- MediaTek is reportedly preparing two new phone chips based on cutting edge 5nm (or possibly 6nm) technology.
- You’d be using fast Cortex-A78 cores which could be a big boost for budget phones.
- They could arrive by the end of 2020.
MediaTek may not be a good choice to convince lower-cost phones. A new leak (via Gizchina) from Digital Chat Station indicates that MediaTek is working on two 5nm (possibly 6nm) chips, the MT6839 and the MT6891, which could provide a greater performance improvement for lower-priced cell phones.
Both are said to have cores based on Arm’s new Cortex-A78 architecture. You won’t be delivering the top-notch performance of the Cortex-X1, but that should nonetheless result in a significant improvement over the Cortex-A77 in MediaTek’s Dimensity 1000 Plus – possibly the suggested 20% arm. At the same time, a slight improvement in the battery life could be determined.
It is not sure what else the new 5nm chips would offer, although MediaTek has already built 5G into existing products. It won’t be shocking if they keep the Dimensity name, considering how little it has been used to date.
See also: The best budget phones you can buy right now
The tipster did not mention when the MT6839 and MT6891 would be ready, although the company is said to be developing faster than last year. Chances are you’ll find out about MediaTek’s 5nm systems on-chip before the end of 2020, even if phones based on the technology may not be ready at the same time.
These parts can be critical each time it arrives. Competition between chips for low-end and mid-range phones has increased, particularly with Qualcomm’s introduction of parts like the Snapdragon 750G. MediaTek’s 5nm rollout could push phone manufacturers to concern themselves with the hardware – and they could help everyone by improving phone performance expectations, even for those of us on tight budgets.