OPPO’s INNO Day event kicked off earlier today with the news that the smartphone brand has developed a new imaging chip that will enhance the photography and video-making abilities of the upcoming Find X4 series. Dubbed the MariSilicon X, the chip combines an advanced Neural Processing Unit (NPU), Image Signal Processor (ISP), and features multi-tier memory architecture.
Built on the 6nm process technology, the MariSilicon X chip will allow for increased power efficiencies while making real-time RAW processing possible to capture a 4K AI Night Video with a live preview. Able to compute up to 18 trillion operations per second (TOPS), the chip has a power efficiency of 11.6 TOPS per watt which means it won’t drain the battery.
Jiang Bo, OPPO’s Senior Director said of the MariSilicon X:
“With more than a decade of experience in pushing the boundaries of image technology, OPPO has been behind some of the biggest innovations in the industry when it comes to camera modules, lenses, and algorithms. Our new cutting-edge imaging NPU is the biggest leap we’ve taken so far, which brings more power to mobile imaging systems and will create an extraordinary experience for our users.”
With OPPO’s AI Noise Reduction Algorithm, the MariSilicon X chip can achieve up to 20x faster performance when compared with last year’s Find X3 Pro flagship. In terms of what it does, the chip supports the separation and fusion of RGB and White signals to improve signal-to-noise ratio thanks to the Dual Image Pipeline and double raw super sampling technologies. The 4K AI HDR Night Video function brings greater dynamic range and better color reproduction, allowing each individual frame to look as good as a still image.
Bear in mind that the MariSilicon X is an imaging chip, and thus complementary to the actual processor that powers the upcoming Find X4 series which will probably be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. We are expecting the Find X4 series to be announced sometime during Q1 of 2022.
