MediaTek outs its first quad-core SoC

MediaTek has made its name in the semiconductor industry by providing affordable single-core and dual-core System-on-Chips to handset manufacturers for their entry-level/mid-range smartphones. The Taiwanese company plans to keep their streak going with the announcement of their first quad-core SoC, the MT6589.

Back in September, we reported that both Qualcomm and MediaTek are looking to give pennywise consumers a taste of quad-core goodness by providing cost-effective ARM-based Cortex-A7 processor which is targeted to be shipped early next year.

Earlier this month, Qualcomm has unveiled their new entry-level, 28nm quad-core processors, MSM8226 and MSM8626, claiming the title as the world’s first quad-core Cortex-A7 chip in the process. Not to be outdone by its competitor, MediaTek fires back and claims that their latest brainchild, the MT6589, is the world’s first commercially available Cortex-A7 System-on-Chip with shipment starting in the first quarter of 2013. Talk about a heated battle, eh?

MediaTek MT6589 specs:
28nm ARM Cortex-A7
Quad-core with speed up to 1.2GHz
PowerVR SGX544 GPU
Support up to 5-inch display @720p
Supports 1080p playback
3D support with real-time 2D-3D conversion
Supports up to 13MP main camera
HSPA+ 42Mbps
Bluetooth 4.0
Wi-Fi 802.11n
Dual-SIM support
MiraCast support

While it’s still arguable whether a quad-core processor is really better than processors with fewer cores, there’s no denying that a lot of well-off Android consumers are still lured in to this processing fad. Sadly these devices walking on all fours are beyond the reach of most budget-conscious as it entail a premium price tag. But we have a feeling that quad-core devices will no longer be limited to a few wealthy users thanks to these entry-level quad-core processors from MediaTek and Qualcomm.

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