If you are looking for a budget smartphone with decent performance, you might have come across the Itel A70. The Itel A70 was launched in October 2023. This phone has a peculiar feature: it uses a Unisoc Tiger T603 processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) that is shrouded in mystery.

The Unisoc T603 left a lot of tech enthusiasts scratching their heads because it came out of nowhere. Unisoc never officially released it and it is not listed on their website. Was this vaporware? What type of SoC is this?

What is a SoC and why does it matter? A SoC is a single chip that integrates all the components of a computer, such as the CPU cores, GPU, memory, storage, camera, connectivity, and more. A SoC determines the speed, power, efficiency, and features of a smartphone, so it is important to know what kind of SoC a phone has before buying it. As it turns out, this SoC does exist and that’s the point of this article.

The Unisoc Tiger T603 is a 4G LTE SoC that belongs to the T600 family, which also includes the T606, T610, T616, and T618. These SoCs are designed for lower mid-range, budget, and entry-level smartphones. They are made using a 12nm fabrication process.

Unisoc T603 Specs

The T603 has the following specifications:

Specs
CPU cores
  • 4x Cortex-A55 (1.8GHz)
  • 4x Cortex-A55 (1.2GHz)
GPU Power VR GE 8322 (550MHz)
Process 22nm TSMC
ISA ARMv8
Benchmarks
  • AnTuTu 10: 159,353
  • GeekBench 6: 180/825
RAM LPDDR4X (1800MHz), 4GB
Storage eMMC 5.1
ISP Unknown
NPU Nil
Camera 16MP
Video 1080p @60fps
Network LTE Cat 7
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5
WiFi WiFi 5
Display 2160 x 1080p

Performance

At first glance, the T603 seems to be a decent SoC for any budget phone. However, there is something strange about it: it is almost identical to the Unisoc SC9863A, an older low-end SoC from the Unisoc. The only difference is that the T603 has a slightly higher clock speed for the big CPU cores, which are the ones that handle the heavy tasks. The Unisoc T603 has both the big cores running at 1.8GHz and the small CPU cores running at 1.2GHz.

Armed with this information, we can clearly state that the Unisoc T603 is a entry-level SoC that may struggle with most apps and games. It is only recommended for light use. Phones using this SoC should be paired with enough RAM (at least 4GB) for a decent experience. Other SoCs in the same performance range includes the likes of the Helio G35, Helio G36, Helio G37 and Helio P35.

Gaming

The T603 has a low-end Power VR GE8322 GPU. It can handle a lot of low end native Android titles at mid to low settings but with struggle with 64-bit HD titles. The games it can run includes Free Fire, Dream League Soccer, Asphalt, PUBG Lite, Call of Duty mobile, Candy Crush, Subway Surfers and so much more.

Note: This only holds true if the T603 is paired with 4GB RAM and runs a 64-bit operating system

Memory

The Unisoc T603 is armed with support for up to 8GB of LPPDR4x running at 1800MHz. This is more than good enough to get you through most apps, provided that the RAM size is up to 4GB.

Photography and Videography

Unisoc is not well known for its prowess when it comes to photography and videography. This T603 seems to lack an NPU of any sort and doesn’t have a very capable ISP. It can support cameras up to 16MP and can record/playback 1080p video at 30fps. These should be good enough in bright lights but do not expect too much.

Connectivity

For connectivity, the T603 supports 4G LTE (Cat. 7), Bluetooth 5, WiFi 5, and USB 2.0. These should suffice for the average user who just wants to connect to the Internet, connect Bluetooth peripherals, and transfer files to others.

Unisoc T603, just a binned SC9863A

As you can see, the difference between the T603 and the SC9863A is negligible as both SoCs are the same. This raises the question: why did Unisoc create the T603 in the first place?

The simple truth is something simply known as corporate greed. Why spend money on a new SoC when you rename an older and cheaper one and sell it on your new phone? Itel took an old SoC, renamed it and Unisoc simply kept quiet about it.

This could be the case for the T603. The old SC9863A chips were slightly overclocked and rebranded as the T603. This way, they could still make some profit from them whilst fooling consumers. This would also explain why Unisoc did not announce or promote the T603 as a new chip, because it is not really a new chip, but a recycled one.

Conclusion

Of course, this is just a speculation based on the available information. There could be other reasons why Unisoc created the T603, such as marketing, supply, or demand. However, the evidence seems to point to the binning theory as the most plausible one.

What do you think? Do you agree with this analysis? Do you have any other insights or opinions on the Unisoc T603? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

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