5G SoCs bring premium features to mid-range smartphones

By Gina Roos, editor-in-chief

Launched at CES 2020, MediaTek’s new Dimensity 800 Series 5G chipset SoC with integrated 5G modems will bring flagship features, power, and performance to “New Premium” mid-range 5G smartphones. This is achieved by a combination of connectivity, multimedia, artificial intelligence (AI), and imaging innovations in an ultra-efficient 7-nm chip, according to the company.

The first devices featuring the Dimensity 800 Series SoCs are expected to launch in the first half of 2020. MediaTek also offers the Dimensity 1000 family for flagship 5G smartphones.

The Dimensity 800 Series integrates MediaTek’s 5G modem, delivering significant platform power savings compared to two-chip alternatives. The device supports 5G with two carrier aggregation (2CC CA) for 30% wider high-speed layer coverage, more seamless 5G handover, and higher average throughput performance compared to other solutions with single carrier (1CC, no CA), said MediaTek.

The Dimensity 800 5G SoC supports both standalone and non-standalone sub-6-GHz networks. It also includes multi-mode support for every cellular connectivity generation from 2G to 5G and supports Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) and services such as Voice over New Radio (VoNR). It provides both data and voice on 5G.

Delivering on its “New Premium” strategy of delivering high-end features to mid-market segments, the Dimensity 800 family includes:

• Four big Arm Cortex-A76 cores operating up to 2 GHz with four power-efficient Arm Cortex-A55 cores operating at up to 2 GHz 
• Four cores of Dimensity 1000-class GPU IP, combined with MediaTek’s gaming technology — HyperEngine
• MediaTek’s APU 3.0 (AI Processing Unit) with four cores uniquely consisting of three different core types in its design, providing up to 2.4-TOPS performance
• A flagship-class image signal processor (ISP) supports up to four concurrent cameras; up to 64-MP camera sensors or large multi-camera options such as 32+16-MP dual cameras with an ultra-efficient hardware depth engine
• Premium AI camera enhancements include AI-autofocus, auto exposure, auto white balance, noise reduction, high-dynamic-range (AI HDR), and dedicated facial-detection hardware, along with the industry’s first multi-frame 4K video HDR capability (Video HDR), according to the company
• Support for ultra-smooth Full HD+ displays up to 90-Hz refresh rate

The Dimensity 800 series is designed for global sub-6-GHz 5G networks that are being deployed in Asia, North America, and Europe in 2020.