MediaTek Helio G35 and Helio G25 gaming processors unveiled for entry-level smartphones

MediaTek recently launched two new chipsets for budget smartphones. The MediaTek Helio G35 and Helio G25 are engineered to enable gaming on entry-level smartphones, more specifically on smartphones that cost less than Rs 7,000 or USD 100.

The Helio MediaTek G35 is a 12nm octa-core chipset. The chip features all Cortex A-53 cores, clocked at 2.3GHz. However, the Cortex A-53 cores are not as fast as the Cortex A-55 cores, let alone the Cortex A-7 series cores. For comparison, the entry-level Helio G70 chipset features two Cortex A-75 cores and six Cortex-A55 cores.

The MediaTek G35 can be configured with up to 6GB of 1,600MHz LPDDR4x RAM, while the storage is limited to eMMC 5.1. The G35 uses a PowerVR GE8320 GPU running at 680MHz. Additionally, MediaTek’s HyperEngine adjusts the CPU, GPU and memory based on thermals and power draw.

The MediaTek G25 is more or less the same chip as the G35 with different bins. It is based on the same 12nm architecture with lower clock speeds. The CPU speed is limited to 2.0GHz, while the GPU runs at 650MHz. One key difference between the Helio G35 and Helio G25 is that the former supports FHD+ displays, while the latter is limited to HD+ resolution.

The MediaTek G35 SoC can support cameras up to 25 MP or a 13 MP + 13 MP dual-camera setup. The Helio G25, on the other hand, supports lower 21 MP cameras or dual 13 MP + 8 MP cameras. Both the chips can record 1080p video at 30 fps using the H.264 codec. Camera features include Electronic Image Stabilisation, Multi-Frame Noise Reduction, and Rolling Shutter Compensation.

For connectivity, the G35 and G25 can do VoLTE and ViLTE on two 4G connections. The HyperEngine can switch between Wi-Fi and LTE in 13 milliseconds for gaming.

The Redmi 9A is the first phone to use the Helio G25 SoC, while the Redmi 9C and Realme C11 both use the MediaTek Helio G35 chip.