It’s moving on up now
Mediatek rolled out what could be the first chip based on the Armv9, which is the ARM’s first architectural upgrade in a decade. The Dimensity 9000 is, as Mediatek company’s CEO Rick Tsai previously stated, the company’s “entry in the flagship segment.” The chip is also the company’s first aimed at pricey smartphones. Mediatek’s chips are seen mostly in low- to mid-range Android smartphones. The Dimensity 9000 will compete in top-line smartphones, meaning customers in the high-end market may have more options outside Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chips. Qualcomm is announcing a new flagship chip by year end. Smartphone makers in China are lining up to put Dimensity 9000 in premium smartphones given the troubles of working with Qualcomm amid trade wars and chip shortages. Mediatek’s MTK chips for years have been associated with cheap smartphones and poor to middling performance. Mediatek’s launch of a premium smartphone chip was clearly intended to send Qualcomm a “watch out, I’m coming for you” message. The Dimensity 9000 is based on the Armv9 architecture with an unusual assembly of cores that seem more like a Big.
