MediaTek’s Dimensity 1080 chip will bring 200MP phone cameras to the masses

By Prakhar Khanna Published October 10, 2022

MediaTek has announced its successor to the Dimensity 920 chipset, which powered several midrange smartphones, including the Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge, Realme 9 Pro Plus, and more. The new go-to MediaTek system on a chip (SoC) for midrange smartphones will be the Dimensity 1080. MediaTek is claiming “exceptional power efficiency” alongside better gaming performance.

The MediaTek Dimensity 1080 is based on a 6nm process like its predecessor. It consists of an octa-core CPU, which comes with two upgraded ARM Cortex-A78 CPU cores operating at up to 2.6GHz as compared to 2.5GHz on the Dimensity 920 chipset. They are accompanied by the same ARM Mali-G68 GPU.

MediaTek Dimensity 1080. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Due to it having the same GPU, you can expect a similar gaming performance as before. However, MediaTek is promising new gaming experiences. For instance, you can now keep on gaming even when you receive a call — a common feature for many devices. The Dimensity 1080 is also claimed to be more power-efficient than before, so it sgould deliver better battery life.

Recommended Videos

The MediaTek Dimensity 920 supported up to 108MP cameras, which we saw on a number of Xiaomi devices. The latest Dimensity 1080 bumps the megapixel count to 200MP with HDR10+. In other words, you can expect smartphones with 200MP cameras to become more mainstream in late 2022 and early 2023. Like the Dimensity 1080’s predecessor, the new chipset comes with support for 4K HDR video recording, which is “hardware-accelerated” this time around.

The Dimensity 1080 has support for 120Hz displays, something we saw on the previous generation. It also supports sub-6GHz 5G networks, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. Other features include LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 2-lane storage. Unlike the Dimensity 920, however, the Dimensity 1080 doesn’t support UFS 2.2 storage alongside the 3.1 standard.

The MediaTek Dimensity 1080 seems like a mild upgrade over the Dimensity 920. The major upgrade comes in the camera department with support for 200MP cameras, and the promise of better power efficiency is encouraging. We will have to wait for a final verdict until we get our hands on some Dimensity 1080-powered smartphones, which are slated to launch in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Mobile Writer

Prakhar Khanna is an independent consumer tech journalist. He contributes to Digital Trends' Mobile section with features and…

Topics

Phones

Fold 8 Ultra vs. Fold 7: Upgrades across the board, but is the Ultra really worth the upgrade?

From battery capacity to camera hardware, here's a full comparison between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7, and whether upgrading actually makes sense.

Electronics, Speaker, Electrical Device

Foldables age differently than regular smartphones or flagships. But why do I say this? It's the hinge and the foldable aspect that wins buyers over in the first place, not the specifications that get outdated every single year. That's precisely why anyone still carrying last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 is asking a fair question today: does Samsung's freshly unveiled Z Fold 8 Ultra genuinely earn an upgrade, or does the Fold 7 still hold its ground?

And for shoppers who skipped last year's model entirely and are weighing their first foldable purchase, the calculus is totally different. A now-discounted Fold 7 might undercut the Ultra by a considerable sum, and that could matter to those looking to spend on the form factor, not the latest specifications.

Phones

Samsung makes it easier to run multiple apps on Galaxy Z Flip 8’s cover screen

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8 now runs 16 apps on its cover screen.

Galaxy Z Flip 8 cover display

Samsung is finally making the Galaxy Z Flip's cover screen much more useful. With the new Galaxy Z Flip 8, you no longer have to rely on workarounds to access more apps without unfolding the phone. Instead, Samsung has expanded native support on the FlexWindow, allowing 16 apps to run directly on the outer display and also making it much easier to launch virtually any other app.

The update addresses one of the biggest complaints Flip users have had for years and brings Samsung up to the level of rivals like Motorola, whose Razr series has long offered a more flexible cover screen experience.

Phones

Google just made switching from iPhone to Android much easier with Android 17

Android 17 can now transfer your passwords, passkeys, eSIM, and even your home screen.

Android-17-switch-ios-to-android

Moving from an iPhone to an Android phone has never been an easy process, but Google is trying to change that. With Android 17, the company has introduced a rebuilt Android Switch that can move far more of your data than any past version ever could.

Google worked with Apple to create the new transfer system from the ground up, allowing far more information to move wirelessly than before. The upgraded experience is already rolling out to eligible Pixel devices and is also available on Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 through Smart Switch.