MediaTek launches the new Helio P22 Chip for mid-range devices

MediaTek has just announced their latest Helio P22 chip that is targeted for mainstream affordable smartphones. The Helio P22 will be manufactured based on the 12nm FinFET technology, and will feature an 8 core A53 CPU that can be clocked up to 2.0GHz. The chip will also have a dedicated PowerVR GE8320 650MHz GPU.Do not expect too much in terms of the actual performance, as the chipset is targeted for the mid-tier market. This is also why the chip only allows a maximum display resolution of 1600 x 720 (20:9). This is also interesting, as the chip will be great for the more popular wider devices of today that strays away from the more conventional 16:9 aspect ratio.

The chipset will support LPDDR3/4X RAM at a maximum speed of 1600MHz. Moving along with the times, it can also support dual camera setups at 13MP + 8MP. If a single camera setup is preferred, the Helio P22 will be able to process and capture up to 21MP photos. The Helio P22 will work with all major LTE 4G bands of up to CAT.7 speeds, and can allow dual 4G SIM configurations. Interestingly, the P22 comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 specifications, which is still lacking in many flagship mobile chipsets today (such as the Kirin 970). The Helio P22 brings about new AI capabilities to the smartphones. With MediaTek's NeuroPilot, many machine learning frameworks such as Tensorflow, TF Lite and Caffe2 will be supported more effectively on the P22. Many dub the P22 as the Helio P60's "little brother", as it will be the choice for many smartphone manufacturers as the go-to chipset for their affordable range of products. AI on the P22 brings about multiple applications, such as Face ID, Simgle-Cam/Dual-Cam Bokeh effects and smart photo albums. Developers can also create their own AI applications with the dedicated AI hardware. MediaTek mentioned that the P22 is already in mass production, and smartphones with the new Helio P22 chipset will be seen in the market as early as June 2018.