In Setpemeber, Samsung had announced the Exynos 980 as its first 5G integrated mobile chipset. It is designed to power upper mid-range phones. Now, the official website of the company has detailed information on the specs and features of the Exynos 980. The Exynos chipsets are primarily used by Samsung to power its range of Galaxy devices. However, smartphone-makers like Meizu and Motorola have used them in the past. Vivo is the latest vendor to borrow the Exynos 980 chipset for the upcoming Vivo X30 smartphone. It is also speculated that the rumored Galaxy A71 phone could end up as the first phone powered by the Exynos 980 SoC.
Samsung Exynos 980 Specifications and Features
Samsung listed the specifications of the Exynos 980 on their official website, and its major highlight is that it has a built-in 5G modem. The chipset is made up of 2.2GHz dual-core Cortex-A77 and 1.8GHz hexa-core Cortex-A55 with ARM Mali-G76 MP5 GPU and integrated NPU. It supports WQHD+ displays with resolution up to 3360 x 1440 pixels and features a 5G modem. The Exynos 980 supports LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.1, eMMC 5.1 storage. The chipset is designed using 8nm FinFET architecture.
With its digital signal processor (DSP) and neural processing unit (NPU), the Exynos 980 delivers AI capabilities for pro-grade cameras and intelligent assistants. Featuring a powerful octa-core processor, the Exynos 980 is designed to handle intensive tasks required for low latency, high-bandwidth 5G spectrum with ease.
The advanced DSP and NPU allow on-device AI-powered tasks rather than sending personal information to the server for processing. Effectively reducing response time, improving security and data privacy. The Exynos 980 enhances smartphone applications with better content filtering, secure user authentication, intelligent camera, and mixed reality.
The Intelligent pro-grade camera on the Exynos 980 supports up to five individual sensors. The SoC is able to process three sensors simultaneously, offering a true multi-camera experience. The processor supports sensors up to 108-megapixel and up to 20-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual cameras. While the NPU detects objects or scenes and allows the ISP to automatically fine-tune the exposure, hue, white balance, sharpness, saturation and more, leading to professional results.
The octa-core setup on the Exynos 980 comprises of two powerful Arm Cortex-A77 cores and six efficient Cortex-A55 cores for optimal performance. It is designed to possess complex computing capabilities required to handle higher demands in the 5G era. The SoC comes loaded with the ARM Mali-G76 MP5 GPU that offers the ultimate 3D processing capabilities required during an intense gaming session. The GPU reduces gaming lags and loading times considerably.
The multi-format codec (MFEC) on the Exynos 980 supports 4K UHD encoding and decoding at 120fps. Users can blur out the video backgrounds by adding greater depth-of-field, using the NPU’s AI capabilities. Exynos 980 also supports Wi-Fi 6 that offers faster speeds allowing a lag-free online gaming experience or buffer-free high-resolution video streaming session over the Wi-Fi network. The chipset also supports Bluetooth v5.0 for multi-device connectivity and GNSS for accurate location mapping.
In related news, Samsung has been struggling in the Chinese smartphone market for a while. Things are so bad that the company stopped manufacturing phones in China since October 2019. It is now hoping to arrest the declining sales figures with 5G. The company plans to bring the Galaxy Fold 5G to China as the W20 5G powered with the new Snapdragon 855+ SoC on Nov. 19. It is also expected to introduce 5G-enabled smartphones under the Galaxy A-series. In September, Samsung had launched the Galaxy A90 5G as an affordable 5G-ready flagship phone in China.
The Galaxy A71 is believed to be the next affordable 5G phone from the company. It could be Samsung’s first 5G mid-range smartphone to be powered by the Exynos 980. It remains to be seen whether it goes official before the Vivo X30 series that is slated to go official next month in China. Samsung currently uses flagship chipsets like the Snapdragon 855 and Exynos 9825 on its premium devices. It needs a cost-effective 5G SoC and that is where the Exynos 980 fits the equation.
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