MediaTek MT8173 Tablet SoC With ARM Cortex-A72 Cores Launched at MWC 2015

MediaTek on Sunday launched the MT8173 tablet SoC featuring ARM's latest Cortex-A72 processor, which is touted to be the highest-performing mobile CPU. The MT8173 uses two Cortex-A72 cores and two Cortex-A53 cores in a big.LITTLE architecture. MediaTek also pulled the wraps off the 64-bit octa-core MT6753 SoC with support for WorldMode modem.

The Taiwanese chipmaker claims that the MT8173 is six-times more powerful than its predecessor, the MT8125. The MT8173 offers up to 2.4GHz performance and supports OpenCL with the deployment of MediaTek Corepilot 2.0. Corepilot is nothing but a MediaTek properiatary technology where the cores of the GPU are also utilised for heterogeneous computing. The SoC also supports 120Hz display and camera modules which can shoot up to 20-megapixel resolution images. MediaTek has already made this SoC available for customers to use and we should see some real-world implementation by the end of this year latest. A prototype tablet using the MT8173 was displayed at the launch.

On the other hand, the MT6753 64-bit octa-core SoC is the company's attempt to make a chip for the mid-range market without skimping on the features. It uses eight 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit cores and uses Corepilot technology for better CPU-GPU optimisation. The SoC includes a Mali-T720 GPU with support for the Open GL ES 3.0. The first commercial devices using this processor should be available sometime in Q2, 2015.

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Disclosure: MediaTek made the announcement at an event on the sidelines of MWC in Barcelona. MediaTek sponsored the correspondent's flights and hotel in Barcelona.