Your next phone might not have a Qualcomm processor or Sony camera sensor. Surprised? We don’t blame you – Even though both MediaTek’s processors and Samsung’s Isocell camera sensors can be quite commonly seen, Qualcomm and Sony remain the industry leaders. Is that about to change? Well, MediaTek and Samsung have each released new components that could tempt OEMs away from the big guns. So here’s a quick look at what’s new:
MediaTek’s Dimensity 820 features dual 5G
Positioned in the midrange, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G and 768 expected to be its main rivals, MediaTek’s new midrange chipset features 5G dual SIM capability, carrier aggregation, and support for up to four cameras. The Dimensity 820 is built around 4 ARM Cortex A76 cores (up to 2.6GHz), 4 ARM Cortex A55 cores (up to 2GHz), and 5 Mali G57 GPU cores. Also included is the MediaTek APU 3.0 AI processor, which MediaTek claims offers “up to 300% faster ETHZ AI benchmark performance than direct competitors”. While we’ll have to wait for independent benchmarks to confirm this, the flagship Dimensity 1000 ranks second (behind the HiSilicon 990 5G) on some mobile AI processing rankings.
According to MediaTek, the Dimensity 820 will also offer best in-class efficiency on 5G networks (as much as a 21% improvement over the Snapdragon 765G), while the GPU, featuring MediaTek HyperEngine 2.0 gaming optimisation, offers support for 120Hz displays, HDR10+, MiraVision Video enhancements, 4K HDR, and a max resolution of 2520×1080. MediaTek also says their new chipset creates “a best-in-class” gaming experience, with a 33% higher GFX Manhattan 3.0 score as compared to the SD765G. OEMs opting for the Dimensity 820 will also be able to kit out their products with up to 16GB RAM, and main camera sensors of up to 80 megapixels.
Xiaomi is expected to be amongst the first OEMs to release products based on the Dimensity 820 – The Redmi K30i, the Redmi Note 10, and the Redmi 10x should all be coming out this year.
Samsung promises faster autofocus with its 50MP Isocell sensor
Samsung has launched a new 50MP camera sensor – the Isocell GN1 – which it says will offer faster autofocus and better low-light photos thanks to the use of both Dual Pixel and Tetracell tech for the first time. Samsung is promising best-in-class autofocus due to the use of Dual Pixel focusing, which vastly improves focusing speeds by using the entire sensor to lock focus – every pixel (50 million, in this case) will have two photo-diodes (for a total of 100 million) for auto focus. Meanwhile, Tetracell improves low-light performance by combining (or binning, as the smartphone world refers to it) four 1.2μm pixels into one giant pixel with a 2.4μm size. This allows the sensor to capture more light, resulting in 12.5MP photos that should be brighter and have less noise compared to what would be achievable using every pixel separately. Other features in the Isocell GN1 include support for 8K, 30fps video, and gyro-based electronic image stabilization.
