Hi all, let’s discuss the MediaTek’s latest calamity. Let’s talk about the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 and what’s going on with semiconductor companies.

After what happened with the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3, I shouldn’t have been surprised so I even don’t know why I am.

So I’m going to use the Dimensity 7200 to compare this new Dimensity 7300 just to show you the dance of one step forward and two steps back that these companies are doing.

Dimensity 7300 vs Dimensity 7200: Key Specs

Specs Dimensity 7300 Dimensity 7200
CPU cores
  • 1x Cortex A78 (2.5GHz)
  • 4x Cortex A55 (2.0GHz)
  • 1x Cortex A715 (3.35GHz)
  • 3x Cortex A715 (3.2GHz)
  • 4x Cortex-A510 (2.2GHz)
GPU Mali G615 MP2 Mali G615 MP4
Process 4nm TSMC 4nm TSMC
ISA ARMv9 ARMv9
Bench
  • AnTuTu 10: 634,847
  • GeekBench 6: 1043/2999
  • AnTuTu 10: 714,660
  • GeekBench 6: 1187/2643
RAM LPDDR5 (3200MHz), 16GB LPDDR5 (3200MHz), 16GB
Storage UFS 3.1 UFS 3.1
ISP Imagiq Imagiq
NPU MediaTek APU 655 MediaTek APU 650
Camera 200MP 200MP
Video 4K @30fps 4K @30fps
Display 2520 × 1080p 2520 × 1080p
Network
Bluetooth 5.4 5.3
WiFi 6 6

As usual, we’ll start with:

Performance

Now as we all know, the performance (how the SoC will tackle Android, apps, games, tasks etc.) is largely driven by the CPU cores.

If you check the older Dimensity 7200, you’ll find that it is a modern SoC with ARMv9 CPU cores like the Cortex A715 and the Cortex A510. The “newer” 7300 on the other hand reverts back to the older Cortex A78 and A55 CPU cores which is….I can’t even explain it.

CPU cores on smartphone SoCs

 

I’m sure we’re familiar with this chart by now. So MediaTek took a step forward with the Dimensity 7200 and sent us right back to where we started with the Dimensity 7300.

When we examine the performance, you’ll clearly see that the older 7200 SoC totally floors the newer 7300 in all departments except memory. This is probably due to then newer RAM tech on board but it doesn’t really account for much. Faster RAM won’t necessarily upgrade CPU core performance. It usually only boosts the current output from the CPU core.

Graphics and Gaming

The Dimensity 7300 uses the Mali G615 MC2 whilst the Dimensity 7200 uses a Mali G610 MC4. With GPUs, so long as the two architectures are close, then more cores are always better.

This is why the older Mali G610 MC4 (4-cores) seems to outperform the Mali G610 MC2 (2-cores).

AI

The Dimensity 7300 uses the MediaTek APU 655 while the Dimensity 7200 uses the MediaTek APU 650. This is clearly the only area where the Dimensity 7300 is better than the Dimensity 7200.

RAM

They both support LPDDR5 RAM running at 3200MHz and a maximum of 16GB RAM each although I doubt that smartphone OEMs will install that amount on any Midrange phone.

Storage

They both support UFS 3.1 storage. Another tie.

Camera

They both support 200MP cameras and can record 4K video at 30fps.

Connectivity

They also both support Cat. 21 4G and 5G (Sub-6GHz and mmWave) and WiFi 6. The Dimensity 7300 does support a slightly better Bluetooth 5.4 over the Bluetooth 5.3 supported by the Dimensity 7200.

Conclusion

We recently discussed the Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 and how it is a rebranded Snapdragon 695 which is weaker than the older Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. It is exactly the same scenario here. The Dimensity 7300 is also slightly weaker than the Dimensity 7200.

I do believe that on this website, I have raised the topic of why semiconductor OEMs have refused to bring older SoCs like the Cortex A77 and A78 to the lower mid-range.

It appears that they’ve finally decided to go this route. But they’re doing so in the upper mid-range segment and have decided to take several steps back to save money and increase profits instead of progressing forward.

So please, do not let naming schemes fool you. The Dimensity 7300 should probably have been named Dimensity 7150 or Dimensity 7200 lite, not the Dimensity 7300. It’s misleading and it’s false advertising. That’s my bit.

Please leave a comment if you have any difficulty and remember to: