BCM4359 enables devices to connect to the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands simultaneously. That provides a boost to throughput and latency when users are running more than one application, Broadcom said. The chip maker is also pitching the benefits of using devices sporting BCM4359 in conjunction with routers based on the company's recently released BCM4366 4x4 MU MIMO chip.


The new 2x2 MIMO combo chip also supports Bluetooth 4.1 and FM radio. Here are the key features and functions of the BCM4359, per Broadcom: