MediaTek, a Taiwanese company engaged in the design and development of semiconductor products, started in 1997 and now the company’s chips are used in a large number of smartphones around the world. MediaTek is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, but has offices in various countries around the world, including India, Singapore, the United States, Japan, Korea, Denmark, Sweden, and Dubai.
In this article, we will give an overview of the company’s chipsets from 5G flagships to low-end chips to get a complete picture of its chipsets.
Table of Contents
- MediaTek 5G flagship chipsets
- MediaTek 5G intermediate chipsets
- MediaTek 4G intermediate chipset
- Helio MediaTek P Series chipsets
- MediaTek low-end chipsets
MediaTek 5G flagship chipsets
In early 2021, MediaTek unveiled the advanced Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 processors. Both new products use an eight-core CPU including four Cortex-A78 and four Cortex-A55 cores, as well as Mali-G77 MP9 graphics. GHz supports 5G network.
Other common features of these chips include support for Wi-Fi network, dual 5G SIM card, Bluetooth 5.2 and support for 4K video recording at 60 frames per second. Unfortunately, MediaTek’s flagships do not support 8K recording. Samsung and Qualcomm’s flagship processors offer this capability.
Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 processors have the ability to support Ray Tracing technology. This technology is actually a kind of graphic technique that is used for lighting and more realistic reflection during the game. MediaTek claims that the beam tracking technology in the Dimensity 1200 chip is designed for mobile gaming and augmented reality applications.
The Density 1200 is more powerful than the Density 1100 and benefits from a three-cluster configuration consisting of a 3 GHz Cortex-A78 core, 2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 cores, and 2 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. Update supports up to 168 Hz. On this chip, MediaTek slightly enhances machine learning, and the chip also supports cameras up to 200 megapixels.
The Dimensity 1100 uses four 2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 cores and two 2 GHz Cortex-A55 cores, and supports upgrade rates of up to 144 Hz. The chip supports cameras up to 108 megapixels with the company’s APU 3.0 machine learning technology.
In fact, it can be said that with such specifications, Dimensity 1200 can be used in high-end mobile phones and Dimensity 1100 in mid-range devices.
However, it should be noted that both processors use Mali-G77 MP9 graphics, which was the flagship of 2020. As a result, users who care about gaming performance on their mobile phones should consider devices with high-end competitors such as Qualcomm, Samsung and Huawei. In fact, even phones with the 2020 Snapdragon 865 show better gaming performance than devices with MediaTek processors in the series.
Before the introduction of the Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 chips, the newest and most powerful 7-nanometer chips were MediaTek, Dimensity 1000 and Dimensity 1000 Plus, which were first used on mobile phones in 2020.
Highlights of these chips include an eight-core CPU (4x Cortex-A77 and 4x Cortex-A55), an integrated 5G modem, 5G + 5G dual-SIM, Mali-G77 MP9 GPU and a six-core APU.
Other notable features include support for Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi 6, support for up to 80-megapixel cameras, 4K / 60fps video recording, support for the 144Hz refresh rate, and support for the AV1 codec.
MediaTek’s flagship processors appear to outperform Qualcomm-like chips in terms of graphics performance.
MediaTek also introduced the Density 1000L processor in early 2020, which differed from the Density 1000 and had a lower clock speed. The Taiwanese company then unveiled the Dimensity 1000C chipset in September 2020, which had similar specifications to mid-range chips to a full-fledged flagship. The 1000C chip was originally a combination of a Dimensity 1000 and Dimensity 820 series chips.
The Density 1000C is a flagship octa-core processor with four Cortex-A77 cores and four Cortex-A55 sat cores, which show powerful performance. But its GPU is lower than that of the mid-range Mali-G57 MP5 Dimensity 820.
| MediaTek Dimensity 1200 | MediaTek Dimensity 1100 | MediaTek Dimensity 1000/1000L/1000 Plus | MediaTek Dimensity 1000C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1x Cortex-A78 @ 3GHz 3x Cortex-A78 @ 2.6GHz 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2GHz | 4x Cortex-A78 @ 2.6GHz 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2GHz | 4x Cortex-A77 @ 2.6GHz 4x Cortex-A55 @ 2GHz | 4x Cortex-A77 4x Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G77 MP9 | Arm Mali-G77 MP9 | Arm Mali-G77 MP9 | Arm Mali-G57 MC5 |
| Display | 168Hz at FHD+ 90Hz at QHD+ | 144Hz at FHD+ 90Hz at QHD+ | 144Hz at FHD+ 90Hz at QHD+ | 120Hz at FHD+ |
| Machine learning | APU 3.0 six cores | APU 3.0 six cores | APU 3.0 six cores | APU 3.0 four cores |
| Modem | Helio M70 5G 4.7Gbps downlink 2.5Gbps uplink Sub-6Ghz | Helio M70 5G 4.7Gbps downlink 2.5Gbps uplink Sub-6Ghz | Helio M70 5G 4.7Gbps downlink 2.5Gbps uplink Sub-6Ghz | 2.3Gbps download, 1.2Gbps upload Sub-6Ghz |
| Camera | 200MP single 32MP+16MP dual 4K/60fps recording | 108MP single 32MP+16MP dual 4K/60fps recording | 80MP single 32MP+16MP dual 4K/60fps recording | 64MP single 32MP+16MP dual 4K recording |
| Process | 6nm | 6nm | 7nm | 7nm |
Phones that use the flagship Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100:
- Redmi K30 Ultra
- View Iqoo Z1
- LG Volt T Mobile
- Riley X7 Pro
MediaTek 5G intermediate chipsets
In 2020, MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 5G mid-range chipsets. The specifications of this chip are very powerful on paper and it uses four powerful Cortex-A76 cores with a clock speed of 2 GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores with a clock speed of 2 GHz.
