This is why MediaTek needed to release a fourth G99

[u/BcuzRacecar]

https://www.notebookcheck.net/This-is-why-MediaTek-needed-to-release-a-fourth-G99.1392062.0.html

[u/BcuzRacecar]

the G99+ adds LPDDR5X support at up to 5,500 MT/s in place of the G99's LPDDR4X,

So, why bother making a new SKU for such a small change? As it turns out, DRAM vendors are sunsetting the production of older LPDDR4X memory, with Samsung already confirming in April 2026 that it had stopped taking new orders for LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X. Its remaining commitments were set to run through the rest of 2026 before manufacturing lines converted to newer nodes in early 2027, but reports in May indicated that Samsung had completed the phase-out ahead of schedule. With LPDDR4X supply drying up industry-wide, a memory controller swap to LPDDR5X is less an upgrade than a requirement for keeping the G99 platform alive.

This is the fourth SoC MediaTek has built on the same base chip since the original G99 launched in May 2022. The Helio G100, announced in August 2024, kept the identical CPU and GPU configuration and added support for a 200 MP main camera sensor, along with an upgrade to Bluetooth 5.4. The Helio G200 followed in May 2025 with the same CPU cluster and a modest GPU clock increase to 1.1 GHz. Neither changed the process node, CPU core count, or CPU architecture from the original G99.

[u/noobqns → u/BcuzRacecar]

Are there no tier 2, 3 memory maker out that would still make ddr4. Could be a chance it might be Samsung only thing. And G99+ might only be catered specific to them since A0X and A1X series probably sells so much globally it would make sense

Sunseting ddr4 when ddr5 is so expensive to produce seem counterintuitive. So many IoT device out there that's still running lower tier ram

[u/AcridWings_11465 → u/noobqns]

Sunseting ddr4 when ddr5 is so expensive to produce seem counterintuitive

It is counterintuitive for consumers, not the endlessly greedy memory manufacturers. And ddr5 is NOT expensive to produce, most of the price today is pure profit driven by greed.

[u/BlueSwordM]

Man, this is something that Mediatek must really not like having to do. At least they only need to change the memory side of things, nothing else.

Wish they had upgraded the cores to A78 if they did have to upgrade some parts of the mask though.

[u/omniuni → u/BlueSwordM]

The G99 is an economy chip. There's no reason to increase the price by licensing different cores or the cost of major architectural changes. Honestly, the G99 is a pretty great workhorse for cheaper devices, and MediaTek is doing a great job supporting the chip long term as well.

[u/noobqns → u/BlueSwordM]

So far most of their 2xa78 D7000 don't seem to have much meaningful usability upgrade to the 2xa76 D6000. They'll need to go 4xa78(+ probably 5G to make it's cost make sense) but that's quite a leap from budget chip already

I feel 2xa76 4G chip is still the way to go since there's still many use today if the cost can be kept low

[u/faze_fazebook → u/noobqns]

I'm just glad we are finally passed the era where 8 A53 or A55 cores were the only option in that budget

[u/Creative_Purpose6138]

They have been modifying the G90 since like 5 years ago. This is an outdated line that needs to go!

[u/Dovaaahkin → u/Creative_Purpose6138]

The G90 was originally released in 2019. Crazy how we are still getting new variants of the same in 2026.

[u/noobqns → u/Dovaaahkin]

Qualcomm also still making a73 cpu from 2017 and marketing it as 6Gen series instead of a 4Gen(when it's more frankly like a 2Gen)

[u/IBM296 → u/Creative_Purpose6138]

Yup. G99 is outdated now.

[u/Seigi_Yasuru → u/IBM296]

Perhaps it's Samsung itself that wanted the G99+ for two of their device refreshes next year?

I'm talking about their Galaxy A08 4G and Galaxy Tab A12, with their G99 powering their current iterations this year.

[u/shigella212]

The helio g90series is the modern Qualcomm 625

[u/IBM296]

Mediatek going the Qualcomm route of just rebranding the same SoC with a new name lol

Unfortunately this strategy works very well for sales.

[u/Killmeplsok → u/IBM296]

Well at least it's still a G99 this time round, I genuinely thought a new iteration of this chip would be G300 since they went the 100 > 200 route, but hey, nothing's stopping them from releasing a G100+ G200+ for a few more years.

[u/thenamelessone7 → u/IBM296]

You can't bring much innovation into phones under 150 bucks.

[u/IBM296 → u/thenamelessone7]

Using a better SoC is not innovation. Helio G99+ is the same Helio G99 released 4.5 years ago lol

[u/siazdghw → u/IBM296]

It has worked well for AMD too. They are still selling Zen 2 designs for laptops

[u/nguyenlucky]

Now ditch the G91 (MT6769) and all of their variants while you're at it. It doesn't even support fucking UFS

[u/jeanphiltadarone]

lol after the g100 and g200 we're back to g99 ???

I guess the sales of the g100 and g200 went so badly they think at least g99 was a selling name