MediaTek has unveiled its own new chipsets: Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100. The Taiwanese chipmaker’s latest processors offer enhanced AI, camera and multimedia capabilities but lack the super-fast 5G found in Qualcomm snapdragon 888, 865 and Samsung chipsets. These new chips pack better A78 cores, reach faster display refresh rates, and are integrated into the newer 6nm node of TSMC, gradually improving on the Dimensity 1000. Mediatek hopes they will end up on your next phone, assuming you can live and wait without mmWave 5G.
New processors in the Dimensity 1200 flagship level and the Dimensity 1100, which are slightly less capable, share quite a few features. They both offer 6nm designs with four Cortex-A78 CPUs and four Cortex-A55 CPUs, as well as octa-core processors. An integrated 5G modem with sub-6Ghz support (no mmWave yet) and 5G+5G dual SIM capabilities are also shared by the processors.
The premium offering is the Dimensity 1200. Its CPU has a 1+3+4 configuration with a 3.0 GHz A78 core, plus three more 2.6 GHz A78 cores and the usual 2.0 GHz quartet of power-efficient A55 cores.
The Dimensity 1000+ used an older A77 core that topped out at 2.6GHz for comparison. With ARM’s official estimates, these numbers line up just right – a 3.0GHz A78 is 20% faster than a 2.6GHz A77. That’s for single-threaded performance, of course, as those frequencies are reached by only one core in each chipset. Compared to previous generations, overall CPU performance is up by 22% and power efficiency is up by 25%.
Bluetooth 5.2 support, Wi-Fi 6, HDR10+ video playback, 4K/60fps recording, AV1 video decoding, as well as several AI camera features are also offered by the company’s new SoCs. AI Panorama Night Shot, AI Multi-Person Bokeh, AI Noise Reduction, and AI SDR-to-HDR functionality are among these features. But look a little closer, and it’s obvious that the more high-tech chipset here is the Dimensity 1200.
The Dimensity 1200 can handle 168 Hz displays for the eye, and its 5-core ISP can handle up to 200 MP camera sensors. The dynamic range is also increased by 40% with staggered HDR support for 4K videos (three exposures are merged into a single frame) .
With support for 144 Hz displays and camera sensors of up to 108 MP, the 1100 chip is no slouch either. In processing Night Shot, both phones are 20% quicker and have a dedicated Night Mode for panoramas.
MediaTek says that at the end of Q1 or the beginning of Q2 2021, the first devices with Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 processors will be shipped. It should be remembered that the Dimensity 1000 series did not leave China until the second half of 2020, but phones with new chips are expected to enter global markets much sooner.
The chipmaker also added that support for the new processors was expressed by OEMs such as Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, and Realme. Xiaomi’s Redmi brand and Realme later confirmed that the Dimensity 1200 will be offered on upcoming phones.
