The new MediaTek Dimensity 7200 brings high-end tech to midrange phones

By Andy Boxall February 15, 2023

When MediaTek goes midrange, it does so with a chip that shares plenty with its top-of-the-range Dimensity 9200 processor. Meet the Dimensity 7200, the first chip in its newly updated 7000 series, and it’ll be coming to phones in the very near future.

What makes it special? MediaTek has worked with chip foundry TSMC to make the Dimensity 7200 using a 4nm process, and it’s the same second-generation process used to make the Dimensity 9200. This means it should receive many of the power and efficiency boosts that make the 9200 stand out.

MediaTek

It’s an octa-core chip based on two ARM Cortex A715 cores running at 2.8GHz, six ARM Cortex A510 cores, and the same MediaTek AI Processing Unit (APU) that’s used in the Dimensity 9200. Graphics are managed by the Mali G610 graphics processing unit (GPU), and it’s MediaTek’s own Imagiq 765 image signal processor (ISP) taking care of the camera. Finally, MediaTek’s HyperEngine 5.0 — a staple feature on its high-end chips since the Dimensity 9000 — works behind the scenes to lower latency, improve CPU and GPU response, and increase power efficiency when playing games.

Recommended Videos

The chip supports cameras with up to 200 megapixels and features like dual-capture, where two cameras can operate simultaneously. It also supports noise reduction in low light, AI-based image enhancements, plus portrait mode beauty settings. On the display side, the Dimensity 7200 manages to squeeze in HDR10+ certification, Dolby HDR, support for up to 144Hz refresh rates, and resolutions up to Full HD+. The chip connects to Sub-6 5G networks (manufacturers need the Dimensity 1050 for Sub-6 and mmWave) and supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

MediaTek’s Dimensity processors have recently been finding their way into more phones than ever before, from Asus’s top ROG gaming phones to OnePlus’s well-priced Nord phones. It has also worked closely with manufacturers like Oppo to tailor chips for certain models, with impressive results. The Dimensity 7200 may end up being used in similar situations.

MediaTek states the chip is already in production and ready to ship, and expects the first smartphones with the processor to arrive before the end of March 2023.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Tech News

Senior Mobile Writer

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

Mobile

MediaTek’s new Dimensity 8200 brings flagship performance to cheaper phones

MediaTek is adding a new sub-flagship mobile processor to its lineup, and this one comes up with some "core" upgrades. Say hello to the Dimensity 8200, which succeeds the Dimensity 8100 system on chip (SoC), and will soon be appearing inside a bunch of smartphones made by Chinese brands. It will go against the likes of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC.
The latest offering from MediaTek wades right into the flagship territory by opting for TSMC's 4nm process. Apple also had its mighty A16 Bionic (powering the iPhone 14 Pro) fabricated on the same 4nm tech. For comparison, the MediaTek 8100 is based on TSMC's 5nm process.

The other key change is to the core architecture. The Dimensity 8100 offered a dual-cluster design that included four Cortex-A78 cores and an equal number of Cortex-A55 cores. The Dimensity 8200 is embracing a tri-cluster design, much like the top-tier Dimensity 9200 mobile processor and Qualcomm's own flagships.
You get a single Cortex-A78 core buzzing at 3.1GHz alongside three slightly slower Cortex-A78 cores running at 3.0GHz. For less demanding tasks, there are four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 2.0GHz. The GPU remains unchanged, but MediaTek is adding a bit of extra grunt to the ARM Mali-G610 graphics engine by pairing it with next-gen HyperEngine 6.0 optimization tools.
MediaTek has also armed the Dimensity 8200 with the new Imagiq 785 chip to handle its camera capabilities, which allows 4K HDR video capture. The previous-gen Imagiq 780 ISP only offered support for 200-megapixel image capture, but its successor can go up to 320 million pixels worth of imaging data.

Mobile

How MediaTek became the best-kept secret in smartphones

What kind of chipset is in your phone? If you're reading this article, chances are you know the answer right off the top of your head. Maybe it's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Google's Tensor G2, or an A16 Bionic in your brand new iPhone 14 Pro. Or, just maybe, it's one with a MediaTek logo on it.

MediaTek isn't a company we talk about often when discussing U.S. smartphones, but it's one we most certainly should. I recently attended MediaTek's Executive Summit in Sonoma and had a chance to sit down with the company's Deputy General Manager of its Smartphone Business Unit, Yenchi Lee. I've come away from the Summit with a renewed appreciation for MediaTek's stealthy success over the years, as well as greater excitement about where it could go in the future.
Massive success hiding in plain sight
Global smartphone shipments from Q2 2020 through Q2 2022 Joe Maring/Digital Trends

Mobile

MediaTek’s T800 chipset will bring ultrafast 5G to more devices than ever

MediaTek is on a roll again with a series of impressive chipsets that promise to revolutionize 5G technology from several angles, including taking it beyond smartphones to devices like fixed wireless 5G routers, mobile hotspots, vehicles, and smart home devices.

While the company has already impressed us with some cutting-edge technology in the new Dimensity 9200 this week, it turns out that's just the tip of a much bigger iceberg. MediaTek is also using its modem chipmaking skills to produce smaller and more energy-efficient chips capable of powering the next generation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices without compromising on performance.
The MediaTek T800