With the global 5G connectivity is just around the corner, tech companies are on board.
While Huawei remains the largest telecommunication equipment maker in the world, Samsung that is also a chip maker, doesn't want to be left behind in the scene. And here the South Korean conglomerate company launched its first system on a chip (SoC) that integrates 5G connectivity.
Called the 'Exynos 980', the chip supports data transfer rates of 2.55Gbps in 5G connectivity for sub-6GHz spectrum and 1.0Gbps for 4G, this SoC allows a rate of 3.55Gbps at dual connectivity, the company said.
And by combining a 5G modem and mobile application processor into one single chip, this should increase power efficiency and takes up less space within smartphones compared to older generation SoCs.
The SoC is constructed through an 8nm FinFET process and sports a total of eight CPU cores (two Cortex-A77 and six Cortex-A55), as well as the Mali G76 GPU.
The chip also has an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) for on-device AI processing, capable of protecting sensitive and private information, filtering content, as well as taking advantage of mixed reality (AR and VR) and intelligent cameras.
It also has a high-performance image signal processor that can process up to 108 million pixel images, and can be synced up to five image sensors and run three of them simultaneously.
Exynos 980’s multi-format codec (MFC) can also support encoding and decoding of 4K UHD video at 120 frames per second (fps), as well support for HDR10+.
"With the introduction of our 5G modem last year, Samsung has been driving in the 5G revolution and paved the way towards the next step in mobility," said Ben Hur, VP of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics.
The South Korean tech giant has been aggressive in pushing 5G, having launched a slew of 5G chips in April, including Exynos Modem 5100, as well as the notable first smartphone for the next-generation network with the Galaxy S10 5G..
Samsung was also the first company that launched 5G. At that time, it was racing against U.S. carrier Verizon to become the world's first.
The company even eyed on 6G, as according to The Korea Herald, Samsung has launched a research center, which among other things like AI and robotics, also focuses on the successor of 5G.
According to Inyup Kang, the president and general manager of the System LSI Business in Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions Division, 5G is an opportunity that the company could not miss as it eyes for the future of AIs and autonomous cars.
And with Exynos 980, Samsung hopes that its 5G-integrated chip can make 5G more accessible to a wider audience.