Mediatek MT6737T vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917)

Mediatek MT6737T

The MediaTek MT6737T is a 64-bit ARM-based SoC announced in 2016 primarily designed for smartphones (mainly Android devices). It is manufactured in a 28 nm process and consists of four CPU cores based on the 64-bit Cortex-A53 architecture clocked at up to 1.5 GHz (MT6737 up to 1.35 GHz). The GPU is an ARM Mali-720 MP2. It integrates a Cat.4 LTE modem with CDMA2000 as well as a video de- and encoder for 1080p30 videos (H.264 and H.265).

Processor

The Cortex-A53 is the successor to the popular Cortex-A7 design. In addition to the jump from 32-bit to 64-bit architecture (ARMv8 ISA) to address more than 4 GB of memory, the new design offers better branch prediction and higher performance-to-power ratio that rivals the Cortex-A9. The four cores of the MT6737 are clocked at up to 1.5 GHz and are roughly on par with the Snapdragon 410 (4x Cortex-A53 at 1.2 to 1.4 GHz). The processor is fit for common tasks like browsing and running light applications.

Graphics

The integrated single-core Mali-T720 is an entry-level GPU clocked between 550-650 MHz for the MT6737 (or 600 for the MT6737T). Most Android games will play at acceptable frame rates on low or medium resolutions and quality.

Features

Besides CPU and GPU, the MT6737T SoC also integrates a memory controller (1x LPDDR2/3 733 MHz), multiple radios (WLAN, Bluetooth, GPS), and a cellular modem (GSM, UMTS, GPRS, HSPA+, HSUPA, TD-SCDMA, EVDO, and LTE Cat 4). Its integrated video engine allows for 1080p playback at 30 FPS. Cameras are supported up to 13 MP.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917)

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (8917) is an ARM-based entry level SoC for tablets and smartphones (mostly Android based). It was announced in February 2016 and integrates four 64-Bit Cortex-A53 CPU cores (quad-core) that clock with up to 1.4 GHz. Furthermore, there is a Adreno 308 graphics card, a LPDDR3 memory controller (max. 667 MHz) and wireless radios for WiFi and 4G/LTE included in the chip.

The Cortex-A53 is the successor of the entry level Cortex-A7 CPU cores. The A53 is now capable of 64 Bit (ARMv8-ISA) and adressing more than 4 GB RAM. According to ARM the performance per MHz is a lot better and even surpasses a Cortex-A9 core.

The integrated Adreno 308 ist the integrated graphics card that supports OpenGL ES 3.0.

The integrated wireless radios support WiFi 802.11ac Wave 2, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/GLONASS/Baidou, 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE Cat.4) standards. Futhermore, the SoC is able to decode 1080p videos in H.265 (encode only in H.264) and cameras with up to 13 MP.

The power consumption of the chip is ranging in the lower range, and therefore it is also suited for smaller smartphones. It is manufactured in 28 nm LP at TSMC.