MediaTek Helio P23, Helio P30 SoCs With Dual 4G VoLTE Support Launched for Mid-Range Smartphones

Chipmaker MediaTek on Tuesday unveiled two new chipsets in its mid-range Helio P range - the Helio P23 and Helio P30. The two chipsets are aimed at delivering performance, power efficiency, dual camera photography, dual SIM, and dual 4G VoLTE capabilities to mid-range smartphones. While the MediaTek Helio P30 is on the higher end to garner more performance to the smartphones, Helio P23 is for the smartphones that are a little low on specifications. Both the system-on-chips (SoCs) will be available by the end of this year (Q4), where the Helio P30 will be globally available while the Helio P23 will be initially launched in China.

The MediaTek Helio P30 and Helio P23 chipsets are built using the 16nm architecture, and MediaTek claims they are optimal for the mid-range dual SIM card-supporting smartphones. Both the SoCs are built on eight ARM Cortex-A53 processors operating up to 2.3GHz, with two clusters of four cores. MediaTek has packed the new Mali G71 MP2 GPU, clocked at 770MHz in the Helio P23 and 950MHz in the Helio P30, and is touting its "high-end graphics performance." For memory, both the Helio P23 and Helio P30 chipsets can support up to 6GB of LPDD4X RAM clocked at 1.6GHz. MediaTek's CorePilot 4.0 technology helps with power aware scheduling, thermal management, and UX monitoring.

The primary support that the MediaTek Helio P23 and P30 chipsets provide is for the dual cameras. The Helio P23 supports 13 + 13-megapixel dual camera configurations, or a single 24-megapixel sensor, while the Helio P30 supports up to 16+16 megapixel dual camera configurations. MediaTek has also incorporated the Imagiq 2.0 technology to better the photographs while minimising aliasing, grain and noise, and reducing chromatic aberration. There is also a new hardware Camera Control Unit (CCU) - equipped with "auto exposure convergence speed up to twice as fast as competitors - ensures users never miss the moment they want to capture."

Other features include the Vision Processing Unit (VPU) on the Helio P30, a 500MHz digital signal processor that's paired with the Image Signal Processors. Advantages of the VPU according to MediaTek include freeing up system resources, programmability and flexibility for OEMs, power reduction, and an overall performance boost. The VPU combined with the Imagiq ISP helps the Helio P30 deliver real-time image and video Bokeh as well.

As for the dual 4G VoLTE connectivity, the company says the MediaTek Helio P23 delivers the "world's first dual SIM, dual 4G VoLTE/ ViLTE support." The Helio P23 and Helio P30 feature MediaTek's latest generation 4G LTE WorldMode modem for superior power efficiency and performance, Cat-7/13 speeds at 300Mbps download and 150Mbps upload. It also bears a TAS 2.0 (Transmitting Antenna Switching) smart antenna technology to provide optimal signal quality.

"Reaching the mid market means bringing people affordable devices that power and perform with the latest features, like dual-cameras and 4G LTE connectivity," TL Lee, General Manager of MediaTek's Wireless Communication business unit, said in a statement. "In the rapidly growing arena of new premium mid-range devices, mobile technology innovators know they need to stand out in a crowded field - P23 and P30 enable them to do that," Lee added.