What you need to know
- MediaTek has announced the Dimensity 700, a 5G-enabled chipset that's designed for budget phones.
- The chipset is built on a 7nm node and features Cortex A76 cores.
- MediaTek is also rolling out two chipsets targeted at Chromebooks — the MT8192 and MT8195.
- The Dimensity 700 will be debuting on consumer phones in early 2021, and the MT8192 will show up in Q2 2021. MT8195 will be available later next year.
While 5G connectivity made its debut on consumer phones last year, it was limited to flagships. But this year saw the introduction of 5G-enabled mid-range and budget phones, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G had a huge role to play in making the standard more accessible thanks to devices like the OnePlus Nord.
Qualcomm is now aiming to deliver 5G-enabled entry-level phones, and MediaTek is getting in on the action with its latest announcement. The Dimensity 700 chipset is now live, and it is designed to deliver 5G connectivity to budget phones.
The Dimensity 700 has eight cores, with two A76 cores clocked up to 2.2GHz joined by A55 energy-efficient cores. It is built on a 7nm node, has a built-in 5G modem, and offers carrier aggregation and dual SIM dual standby over 5G. MediaTek is touting global 5G connectivity and maximum downlink of 2.77Gbps.
With more and more budget manufacturers offering high-res camera sensors and screens with high refresh rates, the Dimensity 700 can handle up to 64MP camera modules and 90Hz Full HD+ panels. There's also hardware-level "imaging accelerators" that facilitate multi-frame noise reduction.
MediaTek is also rolling out chipsets aimed at Chromebooks. The MT8192 is a 7nm chipset that features four Cortex A76 cores and four A55 cores, an Arm Mali-G57 GPU with five cores, and can facilitate LPDDR4X RAM modules and UFS 2.1 storage. The MT8192 can deliver up to 120Hz at Full HD resolution or QHD at 60Hz, and can drive two Full HD panels simultaneously.
The MT8195, meanwhile, has the distinction of being the company's first 6nm chipset. It is designed to slot into premium Chromebooks, and comes with Arm's latest Cortex A78 core. The chip is built on a TSMC 6nm node that's essentially a 7nm node with higher density.
Both the MT8192 and MT8195 offer HDR playback, AR Core features, and can facilitate up to 80MP camera modules. The MT8192 will debut in Chromebooks in Q2 2021, and the MT8195 will be available later in 2021.
LG Velvet
The LG Velvet is a reimagination of the South Korean manufacturer's flagship series, with the phone featuring svelte hardware with exciting hardware in the form of a Dimensity 1000 5G chipset.
