SoC 101: Smartphone Chipsets Explained
By: Eze Wholesale
Tags: Electronics, Consumer Electronics, Smartphones, Chipsets, Technology

Think about the first thing you pick up in the morning and the last thing you put down at night. For most of us, that’s our smartphone. Even though our phones are such a big part of our lives, we don’t know a great deal about them. To be fair, tech junkies who live and breathe tech love to engage in conversations about the processing power and chipsets of computers, gaming consoles, as well as smartphones. But for most of us who would identify as the average consumer, these topics are often jargon-filled and downright confusing.

If you belong to the latter group, this post will help. We’ll answer three big questions that you likely have regarding smartphone chipsets, such that you’ll no longer appear clueless in conversations with your tech-savvy friends anymore.

1. What’s an SoC?

Tech enthusiasts mention SoC in conversations so frequently, but few take the time to explain what it actually means. SoC stands for system-on-chip. Most SoCs today come inside mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It’s essentially the processor or the “brain” of smartphones.

However, unlike a computer’s single processor chip package widely known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), an SoC is a complete processing system that includes both hardware and software in one single package. In other words, smartphone SoCs contain a CPU, too, but that’s just one of the many components within an SoC.

By combining the required electronic circuits of various components onto a single, integrated chip, it is more energy-efficient, accords greater performance, takes up less space, and is more reliable than multi-chip systems.

2. What essential components make up an SoC?

Typically, a smartphone SoC integrates these core components:

Central Processing Unit (CPU) : If an SoC is the brain of your smartphone, the CPU is the brain behind the SoC. A modern smartphone CPU consists of multiple cores, which is why you’ll hear of Dual-core, Quad-core, and Octa-core. Each core represents an individual processing unit and they handle different tasks. The power and performance of a CPU are measured in GigaHertz (GHz).

: If an SoC is the brain of your smartphone, the CPU is the brain behind the SoC. A modern smartphone CPU consists of multiple cores, which is why you’ll hear of Dual-core, Quad-core, and Octa-core. Each core represents an individual processing unit and they handle different tasks. The power and performance of a CPU are measured in GigaHertz (GHz). Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) : A GPU is designed specifically to handle graphics-related tasks. This is the component that is responsible for processing the vivid and true-to-life games that you love playing.

: A GPU is designed specifically to handle graphics-related tasks. This is the component that is responsible for processing the vivid and true-to-life games that you love playing. Image Processing Unit (ISP) : An ISP helps to translate data from an image sensor to a photo or video that you can share as a file with your family and friends.

: An ISP helps to translate data from an image sensor to a photo or video that you can share as a file with your family and friends. Digital Signal Processor (DSP) : DSPs mathematically manipulate real-world signals like voice, audio, video, temperature, pressure, or position.

: DSPs mathematically manipulate real-world signals like voice, audio, video, temperature, pressure, or position. Neural Processing Unit (NPU) : An NPU helps to accelerate machine learning tasks. It’s often associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tasks such as voice recognition and camera processing.

: An NPU helps to accelerate machine learning tasks. It’s often associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tasks such as voice recognition and camera processing. Modems : A modem converts wireless signals into data that your smartphone can comprehend. Most smartphone modems integrate 5G, 4G, 3G, and Wi-Fi into a single system.

: A modem converts wireless signals into data that your smartphone can comprehend. Most smartphone modems integrate 5G, 4G, 3G, and Wi-Fi into a single system. Video encoder/decoder: This converts video files and formats efficiently.

3. Who are the major players in the smartphone SoC market?

Tear apart any modern smartphone and you’ll find a chipset from either Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, or Huawei. These companies are major players in the smartphone SoC market. We’ll take a closer look at each of them.

Apple SoC

Before 2010, Apple sourced its SoCs from Samsung to power devices like the iPhone and iPad. The Apple A4, which was launched in 2010, stands today as the first Apple-designed SoC. Fast forward 11 years and we see today that the Apple A14 Bionic, seen on the iPhone 12 series, is Apple’s latest smartphone SoC that is designed exclusively by and for the brand.

Qualcomm SoC

You’ve probably heard of Qualcomm, an American company that sells smartphone SoCs under the Snapdragon brand. The chipset manufacturer produces SoCs for budget, mid-range, and high-end smartphones.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series is known for having some of the most powerful chipsets available for Android smartphones. Currently, the Snapdragon 888 holds the title for the top-notch SoC by Qualcomm.

As you go down the range, you’ll find the Qualcomm Snapdragon 700 series, used on upper mid-range smartphones; the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 series, found in popular budget smartphones that offer a bang for your buck; and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 and 200 series, for basic and entry-level phones often found in emerging markets.

Samsung SoCs

Samsung designs its own lineup of smartphone SoCs and brands it as Exynos. In the latter half of 2020, the popular Korean brand broke the news of the Exynos 1080, a new high-end SoC that will be used in affordable flagship devices in 2021. Soon after, the company announced the powerful Exynos 2100, which is used in the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.

MediaTek SoCs

MediaTek is a Taiwanese firm that designs smartphone SoCs. The company’s 5G-centric smartphone SoC is dubbed the Dimensity series. Announced in early 2021, the Dimensity 1200 is the company’s new flagship-grade SoC.

Beyond that, MediaTek offers gaming-focused chipsets (Helio G series), budget SoCs (Helio P series), and SoCs for low-end Android phones (Helio A series)

Huawei SoCs

Huawei devices come with Kirin chipsets which are developed by HiSilicon, a Huawei-owned semiconductor company. The brand’s current flagship SoC belongs to the Kirin 9000 series, which powers the Huawei Mate 40 series.

Predecessors of the Kirin 9000 series include Kirin 990 (found in the Huawei P40 series and the Honor 30 Pro Plus), as well as the Kirin 800 (for upper mid-range handsets), 700, and 600 series (for budget handsets).

Unfortunately, with the US-China trade war, Huawei’s segment of the SoC market isn’t exactly stable. In fact, HiSilicon confirmed that it has stopped making Kirin SoCs. The Huawei Mate 40 may very well be the last phone to come with the Kirin 9000 SoC. What comes next in terms of Kirin SoCs is uncertain.

Conclusion: The future of smartphone SoCs

Just a few years ago, you’d find basic components like CPUs and GPUs on an SoC. Today, with advancements in security, machine learning, and 5G capabilities, modern smartphone SoCs have evolved to include components like DSPs, ISPs, modems, and NPUs.

As our needs and wants grow, this rapid development will only continue. We’d expect our smartphones to evolve to be able to handle more complex tasks than before. That said, we’ll be seeing more and more dedicated processors on a single SoC and smartphones that are more powerful than ever before, and we can’t wait to see that happen.