What is an SoC?

There is a part of every smartphone that is crucial to its operation. Without this part, nothing would work. Yet it seems many people do not know of its existence. This part is called the SoC. SoC? Yes. So what is an SoC?

An SoC is short for system on a chip. A System on a Chip is type of processor (used for smartphones) that has a lot of CPUs and ICs on board. It is the brain of the smartphone. A SoC is a lot more functional than a CPU because it can do many things at once, whilst CPUs can only do one thing at a time.

Parts of an SoC

An SoC is made up of several CPUs and ICs that can carry out several different tasks. Now whilst these CPUs do different things, they all work together seamlessly to enable that your smartphone runs well..

The major parts of an SoC that you should know about include:

• CPU cores
• GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
• ISP (Image Signal Processor)
• AI /Machine learning core
• Modem/RF radios
• Display chip
• interfaces etc.

Functions of an SoC

We just learned earlier that an SoC has different parts that carry out different functions. These functions include but are not limited to:

Performance: refers to the processing speed/ability of an SoC. This means how well the phone can open apps, play games, how smooth the phone is etc. This task is usually done by the CPU cores and the GPU. If you get a phone with an SoC that has decent CPU cores and GPU, you are going to enjoy using that device. However, if you get a phone with a terrible SoC that has weak CPU cores and GPU, your experience is going to be bad. The phone would be really slow, would lag, hang and be unable to open apps or play games.

Photography/videography: When you take pictures with your phone, even though it is the camera that captures the image, the pictures have to be processed before they appear on your screen. The same thing can also be said about videos too. This is where the ISP comes in. The ISP processes every image and video that you snap or shoot on your phone. The type of ISP (on your SoC) will usually determine the quality of photos and videos that you can produce with your smartphone.

Artificial Intelligence/Machine learning: most midrange and high end SoCs have an AI or Machine learning core on board. This helps your phone to learn about your habits and adjust its functions accordingly. The AI/machine learning unit also helps your smartphone to process images and videos as well.

Modem/RF radios: are chips that contain radio antennas and receivers. They are used to send and receive signals from a wireless network. Our smartphones are communication devices that need to connect wirelessly to a network. This is main task of the modems. They help our phones connect wirelessly to the cell towers all around us. This is how we are able to make calls, send and receive SMS, connect to the internet, stream Spotify and Netflix, play online games etc. Without this connection, our phones would be useless. Other connections that our modems can do include Bluetooth and WiFi connections etc.

Display chip: A display chip helps to connect the SoC to the display (screen) of a smartphone.

Types of SoCs

There are a lot of SoCs in the market today and their sheer numbers can be very overwhelming. To simplify them, we can classify SoCs based on 2 criteria:

• Ability
• Brand

Ability

The ability of an SoC refers to how powerful or how weak it is. To this end, SoCs are divided into three main tiers in order of strength/ability. These are the entry level, midrange and flagship (high end).

The entry level refers to the weakest SoCs on the market. These SoC usually have weak to average performance. Examples include the Unisoc T606, Helio G37, Exynos 850 etc.

The midrange is where you would find most mainstream SoCs. These SoCs offer decent performance, not just with apps and games, but also with photography, videography and augmented reality. Examples include Helio G85, G88, G95, G96, Snapdragon 680, 685, 732G etc.

The flagship is where you would find the very best SoCs available in the market today. These SoCs will give you the best of everything. Examples include Apple Bionic A16, A15, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8 Gen 1, Dimensity 9200, 9000+ etc.

Brand

We can also classify SoCs by the companies that designed and made them. The following companies make SoCs for smartphones.

Conclusion

SoCs have gotten better over the last decade and have allowed us to do so much with our phones. However, it is important to note that it is the type of SoC on your phone that will determine what it can do. Hence before you part with your money, check for the SoC that is on the phone.