Xiaomi flagship smartphones to pack MediaTek chip with 10-core processor

Xiaomi will make a switch to MediaTek mobile application processor for its flagship devices in lieu of Qualcomm's Snapdragon series.

MediaTek, which has recently introduced the 10-core Helio X20 processor, is expected to attract orders from Xiaomi, according to certain industry sources, quoted by DiGiTimes. The recent report comes in line with rumours we came across about the Xiaomi H3Y codenamed Hermes, which is Redmi Note 2 Pro, and is expected to use MediaTek MT6795 octa-core processor.

The chip maker has reportedly reiterated its ongoing cooperation with Xiaomi and the company is focusing more on its competitiveness in the mid-range and high-end market segments, MediaTek has noted.

Qualcomm, in contrary, is also said to be planning for a new SoC featuring the deca-core processor dubbed Snapdragon 818, in a bid to compete with MediaTek's Helio X20. Qualcomm's upcoming chip is expected to support LTE-Cat 10 speeds.

Designed to be used in top-notch mobile devices, the Helio X20 is the world's first mobile processor incorporating Tri-Cluster CPU architecture, with 10 processing cores. The company has confirmed that the chipset would be ready by third quarter of this year and available in consumer products by the end of the year.

Each of the three processor clusters in Helio X20 is meant to efficiently handle different types of workload. The Tri-Cluster CPU consists of one cluster of two ARM Cortex-A72 cores running at 2.5GHz for extreme performance, two clusters of four ARM Cortex-A53 cores at 2.0GHz for medium loads and one running at 1.4GHz for lighter activities.