In 2023, we witnessed groundbreaking strides in terms of on-device AI capabilities and remarkable achievements in GPU performance with Mobile SoCs. Some chipsets released this year even boast hardware ray-tracing capabilities, enabling console-level gaming on smartphones—a feat, showcased by the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. The competition for the coveted title of the Best Mobile SoC of 2023 at the Indian Gadget Awards was intense. Featuring over 35 categories, 35+ jury members, and 200+ nominations, this year’s awards were nothing short of a spectacle. Now, let’s take a look at the winners of the Best Mobile SoC of 2023 in both the Mainstream and Premium categories.
Best Mobile SoC of 2023 (Mainstream)
Winner: MediaTek Dimensity 8200
The MediaTek Dimensity 8200 earned the title of Best Mobile SoC of 2023 in the Mainstream segment. This chipset powered several mid-range releases this year, like the Vivo V29 Pro and iQOO Neo 7 5G. Its popularity in the mid-range segment stems from its capable hardware and support, all offered at a non-premium price, making it our overall winner.
In terms of specifications, TSMC’s 4nm process has been used to design the chipset and it features an octa-core CPU with a maximum clock speed of 3.1GHz. It can accommodate up to 120Hz WQHD+ display modules and boasts HDR10+ support. For photography enthusiasts, the SoC can house a camera sensor of up to 320MP and is capable of shooting 4K videos at 60FPS.
Best Mobile SoC of 2023 (Premium)
Winner: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 won the Best Mobile SoC of 2023 in the Premium category award this year. The chipset was incorporated into many flagship smartphones and tablets launched in 2023, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, OnePlus 11 5G, iQOO 11 5G, Xiaomi 13 Pro, etc. Being the choice of SoC for so many flagships just bolsters how powerful and versatile the processor is.
In terms of specifications, it features an Arm Cortex-X3 power core, reaching peak speeds of up to 3.36GHz. The chipset can accommodate display modules with 4K resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. The processor can support a maximum camera sensor of up to 200MP.
Take a look at the rest of the nominees for Best Mobile SoC of 2023 in the Mainstream and Premium categories.
Best Mobile SoC of 2023 (Mainstream) nominees:
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MediaTek Dimensity 1080
The chipset, built using TSMC’s 6nm process, features an octa-core Arm Cortex-A78 CPU with a maximum clock speed of 2.6GHz. It supports a camera sensor of up to 200MP with 4KHDR videography capabilities, as well as Full HD+ panels with a refresh rate of 120Hz and HDR10+ support.
MediaTek Dimensity 8050
The Dimensity 8050 also utilises a 6nm process and features an octa-core CPU with Arm Cortex-A78 processors, reaching peak speeds of 3GHz. It supports Full HD+ panels with a refresh rate of up to 168Hz and HDR10+ playback. In terms of camera capabilities, it supports a sensor of up to 200MP and can capture 4KHDR videos.
MediaTek Dimensity 8020
Similar to the previous entry, the Dimensity 8020 chip features an octa-core CPU with Arm Cortex-A78 processors, achieving peak speeds of 2.6GHz. It supports Full HD+ panels with a refresh rate of 144Hz and HDR10+ support. For photography, it can shoot 4KHDR videos and supports a sensor of up to 108MP.
MediaTek Dimensity 7050
Based on TSMC’s 6nm process, the chipset features an octa-core CPU with two Arm Cortex-A78 processors clocked up to 2.6GHz and an Arm Mali-G68 GPU. It supports Full HD+ panels with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The MediaTek Dimensity 7050 was featured in some popular mid-rangers, like the Realme 11 Pro Plus.
MediaTek Dimensity 7020
The Dimensity 7020 features an octa-core CPU with an Arm Cortex-A78 processor, reaching peak speeds of 2.2GHz. It supports 120Hz Full HD+ panels and HDR10+ video playback. In terms of photography, it supports a maximum sensor size of up to 108MP and can capture 2K videos.
