Multiband Antennas for Modern Smartphones: A Review from Sub-1 GHz to Millimeter-Wave and Toward 6G

The rapid development of wireless communication systems has increased the complexity of smartphone antenna design. Modern terminals are required to simultaneously support Sub-1 GHz cellular bands, 5G New Radio (NR), millimeter-wave communication, satellite links, and emerging sensing services within limited physical space. As a result, multiband operation has become a central challenge for mobile terminals. This paper reviews the recent research advances in multiband smartphone antennas, organized according to the evolution from single-antenna to multi-antenna architectures and including both Sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave applications. Single-antenna Sub-3 GHz techniques, multiband multi-antenna systems, dual-band millimeter-wave antennas, and integrated Sub-6 GHz/millimeter-wave architectures are systematically summarized. The key technologies, including multi-mode cooperation, characteristic-mode design, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) decoupling, and shared-aperture integration, are discussed. The emerging B5G/6G-oriented technologies are also highlighted. This review provides an overview of current design strategies and future trends for next-generation multiband smartphone antennas.