A Look at the Mobile Chip Landscape Ahead of MWC

With Mobile World Congress starting in a few days, some smartphone application processor makers accept new chips, specially those aimed at midrange phones. Getting ready for the evidence, I idea it would be proficient to recap the major lines of the processor makers, focusing on those aimed at Android devices. (Apple, of class, has its A9 line in its iPhone 6s line, but doesn't offering it to other vendors and doesn't participate at MWC.)

Then here are the major vendors, and their offerings as we know them.

Qualcomm
Last twelvemonth, Qualcomm'due south chief processor for loftier-terminate phones was the Snapdragon 810, with four Cortex-A57 and four A53 processors, and Adreno 430 graphics, manufactured using TSMC's 20nm procedure. It didn't become equally much traction as previous versions, with Samsung non including it in its Galaxy S6 line and some others such every bit LG instead choosing a slightly lower-end Snapdragon 808, with two A57s and four A53s, and Adreno 418 graphics.

This year, Qualcomm has gone with its ain custom CPU core, known as Kryo and based on the ARMv8 architecture, for its new Snapdragon 820, manufactured on Samsung'south 14nm LPP process.

The Snapdragon 820 was teased at final twelvemonth'south bear witness, but the first phone to use it, the Letv Le Max Pro (above), was just announced at CES, where Qualcomm said more than lxxx devices were committed to using the chip (it recently updated that to 100 devices).

The Snapdragon 820 has 4 of the new Kryo cores, 2 high-speed and two lower-speed ones, and Qualcomm has said it has been designed to scale performance more efficiently, noting that the CPU has twice the performance and efficiency compared to the CPU of the Snapdragon 810 and tin run single-threaded tasks up to twice as fast. This is a big divergence in approach from most mobile processors, though Apple has proven that its dual-core processors—once again based on a custom blueprint—can be top-notch performers.

The chip also includes a new Hexagon 680 digital point processor and Adreno 520 graphics, along with a new image signal processor that supports up to 25 megapixels. It also offers an X12 LTE style and back up for LTE Category 12 and thirteen, with a download speed of upward to 600Mbps and uploads of upwardly to 150Mbps, plus support for LTE-U, using unlicensed spectrum. Now all of this depends on carrier support, and then in near cases, you won't go all that speed now, but it does pave the way for future apply. Some other feature is support for 801.11ac 2x2 MU-MIMO, essentially a new Wi-Fi standard that should permit devices to be faster when multiple devices are used at the same fourth dimension. It supports displays up to 4K, and the chip includes new resource management tools that command the whole processor, including the CPU, GPU, and DSP.

Earlier this month, Qualcomm introduced its new Snapdragon 625 as an upgrade to the Snapdragon 618/620 sold terminal year. This is an octa-core A53 pattern, with 4 high-performance cores that can run at upwardly to 2GHz, Adreno 506 graphics, and an X9 Category 7 modem, capable of upwardly to 300Mbps download and 150Mbps upload. This is as well manufactured on Samsung'southward 14nm LPP process. Information technology supports displays up to 1,900 by i,200, dual high-resolution cameras, and upwards to 24-megapixel photos.

Qualcomm Snapdragon

Beneath this is the Snapdragon 435, too with an octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU and the beginning in its class to integrate the X8 LTE modem, in this case running at up to ane.4GHz, with Adreno 505 graphics, up to 1080p displays, 21-megapixel cameras, and an X8 Category seven modem, capable of upward to 300Mbps download and 100Mbps upload. The Snapdragon 425 is a quad-core version with A53 CPUs, Adreno 308 graphics, support for i,280-by-800 displays, 16-megapixel cameras, and an X6 category 4 modem, which supports up to 150 Mbps download and 75 Mbps upload. This is aimed at "cost-constructive smartphones" with LTE, particularly for Mainland china and other emerging regions. Early samples of these chips will be in customers' hands by the middle of this year, and the first phones to employ them will exist shipping by the end of the yr.

In add-on, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon x16, a standalone modem chip that can theoretically offer download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, which information technology described as a stride toward 5G. (Again, it would exist upwardly to carriers to support this and the devices would need several additional antennas to reach these kinds of speeds.

Samsung
Samsung Mobile uses the Exynos processors made past its LSI partitioning, besides as processors from other companies, such every bit Qualcomm and Spreadtrum. Final year, its loftier-cease phones used by and large Exynos processors, but this year, information technology is expected to split up the Galaxy S7 between Exynos and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820, depending on geography.

More often than not, Samsung Mobile has been the primary customer for the Exynos chips, just Samsung LSI has found a few other customers, such as Chinese phone maker Meizu.

exynos_7870

A trivial over a year agone, Samsung made some news with its Exynos 7 Octa (7420), the first 14nm mobile awarding processor. That chip, which powered the Milky way S6 and S6 Edge, was past some measures the well-nigh powerful smartphone processor used in Android phones last year. It included 4 ARM Cortex-A57 and four A53 Cores in the big.LITTLE configuration, along with ARM's Republic of mali T-760 GPU.

In November, the company announced the Exynos 8 Octa 8890, which was its first to use a custom CPU core based on the ARM v8 architecture. In this way, Samsung joins Apple tree and Qualcomm in creating custom designs which offer ARM compatibility just can add some unlike features. Samsung claims the new cores offer over 30 percent improvement in performance and a 10 percent comeback in power efficiency compared with the 7420. The 8890 has four custom cores for high functioning, along with four ARM Cortex-A53 cores. The 8890 too includes an integrated modem, in this example an avant-garde one with Category 12/xiii LTE support, enabling upwardly to 600 Mbps downloads and 150 Mbps upload, using carrier assemblage. In add-on, it uses ARM's new high-end Mali-T880 graphics with 16 shader cores, which ARM says offers energy efficiency and functioning gains over the T-760 (which also had xvi shader cores).

