El Samsung Galaxy S4 It was presented as a smartphone that would have an eight-core processor. However, the truth is that this processor was actually two quad-core processors: one of high performance and another low consumption, which work alternatively, but never at the same time. Now, we know that Samsung could use one update for HMP so that both the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 can support simultaneous use of the processors.
All the news comes from the hand of Meizu MX3The company has a smartphone on the market that integrates the same 5 Exynos Octa octa-core processor than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the Samsung Galaxy S4. It should be noted that not all models of these two devices have the octa-core processor. In fact, the Spanish model has the octa-core processor. Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, compatible with 4G LTE networks.
The smartphone that Meizu has with the processor of the South Korean brand, the 5 Exynos Octa, is the MX3, a high-end phone that was going to be launched with that hardware. The Chinese company stated that there is a system, called HMP (heterogeneous multi-processing), which allows multiple processors to work simultaneously, even if they're not identical. This capability could be adapted to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 through an update that enables this option and allows both clusters to be used simultaneously.
big.LITTLE and HMP: what really changes
The Exynos 5 Octa combines four cores Cortex-A15 high performance and four Cortex-A7 high efficiency, under the big.LITTLE philosophy. From the factory, many teams used cluster migration (one cluster or another is activated depending on the load), so all eight cores never worked at the same time. With HMP, the operating system can distribute threads among all available cores, activating from one to eight dynamically.
- Advantages: better multitask, greater response in games and heavy tasks, and finer load distribution to reduce peaks.
- Costs: increase in best before date y temperature, with possible thermal throttling if dissipation is not sufficient.
Models, variants and real compatibility
Not all Galaxy S4 and Note 3 are the same. Those that are equipped 5 Exynos Octa (For example, him GT-I9500 in S4 HSPA+) are those that, in theory, could benefit from the HMP via software. In markets with LTE, the GT-I9505 with Snapdragon 600, which does not apply to this change. There was even a review with Snapdragon 800 y LTE Advanced listed as GT-I9506, detected on Samsung's German website and announced in local press releases, which boosted performance in certain countries.
- Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 (HSPA+, Exynos 5 Octa): HMP candidate.
- Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 (LTE, Snapdragon 600): No impact from HMP.
- Galaxy S4 GT-I9506 (LTE-A, Snapdragon 800): renewal oriented to advanced networks.
- Galaxy Note 3: Exynos and Snapdragon variants; only the former are eligible for HMP.
Official Update? Thermal and Design Limits
Samsung confirmed that its octa-core Exynos was capable of using all eight at once with a patch software. However, it was reported that on Galaxy S4 and Note 3 with Exynos the thermal cover and dissipation would not be prepared to bear that burden, which would hinder a universal official liberation. Result: only new devices With revisions of the Exynos 5 Octa, they would take full advantage of HMP, while in previous models it might not be feasible or be offered with limits to avoid overheating.
In parallel, Samsung advanced a Improved Exynos 5 Octa (Campaign #ExynosEvolved), with frequency increases on the A15 to ~1,6 GHz and on the A7 to ~1,2 GHz, as well as integrated LTE options. It was speculated to debut in the Note family. This reinforces the idea that full HMP is as much software-dependent as it is hardware-based. hardware.
Android updates and collateral improvements
Aside from HMP, there were advances in Android that improved performance and efficiency. Work was done to bring 4.4 Android KitKat to the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 for their memory optimizations, and the arrival of the Android 4.3 to S3 and S4. On the S4 i9500, screenshots of the build were leaked XXUBMA8 and the deployment of 4.4.2 It was produced in stages by country for the i9500, while the i9505 waited a little longer.
- OpenGL 3.0 and better stability.
- Support of Galaxy Gear on Android 4.3.
- Order TRIM, S, Wallet y ANT +.
- White icons in the status bar, better keyboard, quick access to camera from lock and settings in the launcher.
In some markets the deployment of Android 4.3 for Galaxy S3 y Notes 2 was put on hold due to performance issues. There was also talk of a possible renewal of the Active Galaxy S4 with a new processor and to solve problems of impermeability in its casing.
What the user can expect
If your model has Exynos 5 Octa, HMP promises more fluency y better thread management, but with more best before date and potential heat. If it's Snapdragon, it doesn't apply. In any case, Android improvements focused on optimization They arrive via OTA or Samsung KIES gradually. As always, it's a good idea to update when it's available for your region and operator, and consider the impact on range.
While the technical basis exists and Meizu has demonstrated that the HMP approach is viable with the same silicon, actual availability on Galaxy S4 and Note 3 depends on the combination of with , reviews of hardware and thermal limits for each variant. Expectations are high; official rollouts will have to be observed to confirm the extent to which the eight-core usage is activated in these devices.
