Sony And MediaTek Will Team Up For 4LTE Entry-Mid Level Devices In 2015

We took a look a couple weeks back that MediaTek chips would be ending up in four to five Sony smartphones during 2015, now they have narrowed down even more to the MT6732, a 64-bit processor.  Sony plans on using the MediaTek chips in their low to mid-range devices.  Companies like Huawei, Alcatel, Lenovo, Acre, Vivo and OPPO are some of the manufacturers that have used MediaTek chips in their devices.  However, they have been working hard at expanding their use, especially in some higher end phones and Sony is exactly what they need to help them broaden their recognition.

Although Sony already uses the MediaTek MT6589 quad-core in their Sony Xperia C, this will be not only 64-bit, but also LTE compatible. It will also be a quad-core clocked at 1.5GHz.  Certainly not up to par with the Qualcomm Snapdragon processors currently being used in most high-end smartphones, but with the market for low to mid-range phones increasing in most parts of the world, this will be a good thing for Sony.  The MediaTek processors are generally cheaper and Sony can save some money on each one they make and sell. The MediaTek MT6732 chip is based on the ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit processor and also features ARM Mali-T760 graphics. The chip also includes dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, capable of using a 13MP image signal-processor and H.265 Ultra HD video record & playback.  The MediaTek MT6752 octa-core chip is also slatted for release later this year.  

This is terrific because there is just not enough competition in the chipmaking arena – for now Qualcomm rules the kingdom with its Snapdragon series and their chips never seem to disappoint.  Samsung’s Exynos chips need to get the LTE capability embedded for them to really take off – Samsung seems content to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon for its devices in the U.S needing 4G LTE capability, rather than get it fixed so they can use their own chips. NVIDIA hasn’t had a Tegra Chip out in a popular device for a long time. Competition forces innovation, and while Qualcomm does keep moving forward with their Snapdragon line, it would be interesting to see if the 64-bit chips would have arrived on the scene quicker, had there been any true competition. Maybe this move with Sony and their 64-bit chips and soon to have octa-core processor will start them on a journey to better recognition and a better reputation. 

SOURCE: DigiTimes.