Before this week, the company appear the newest version, the Exynos vii Octa 7870, which is aimed at midrange phones. The 7870 has eight one.6GHz Cortex-A53 cores and an LTE Category 6 2CA modem that supports 300Mbps download speeds. This enables 1080p 60fps video playback and WUXGA (1,920 past 1,200) brandish resolution and the epitome signal processor (Internet service provider) supports upwards to sixteen megapixels for both rear- and front end-facing cameras. Samsung didn't give details on the graphics, but it likely uses the slightly lower-finish Republic of mali GPUs.

MediaTek
MediaTek, perchance Qualcomm'southward biggest competitor amidst the merchant chip makers, made its name with turn-cardinal platforms that enabled companies to quickly produce inexpensive but capable smartphones sold in markets such as Cathay. Now it has loftier aspirations.

Last May, it appear the Helio X20, a 10-core bit with ii ii.5GHz Cortex-A72 cores, four 2GHz Cortex-A53 cores, and 4 one.4GHz A53 cores. This "tri-cluster" compages is unusual, with the company claiming it would offer up to a 30 percentage reduction in ability consumption while also setting performance benchmarks. (As usual, we'll wait to judge until we see existent products). This is based on TSMC'due south 20nm FinFET procedure.

helio-x20

Every bit MediaTek describes it, the X20 besides includes an even lower-power Cortex-M4 microcontroller. The M4 would be used for simple things like audio playback and sensor support, text would be handled past the depression-power A53 set, typical app launching and scrolling by the faster A53 fix, and gaming and image processing by the two A72 processors. The X20 also supports Category six LTE, including on CDMA carriers, making it the largest competitor to Qualcomm in that market place. It can handle 2,560-by-i,600 displays and up to dual thirteen-megapixel cameras. Though it was originally scheduled to be in phones by the end of 2022, this timeline seems to have slipped a flake. I'thousand hoping to see actual products at MWC.

MediaTek'due south superlative-finish processor last year was the Helio X10, featuring a 2.2GHz octa-cadre 64-bit pattern with viii A53 cores. This bit also uses Imagination Technologies's PowerVR6 graphics and supports H.265 Ultra HD video tape and playback. Information technology can likewise back up up to a 20-megapixel camera and 2,560-past-one,600 displays. Since the start of the year, a number of Asian brands have announced phones that use this processor.

MediaTek as well makes a number of midrange products, notably the Helio P10, with a 2GHz octa-core A53 and dual-core Republic of mali T-860 GPU. This year, the company is expected to release the Helio P20, a 16nm successor, though it hasn't formally announced details as of notwithstanding.

HiSilicon
HiSilicon doesn't have much brand recognition in the U.South., only as the flake arm of Huawei, the 3rd largest smartphone maker after Samsung and Apple tree, information technology is of import in making chips for Huawei's ain phones. (HiSilicon sells other kinds of chips to other manufacturers, just I don't know of whatever company other than Huawei using its mobile applications processors.) In particular, it is notable for making the fries that go into Huawei's flagship phones, but makes lower-end versions also. Huawei, like Samsung, uses a mix of its own and merchant chips in different phones.

In November, HiSilicon announced its new Kirin 950 processor, which is in the high-end Huawei Mate 8 phablet, announced at CES. This is a 16nm FinFET chip based on an octa-core redesign with ii.3GHz and 1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A72 cores, plus Republic of mali-T880 graphics and support for LTE Category half dozen. It was ane of the first chips with 16nm FinFET and Mali-T880 graphics to actually ship in products, and Huawei says the chip can boost CPU performance past 100 percent while increasing battery life past up to 70 percent, compared with previous models.

kirin 950

HiSilicon makes a number of other fries in the Kirin family, including the 930/935, an octa-core design with four 2.2GHz A53s and four 1.5GHz A53 CPUs with Mali-T628 graphics; and the 925, an octa-cadre design based on the older 32-bit ARM Cortex-A15 and A7 processors, used in the Arise Mate 7.

Spreadtrum
Spreadtrum Communications doesn't go much attention in Western markets, but it is known for making low-cost 3G chipsets, and more recently has begun to compete in the 4G LTE space.

Among its processors is the SC9830A, which includes a quad-cadre ARM Cortex-A7 application processor at up to 1.5GHz, and supports v-manner LTE. This chip likewise has a dual-cadre ARM Mali 400MP graphics engine, with support for 1080p HD video and a 13-megapixel camera, but has been held back in some markets considering it doesn't support CDMA. Notwithstanding, the company has been a powerhouse in emerging markets, where it tends to compete with MediaTek for chips in low-price phones.

Intel
For phones, Intel has talked a bit about a SoFIA line of processors, both 3G and 4G, that would integrate its modem technology. A 3G version has been out for few months, with a 4G version still on the roadmap. Yet, Intel does non seem to have had much success so far with phone fries, and instead has lately discussed partnerships with Spreadtrum in this area, though I've yet to see a real bit.

Intel has been much more successful with its Cantlet processors in the tablet market, and of form with the Core G and Core I series in larger tablets, notebooks, and 2-in-1s.

From all of these vendors, I'm expecting nosotros'll see more – including phones based on the processors – at MWC next week.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.