MediaTek unveils new chipsets, targets mid-range smartphones

MediaTek Inc unveiled two new chipsets on Tuesday to target the mid-range smartphone market, as the Taiwan-based semiconductor maker ramps up resources to defend itself against competition from Qualcomm Inc and Spreadtrum RDA.

The new chips, dubbed Helio P23 and Helio P30, are designed to deliver performance and power efficiency and support dual camera photography, the company said at a news conference in Beijing.

TL Lee, general manager of MediaTek's wireless communication business unit, said reaching the mid-segment means bringing people affordable devices that power and perform the latest features

Lee said that although the Chinese mainland smartphone market saw a decline in shipments in the first half of this year, the situation will improve from the fourth quarter.

"A string of smartphone makers will unveil new products powered by our Helio P23 and Helio P30 chips in the fourth quarter of 2017. And most of them will come with a bezel-less smartphone display design," Lee said.

MediaTek is locked in fierce competitions with its US rival Qualcomm and local competitor Spreadtrum RDA in the Chinese mainland, the world's largest smartphone market.

To expand its presence, Lee said the company will step up its cooperation with the mainland's telecom carriers, which often influence smartphone makers through subsidies, and it will maintain closer communication with other local partners to fully understand their demands.

The latest result of cooperation with China Mobile Communications Corp, the mainland's largest telecom carrier by subscribers, is that the newly released Helio P23 chip supports dual 4G VoLTE technology. The voice over long-term evolution technology allows faster, more consistent connectivity for users who use dual-SIM card handsets.

Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the Mobile China Alliance, said MediaTek has fully realized the important role Chinese mainland's telecom carriers play in the smartphone sector, after it experienced a decline in business due to losing big customers such as Oppo Electronics Corp.