MediaTek unveils 6nm flagship Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 5G chipsets

MediaTek Dimesity 1200
(Image credit: MediaTek)

MediaTek Dimesity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 5G chipsets have been announced by the Taiwan-based company. In the last couple of years, MediaTek has matured enough to compete with the likes of Qualcomm even with its flagship lineup, thanks to the new Dimensity series processors announced last year. In fact, It recently edged out Qualcomm as the top smartphone chip supplier globally. 

The MediaTek Dimesity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 are the fresh chipsets in the Dimesity lineup sitting above the Dimensity 1000 Plus SoC. Both are built on a 6nm fabrication process, a first from the house of MediaTek. They also offer 5G connectivity. There are quite a few key differences between the two chipsets. Let’s take a look at them in detail.  

MediaTek Dimensity 1200 features

Starting off with the CPU, the Dimensity 1200 is an octa-core chipset consisting of one Ultra Arm Cortex-A78 core clocked at 3GHz, three Arm Cortex-A78 Super cores clocked at 2.6GHz, and four efficient Arm Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2GHz. MediaTek says this new chipset will offer 22% faster CPU performance and  25% more power-efficient compared to the last generation. 

The graphics are handled by Arm Mali-G77 MC9 GPU and the company has also added its HyperEngine 3.0 gaming suite to offer better performance while gaming and performing graphic-intensive tasks. It also brings in fine-tuned connectivity, wireless audio and Ray Traced graphics capabilities. The suite also offers improvements in power consumption. Other features of HyperEngine 3.0 include 5G Call and Data Concurrency 3.0, multi-touch boost, ultra-low latency wireless audio, AR, super hotspot power Saving, high FPS power saving, and more. The AI engine, APU 3.0 is also now improved to offer 12.5% better performance. 

On to the display segment, the chipset supports high refresh rate panels up to 168Hz and up to Full HD+ resolution. It also supports HDR content. As for the storage, there is support for USF 3.1 and LPDDR4x RAM up to 16GB. 

MediaTek Dimesity 1200

(Image credit: MediaTek)

As for the optics, the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC supports 200MP photos and has a five-core HDR-ISP. It is also capable of shooting 4K HDR video. The AI processor sports an enhanced multi-task scheduler that is said to bring down the latency and improve the power-efficiency. 

It also features a bunch of AI camera features including AI-Panorama Night Shot, AI Multi-Person Bokeh, AI noise reduction (AINR) and HDR capabilities. The chipset also offers new AI-enhanced video playback features such as SDR-to-HDR and HDR10+ video playback. The Night shots are said to be 20% faster.

As for the connectivity, the Dimensity1200 processor supports dual-SIM 5G and has backwards compatibility all the way back to 2G. There is an integrated 5G modem with MediaTek’s 5G UltraSave technology which is power efficient. There is also support for 5G carrier aggregation. Other features include Voice over New Radio (VoNR), 5G HSR Mode and 5G Elevator Mode enhancements to ensure a seamless, reliable 5G connection across networks. 

It also supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 protocol, Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band GPS(L1+L2), and FM Radio. There is also support for ultra-low latency true wireless stereo audio and LC3 encoding for higher quality audio which helps is saving the battery of the true wireless earbuds.

Other features of the chipset include up to 4.7Gbps downlink, SA & NSA modes, and 82% lower power consumption than the competition. It also has support for all 5G spectrum across TDD/FDD. The chipset has also gone through 72 real-world scenarios 5G test and thus bagging the TUV Rheinland certification for its 5G performance.

MediaTek Dimensity 1100 features

MediaTek Dimesity 1200

(Image credit: MediaTek)

As the name suggests, the MediaTek Dimensity 1100 sits just below the Dimensity 1200. This is also an octa-core 5G chipset built on a 6nm process. It is an eight-core CPU with four Arm Cortex-A78 cores operating at up to 2.6GHz and four Arm Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. The nine-core Arm Mali-G77 GPU will take care of graphics. It also has the same HyperEngine 3.0 gaming suite. 

The MediaTek Dimensity 1100 SoC supports up to 144Hz display with zero-lag visual and supports up to Full HD+ resolution. It brings in the same set of connectivity and 5G features as seen on the Dimensity 1200 which includes Bluetooth 5.2, ultra-low latency true wireless stereo audio and LC3 encoding for higher quality audio. 

In the optics department, the Dimensity 1100 packs support for up to 108MP camera setup and also comes with MediaTek’s APU 3.0 for high-performance computing and all the AI features also make into the cut. 

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Dimensity 1200Dimensity 1100
Process6nm TSMC6nm TSMC
CPUOcta-core, up to 3GHzOcta-core, up to 2.6GHz
GPUArm Mali-G77Arm Mali-G77
DisplayFull HD+, up to 168HzFull HD+, up to 144Hz
RAMup to 16GBup to 16GB
StorageUFS 3.1UFS 3.1
CameraUp to 200MPUp to 108MP
Connectivity5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.25G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2

MediaTek Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 smartphones

Smartphones with MediaTek Dimensity 1200 and Dimensity 1100 chipsets will arrive at the end of Q1, 2021 and beginning of Q2, 2021. While Realme and Redmi have already confirmed to launch new phones with the Dimensity 1200 SoC, we could see multiple brands including Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo launch phones with the new-gen 5G chipset in the coming months. There is currently no information on if it will come to India in the future.  

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Srivatsa Ramesh

Srivatsa is a prolific writer who spearheads the core writing team on tech news, buying guides, reviews, and all gadget articles. He is passionate about technology.