The Dimensity 800 is MediaTek’s first 5G-based chip to be developed for mid-range handsets. Other notable features include a Mali-G77 MP4 GPU, a similar dimensity 1000 modem to the Helio M70 5G, support for 90Hz refresh rate, a quad-core machine learning APU, and a single-camera up to 64-megapixel multi-frame imaging capability. Cited.
Of course, the Dimensity 800 is not the newest or most powerful Dimensity 5G mid-range chipset, and MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 900 chip in May 2021, which is an eight-core chip with two powerful Cortex-A78 CPU cores and six Cortex-A55 cores, and is powered by a Mali GPU. G68 MC4 is used.
The Mali-G68 GPU is similar to the Mali-G78, except that it uses more cores. As a result, users can have higher processing power with this processor.
The Dimensity 900 is produced with 6-nanometer lithography and brings improvements compared to the Dimensity 800 series. This chipset has an eight-core CPU with two clusters, one of which has two 2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 cores and the other has six 2 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The chip supports a maximum of 108 megapixels and 4K video recording with a maximum frame rate of 30 frames per second.
The chip can work on two 5G networks simultaneously or combine a 5G network with an older network. MediaTek also introduced the Dimensity 820, Dimensity 800U and Dimensity 720 chips in 2020. The Dimensity 720 with Mali-G57 MC3 graphics and a Cortex-A6 octa-core CPU has a refresh rate of 90 Hz and no Wi-Fi 6 support.
MediaTek 700 Dimensity is also a 5G chip that was introduced in November 2020 and has many similarities with Dimensity 720. The main difference between the two chips is their GPU. The Dimensity 700 lacks machine learning and has a slightly higher processor speed.
Although dual-core processors are not as widely used in smartphones as Qualcomm’s 5G mid-range chips, there are devices that have been marketed with these chips.
| MediaTek Dimensity 800 | MediaTek Dimensity 820 | MediaTek Dimensity 720 and 800U | MediaTek Dimensity 700 | MediaTek Dimensity 900 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4x Cortex-A76 4x Cortex-A55 | 4x Cortex-A76 4x Cortex-A55 | 2x Cortex-A76 6x Cortex-A55 | 2x Cortex-A76 6x Cortex-A55 | 2x Cortex-A76 6x Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G77 MP4 | Arm Mali-G57 MC5 | Arm Mali-G57 MC3 | Arm Mali-G57 MC2 | Arm Mali-G68 MC4 |
| Modem | 3.5Gbps download Sub-6Ghz | N/A Sub-6Ghz | 2.77Gbps download (Dimensity 720) 2,3Gbps download (Dimensity 800U) Sub-6Ghz | 2.77Gbps download Sub-6Ghz | 2.77Gbps download Sub-6Ghz |
| Camera | 80MP single 32MP+16MP dual | 80MP single 32MP+16MP dual | 64MP single 20MP+16MP dual | 64MP single 16MP+16MP dual | 108MP single 20MP+20MP dual |
| Machine learning | APU 3.0 | APU 3.0 | APU 3.0 | N/A | APU 3.0 |
| Process | 7nm | 7nm | 7nm | 7nm | 6nm |
Phones that use MediaTek 5G mid-range chips :
- Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
- Oppo Reno ۳ ۵G
- Redmi Note 10 5G
- Relmi 8 5G
- Riley X7
MediaTek 4G intermediate chipset
MediaTek may not be selling well in the high-end chip market, but it is more successful in the mid-range and low-end chipsets.
MediaTek Helio G.
The MediaTek Helio G series of chipsets from the company’s latest family of processors have been developed for use in the gaming industry with powerful performance but at an affordable price. All chips in this series use HyperEngine technology for smoother gaming performance.
The Helio G90 and G90T were the first chips in the series with an eight-core CPU including two Cortex-A76 cores plus six Cortex-A55 cores alongside the Mali-G76 quad-core graphics. This means that users can expect good performance based on the specifications on paper, of course.
The Helio G90 series chips are made with a 12-nanometer manufacturing process and support a 64-megapixel camera and machine learning.
The MediaTek Helio G95 was introduced in September 2020, which was a slight upgrade over the Helio G90T. The main difference between this chip and its previous generation is the speed of 100 MHz and the GPU with a speed of 800 MHz to 900 MHz.