MediaTek Dimensity 7200
The chipset utilises TSMC’s 2nd gen 4nm process and is powered by a 2nd gen Arm V9 processor with a peak performance of up to 2.8GHz. It supports a Full HD+ display panel with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz and HDR10+ video playback. For photography, it supports a sensor size of up to 200MP with 4K HDR videography capabilities.
MediaTek Dimensity 7030
The SoC utilises TSMC’s 6nm process and packs Arm Cortex-A78 processors with a maximum clock of 2.5GHz. It supports up to 144Hz Full HD+ display panel with HDR10+ playback. For photography it supports a maximum sensor size of up to 108MP with 4K videography capabilities.
MediaTek Dimensity 6100+
Designed using TSMC’s 6nm process, the chipset is powered by Arm Cortex-A76 processors with peak speeds of 2.2GHz. It supports a Full HD+ display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. In terms of photography, it supports a maximum sensor size of up to 108MP.
MediaTek Dimensity 6080
The chipset is built on TSMC’s 6nm process and features an Arm Cortex-A76 CPU with a maximum clock speed of 2.4GHz. It supports a Full HD+ display panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. In terms of photography, the device supports a maximum sensor size of up to 108MP
MediaTek Dimensity 6020
The chipset is designed using TSMC’s 7nm process and is powered by an Arm Cortex-A76 CPU with a maximum clock speed of 2.2GHz. It supports a Full HD+ display panel with a maximum refresh rate of up to 90Hz. In terms of photography, it supports a maximum sensor size of up to 64MP.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2
The Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is designed with a 4nm process and features Kyro CPU with a maximum clock speed of up to 2.2GHz. The processor was opted by the likes of POCO M6 Pro 5G and the Redmi 12 5G.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2
The SoC is crafted using a 4nm process and incorporates Qualcomm’s Kryo CPU architecture, achieving peak speeds of up to 2.91GHz. This chipset can handle a 120Hz QHD+ display or a 60Hz 4K display, and it includes HDR10+ support. The POCO F5 featured this chipset due to its impressive performance at a competitive price.
Samsung Exynos 1330
Samsung’s chipset is designed using a 5nm process and features an octa-core Arm Cortex CPU with a maximum clock speed of 2.4GHz. It can support up to a 120Hz FHD+ display panel and, for photography, can accommodate a maximum sensor size of up to 108MP and is capable of capturing 4K videos.
Samsung Exynos 1380
The Exynos 1380 utilises the same 5nm process as the 1330 and packs four high-performance Arm Cortex-A78 cores with peak speeds of up to 2.4GHz. The chipset can support an FHD+ display panel with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. For photography, the chip can support a sensor of up to 200MP.
Best Mobile SoC of 2023 (Premium) nominees:
Apple A17 Pro
The chipset stands out as the sole current SoC constructed with TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm process. It incorporates dual power cores, reaching a maximum clock speed of 3.78GHz. Apple has also made a shift to a six-core GPU, departing from the previous five-core configuration for enhanced GPU performance. A standout feature of the new chipset is its support for ray-tracing and its ability to handle select console-level games.
MediaTek Dimensity 9200+
The Dimensity 9200+ chipset packs an Arm Cortex-X3 power core with peak speeds of 3.35GHz. The processor can support a maximum of 144Hz WQHD resolution display module and a camera sensor of up to 320MP. The chipset is also capable of hardware-based Ray-tracing, thanks to the Arm Immortalis-G715 GPU.
Google Tensor G3
The search giant’s latest processor showcases some interesting developments. Unlike its competitors, the chipset focuses more on power efficiency than just raw performance. It features a power core with Arm V9 structure, reaching peak speeds of 2.91GHz. The chipset is built with Machine Learning in mind, enabling more efficient camera performance and improved battery life.
MediaTek Dimensity 9200
The chipset packs an Arm Cortex-X3 power core with peak speeds of 3.05GHz. The processor can support up to a maximum of 144Hz WQHD resolution display module and a maximum camera sensor of up to 320MP. The Vivo X90 Pro and the OPPO Find N3 Flip are some of the flagships which feature the Dimensity 9200 SoC.
