MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ integrates the 5G chip inside

After being left in the sidelines for a while now, MediaTek has burst back into the mobile scene to take on Qualcomm at its own game. It launched its Dimensity line of systems-on-chip (SoCs) with a focus on 5G and affordability. Now it is attempting to take another stab at diminishing Qualcomm's market share with the Dimensity 1000+ which packs the 5G chip directly inside the same package. In other words, it is MediaTek's version of the Snapdragon 865.

Qualcomm and MediaTek, at least starting with the latter's Dimensity line, has been shipping mobile processors that can work with 5G modems. Prior to this, however, those modems were located on a separate die and were practically optional. That resulted in many manufacturers skipping the feature altogether. The separate setup also proved to be rather inefficient and slow in managing power and data transfer speeds.

Just as with the Snapdragon 865 and 765, the MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ puts the 5G modem together with the rest of the CPU in an all or nothing package. In theory and as MediaTek advertises, this would deliver 5G speeds that cut down on the power use and data latency when communicating with the neighboring CPUs. In addition to 5G, the chip also supports the latest WiFi 802.11ax and Bluetooth 5.1 standards.

As part of its Dimensity 1000 family, the 1000+ chip also sports a dual-cluster of four 2.6 GHz Cortex-A77 cores and four 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 cores. The SoC supports 144 Hz displays at most and its HyperEngine 2.0 technology is geared towards prioritizing gaming performance.

MediaTek hasn't yet revealed when the chips will be available for vendors to use in their phones but it could happen much later this year. The chipmaker will have to work hard in regaining its reputation after a recent scandal that practically puts into question any benchmark used to verify its performance claims.