Samsung has announced its latest mobile processor—the Exynos 980, which combines best-in-class connectivity with an integrated 5G modem and enhanced neural processing unit (NPU).
After introducing its first 5G modem last year, Samsung continues to push to make 5G more accessible to a wider range of users. With the 5G-integrated Exynos 980, it looks to continue to lead innovation in the mobile 5G market.
The Exynos 980 is based on the advanced 8nm FinFET manufacturing process technology, and is Samsung’s first artificial intelligence (AI) mobile SoC with an integrated 5G modem.
With a single chip design, the Exynos 980 will theoretically be more power efficient and space-saving, although Samsung has not quoted any official numbers.
The modem supports 5G to older 2G networks, and can provide fast gigabit downlink speeds in 4G LTE, and up to 2.55Gbps in sub-6GHz 5G.
It also supports E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC), which combines 2CC LTE and 5G connectivity to maximise mobile downlink speed of up to 3.55Gbps.
The processor also supports the new Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) standard, IEEE 802.11ax that delivers faster speed and greater connection stability.
The Exynos 980 chip packs two high-performance Cortex-A77 CPU cores running at 2.2GHz and six efficient Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.8GHz. These are mated to the top-of-the-line Mali-G76 GPU.
The on-chip NPU delivers up to 2.7x performance gains over its predecessor. The NPU takes care of AI-related tasks as well as adds enhancements to applications such as secure user authentication, content filtering, mixed reality, intelligent camera features, and more.
The chip is also future-proof for advanced photography, with resolution support for up to 108MP camera sensors. The advanced image signal processor (ISP) supports up to five individual sensors and is able to process three sensors concurrently. As seen on current generation Galaxy devices, the NPU powers Samsung’s Intelligent Camera features—able to detect and understand screens and objects, and make optimal adjustments to its settings to deliver the best photo.
The new chip also supports encoding and decoding of 4K UHD video at 120fps, as well as support for HDR10+ and displays of up to WQHD+ resolution (3360×1440).
It also supports UFS 2.1 and eMMC 5.0 storage formats as well as LPDDR4X memory.
The Exynos 980 is expected to begin mass production by the end of this year. Compared to the current flagship 7nm Exynos 9825, the upcoming Exynos 980 will likely power mid-range Galaxy smartphones such as the A-series and possibly tablets next year.
For more information, visit www.samsung.com/exynos.