Other chips were introduced in this series, such as the Helio G70 and G80 / G85, which are not as powerful as previous generations, but seem to show great performance in this category. These chipsets offer an eight-core CPU including two Cortex-A75 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores along with Mali-G52 MC2 graphics and support for 48-megapixel cameras. In other words, these chips can compete with the Snapdragon 665 and 662 chipsets.
The Helio chip was able to make its way into the C3 reel. The Helio G80, meanwhile, is at the heart of the Poco M2. Users looking for a more powerful device should go for devices with G70 or G80 / G85 chips, which increase the price of mobile phones to more than $ 200.
| MediaTek Helio G90/G90T/G95 | MediaTek Helio G70/80/85 | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2x Cortex-A76 6x Cortex-A55 | 2x Cortex-A75 6x Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | Mali-G76 3EEMC4 | Mali-G52 MC2 |
| AI | APU 2.0 | N/A |
| Camera | 64MP single 24MP+16MP dual | 48MP single 16MP+16MP dual |
| Connectivity | Cat-12 LTE Up to 1Gbps downlink | Cat-7 LTE Up to 300Mbps downlink |
Phones that use MediaTek 4G mid-range chips :
- Redmi 9
- Redmi Note 10S
- Realme7
- Poco M2
Helio MediaTek P Series chipsets
The Helio P series chipsets are actually mid-range and affordable Meditech chips that date back to the 2016 Helio P10. The most powerful chips in this series are Helio P90 and Helio P95.
Helio P95 is basically an upgraded version of Helio P90, which was first released at the end of 2018. Both chips use an eight-core CPU, including two Cortex-A75 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores, as well as the GPU PowerVR GM 9446 GPU.
The only major difference between the two chipsets is that the Helio P95 has HyperEngine gaming capabilities. Both chips use good machine learning hardware such as APUs and dedicated AI accelerators.
The Helio P65 was also introduced in mid-2019 and is a chip with a relatively powerful eight-core CPU including two Cortex-A75 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores along with affordable Mali-G52 MC2 graphics, Bluetooth 5 and support for a 48-megapixel camera.
The biggest drawback of this chip is that it lacks dedicated AI. Therefore, it does not support machine learning-based capabilities such as image recognition, machine vision, face recognition, and some other things.
MediaTek Helio P60 and P70 are the table of previous generations of this series that were introduced in 2018. These chips have an older processor, Mali-G72 MP3 GPU graphics and Bluetooth 4.2. The Helio P60 and P70 only support photography for 48-megapixel cameras, so you can’t expect them to shoot at night or process multiple frames.
MediaTek has not unveiled a new chip in this series for several years.
| Helio P95 | Helio P90 | Helio P60/P70 | Helio P65 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2x Cortex-A75 6x Cortex-A55 | 2x Cortex-A75 6x Cortex-A55 | 4x Cortex-A73 4x Cortex-A53 | 2x Cortex-A75 6x Cortex-A55 |
| GPU | IMG PowerVR GM 9446 | IMG PowerVR GM 9446 | Mali-G72 MP3 | Arm Mali-G52 MC2 |
| Camera | 64MP single 24MP+16MP dual | 64MP single 24MP+16MP dual | 32MP single 24MP+16MP dual (P60) 20MP+16MP dual (P70) 48MP snapshot (P70) | 48MP single 16MP+16MP dual |
| Machine learning | APU 2.0 | APU 2.0 | APU 1.0 | N/A |
| Process | 12nm | 12nm | 12nm | 12nm |
Phones that use mid-range Helio P series chips:
- Motorola One Macro
- Realme 3
- Samsung Galaxy A31
- Samsung Galaxy A41
MediaTek low-end chipsets
MediaTek actually became famous in the market due to the introduction of low-end chips. The company’s low-cost chipsets with Cortex-A53 cores with decent graphics capability and support for 60Hz refresh rates are good options, though they may not support 5G and 4K video.
The latest MediaTek low-end chips are the Helio G35 and G25. Although some G-Series chips have been developed with a focus on gaming, they are not yet suitable for very light 3D and 2D games. The company also has several similar and older chips, the Helio P35, Helio P22, and Helio A25, which are still very popular.
All of these chips feature an eight-core Cortex-A53 CPU, low-end PowerVR GE8320 graphics, and have been developed with a 12nm manufacturing process. The camera capabilities of these chips are not very powerful and they all support 25 megapixels for photography at best.
| Helio P35/G35 | Helio P22/G25 | Helio A25 | Helio A22 | Helio A20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 8x Cortex-A53 | 8x Cortex-A53 | 8x Cortex-A53 | 4x Cortex-A53 | 4x Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | IMG PowerVR GE8320 | IMG PowerVR GE8320 | IMG PowerVR GE8320 | IMG PowerVR GE8320 | IMG PowerVR GE8300 |
| Camera | 25MP single 13MP+13MP dual | 21MP single 13MP+8MP dual | 16MP single 13MP+5MP dual | 21MP single 13MP+8MP dual | 16MP single 13MP+5MP dual |
| Process | 12nm | 12nm | 12nm | 12nm | 12nm |
Phones that use MediaTek’s low-end chip:
- Redmi 9A
- Redmi 9C
- Motorola Moto E7
- Poco C3
- Samsung Galaxy A10s
