With Android 4.1 set to launch in the coming months, prices on Android 4.0 phones could be headed lower. And Taiwan’s MediaTek (2454.TW) is ready. The fabless semiconductor company says its newest chipset will enable device makers to introduce Android 4.0 phones in the sub-$200 market segment, the fastest growing part of the smartphone market.
The MT6577 is an integrated chipset that combines a 1 GHz dual-core processor based on ARM’s Cortex-A9 architecture, an Imagination Technologies graphics processor, and a 3G/HSPA modem made by MediaTek. Integrating smartphone silicon creates a streamlined solution for manufacturers, enabling them to cut costs and save space on the device. It also means that processors and modems are interoperable “out of the box” which can significantly reduce the time it takes to bring a device to market.
MediaTek has historically supplied chipsets for feature phones, but the company says it sees opportunity in the dual-core, low-end smartphone segment, and hopes to capture a growing share of this market. The company says Chinese device manufacturers are among its best customers.
