The MediaTek brand is often associated with affordable and budget Android phones. However, the company has made incremental inroads into higher-end, higher-performance models. The launch of the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chipset is an important step in this direction.
Like all smartphone chips, the Dimensity 9200 is a system-on-chip (SoC), meaning it has, among other capabilities, built-in functionality for wireless and cellular connectivity, graphics, and system performance in only one solution.
Similar to Apple Silicon or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon offerings, this integrated approach facilitates smaller form factor designs that are still important in mobile devices, longer battery life and increased power efficiency without compromising speed.
MediaTek is promoting this mobile chip as the first in the industry to use an Armv9 Gen 2 architecture, which requires new cores. A so-called “big” Cortex-X3 core handles the toughest tasks with the help of three Cortex-A715 performance cores.
Additionally, the 9200 incorporates four “low-power” Cortex-A510 cores to maximize battery life. The combination facilitates a slight performance boost of 10% to 12% over the old Dimensity 9000, but supposedly reduces power consumption by 25%.
I spoke with MediaTek GM / VP Corporate Marketing Finbarr Moynihan about the Dimensity 9200 at the launch last week. The following video clip highlights this conversation.
Better graphics performance
The fascinating element of the Dimensity 9200 is the improved graphics performance. This solution is one of the first chips in the industry to take advantage of Arm’s new Immortalis-G715 GPU, which provides hardware radius capability, one of the hottest gaming technologies in the PC arena. and laptops. According to MediaTek, the Dimensity 9200 implementation is 32% faster than the Dimensity 9200 processor while using a remarkable 41% less power.
Given MediaTek’s inherited strength in Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity, it’s no surprise that the Dimensity 9200 shows improvement in these areas. Unlike previous generations of its mobile chips, the Dimensity 9200 incorporates both 5G and sub-6GHz mmWave connectivity, which will benefit consumers who see faster cellular data in more parts of the globe.
The Dimensity 9200 also supports Wi-Fi 7. With Wi-Fi 6 and 6E still being rolled out in routers, smart home devices, and smartphones, MediaTek should be commended for future-proofing the Dimensity 9200 with the Wi-Fi 7 capability as it offers potentially game-changing wireless speed and latency benefits.
Another intriguing feature of the Dimensity 9200 is that the chip’s Image 890 signal processor is the first to fully support RGBW camera sensors. These sensors not only provide more brightness and detail in images than just basic RGB, but they can also blur background images in real-time video. The demonstration showing this capability was one of the highlights of the announcement event.
Analyst Comments
At its recent analyst event in Sonoma, Calif., where it launched the Dimensity 9200, among other announcements, the company went out of its way to emphasize that MediaTek is “more than mobile.” This statement is not surprising, as the smartphone market has softened considerably in recent years. After all, the company has a strong presence in routers, smart TVs, IoT, and other device categories.
MediaTek isn’t usually the company that’s talked about in the US smartphone market, given that Apple and Qualcomm dominate the space with their respective Silicon and Snapdragon solutions. But that could change soon as MediaTek continues to grow its presence in mid-range and low-end handsets.
Additionally, if the US economy falls into recession in 2023, as many economists predict, the high end of the market will likely come under tremendous pressure. MediaTek’s strategy to push cutting-edge tech into the more affordable midrange section of the market could pay off big as consumers find it increasingly difficult to shell out $1,500 or more for the Apple iPhone or Samsung. Premium Galaxy.
Leader in smartphone chip deliveries
There are definite signs that this strategy is working. MediaTek has been the world’s top shipping supplier of smartphone chips for the past two years. Industry reports indicate that MediaTek accounts for 37% of global smartphone chips, compared to 28% for Qualcomm.
Admittedly, MediaTek’s chips aren’t showing up in the sexiest mobile devices people are used to. Yet they offer the right mix of performance, innovation and affordability that appeals to increasingly mainstream consumers.
To be clear, MediaTek shouldn’t – and isn’t – moving away from the mobile phone space. The “more than mobile” moniker is an effective marketing slogan because it rightly suggests that the company has more products than casual users are likely to know, beyond smartphones. However, it also helps the company remind people that it is focused on future markets, such as VR, automotive, Wi-Fi 7 and 5G.
Apple and Qualcomm grab media attention when they release a new chip, but with its Dimensity 9200, MediaTek shows it can play with the big boys. Even if it doesn’t grab all the industry headlines, MediaTek seems to be succeeding – and that’s exactly what the company’s management team loves.
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