MediaTek unveils its first SoC with Integrated 5G Modem for low-cost Flagships

MediaTek, a Taiwanese chipmaker, just announced its 5G chipset, at COMPUTEX 2019. The new chipset, dubbed MediaTek 5G SoC, is a 7nm FinFET based, multi-mode, 5G system-on-a-chip, specifically designed to power the first wave of upcoming high-end 5G smartphones. MediaTek claims it to be the world’s first SoC to include the Helio M70 modem and comes with an integrated 5G system-on-a-chip.

MediaTek-5G-SoC

The MediaTek 5G SoC comes equipped with a MediaTek Helio M70 5G modem, packed into a compact design, with the newest Cortex-A77 CPU from ARM, the Mali-G77 GPU, and the new-gen AI processing unit (APU), to fulfill the power and performance demands of 5G and deliver a better user experience with improved connectivity. The multi-mode 5G chipset is designed taking into consideration both, the standalone and non-stand alone (SA/NSA) sub-6GHz networks, and supports connectivity from 2G to 4G to bridge the gap between existing networks until 5GN rolls out globally. In addition to this, the MediaTek 5G SoC also comes integrated with the Helio M70 5G modem, announced previously, to deliver an ultra-fast 5G experience, while being power efficient.

The integrated Helio M70 modem on the chipset comes with support for LTE and 5G dual connectivity (EN-DC) with dynamic power sharing capability and multi-mode support for cellular connectivity generations from 2G to 5G. Additionally, it also has dynamic bandwidth switching technology, which allocates the 5G bandwidth required for specific applications to improve modem power efficiency by 50 percent and extend the battery life. As of now, the current MediaTek 5G SoC is being designed for global Sub-6 GHz 5G networks that are launching in Asia, North America, and Europe.

Features and Highlights

- Helio M70 5G modem: MediaTek designed Helio M70 5G modem integrated into the SoC. Offers: 4.7 Gbps download speeds and 2.5 Gbps upload speeds, Intelligent power savings and comprehensive power management, Multi-mode support – 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G – and dynamic power sharing for the best connectivity
- New AI architecture: Sports an all-new AI processing unit. Supports more advanced AI applications, including for imaging like de-blur to allow users to get great shots even when subjects are moving fast.
- Latest CPU technology: MediaTek’s 5G SoC comes equipped with the newly announced Arm Cortex-A77 CPU.
- State-of-the-art GPU: A new Arm Mali-G77 GPU that enables seamless extreme streaming and gaming experiences at 5G speeds.
- 7nm FinFET: World’s first 5G SoC built on the 7nm production process for big energy savings in a compact package.
- Speedy throughput: A peak throughput of 4.7Gps download (sub-6GHz) and New Radio (NR) 2 Component Carrier (CC) support. Supports both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) 5G network architectures.
- Powerful Multimedia & Imaging performance: Supports 4K video encode/decode at 60fps and super high-resolution camera (80MP).

Availability

The new MediaTek 5G SoC will be available for lead customer samples in Q3 of 2019 and will be available for commercial devices by Q1 of 2020. A comprehensive list of full specifications for the chipset will be announced in the coming months.