MediaTek's new Dimensity 1080 chip preps for more 200MP camera phones

What you need to know

• MediaTek introduced a new mid-range chipset this week.
• Dubbed Dimensity 1080, it is a successor to the Dimesnity 920 SoC.
• The Dimensity 1080 has support 200MP primary camera next to 4K video recording capabilities.

Early this week, MediaTek has come up with the new Dimensity 1080 chipset that claims to bring a performance boost to 5G smartphones. In addition, the chipset maker foresees significant camera upgrades over the predecessor, the Dimensity 920 SoC.

The new Dimensity chipset is built on a 6nm architecture that includes an octa-core CPU featuring two Arm Cortex A78 CPU cores that promise clock speeds of up to 2.6GHz. It is accompanied by an Arm Mali-G68 CPU that promises performance for users who rely on gaming, streaming, or browsing.

The Dimensity 1080 chipset also packs all the latest camera features with support for a 200MP primary lens next to MediaTek's Imagiq ISP. The SoC can handle 4K with its HDR video recording engine for video.

200MP cameras have only started hitting the market, with the first being the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra, so it'll be interesting to see this trickle down to sub-flagship phones.

The chipset is expected to power some of the best cheap Android smartphones, and MediaTek touts how well it can handle games with its advanced HyperEngine 3.0 coupled with AI processing unit 3.0 for power efficiency. The SoC further supports Wi-Fi 6 and operates sub-6GHz 5G for connectivity.

In the announcement blog post, CH Chen, MediaTek's Deputy General Manager of Wireless Communications Business Unit, says, "the Dimensity 1080 offers a full suite of advanced features that challenge expectations about what a 5G smartphone can do."

"This new chipset is designed to further enhance many of the functions that made its predecessor great, including processing power, camera and video quality, and time to market for manufacturers."

Lastly, MediaTek assures that Dimensity 1080-powered mid-range smartphones will start launching in the fourth quarter of this year. Users will be able to take advantage of MediaTek's latest innovations on this chipset at an affordable price point.