Is it really worth to buy MediaTek processor phones?

_prabhat

Journeyman
Hi,

I bought my first Android phone,XOLO Q700 last year because it was cheap. Though phone did not give me any problem yet after one and half year, but does not have much custom ROM support. I was under impression that XOLO is not releasing kernel source. But after doing some research, I came to know that MediaTek do not share kernel source ( source Why Mediatek don't share source code, and why they should! - Gizchina.com | Gizchina.com and Petition · Kernel Source of XOLO Q700/Q700i · Change.org ). I also read few more articles like 6 things you should pay attention when buying a cheap phone . Xiaomi is going to launch Redmi Note in India later this month which has MediaTek processor (though they also have Snapdragon processor model also but I think in India they will release MediaTek model). I was thinking of buying Xiaomi Note. But now when I came to know problems with MediaTek not releaseing kernel source, I have apprehension to buy any MediaTek Processor phone. So my question is, is it really worth to buy MeidaTek processor phones?
 

AndroidFan

Peak Oil is real!
Hi,

I bought my first Android phone,XOLO Q700 last year because it was cheap. Though phone did not give me any problem yet after one and half year, but does not have much custom ROM support. I was under impression that XOLO is not releasing kernel source. But after doing some research, I came to know that MediaTek do not share kernel source ( source Why Mediatek don't share source code, and why they should! - Gizchina.com | Gizchina.com and Petition · Kernel Source of XOLO Q700/Q700i · Change.org ). I also read few more articles like 6 things you should pay attention when buying a cheap phone . Xiaomi is going to launch Redmi Note in India later this month which has MediaTek processor (though they also have Snapdragon processor model also but I think in India they will release MediaTek model). I was thinking of buying Xiaomi Note. But now when I came to know problems with MediaTek not releaseing kernel source, I have apprehension to buy any MediaTek Processor phone. So my question is, is it really worth to buy MeidaTek processor phones?

Yes, MediaTek does not release kernel sources. I have read that Mediatek has bad developers and their kernel sources are ****, which is the reason for their inefficiency. But if the phone is cheap, you can forgo updates. Never buy an expensive phone based on MediaTek chipset.

BTW, Google's Android One phones run on Mediatek MT6582 SOC. So, it is possible that Mediatek will release their kernel sources for updates some time in the future...
 
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_prabhat

Journeyman
Yes, MediaTek does not release kernel sources. I have read that Mediatek has bad developers and their kernel sources are ****, which is the reason for their inefficiency. But if the phone is cheap, you can forgo updates. Never buy an expensive phone based on MediaTek chipset.

BTW, Google's Android One phones run on Mediatek MT6582 SOC. So, it is possible that Mediatek will release their kernel sources for updates some time in the future...

According to Why Mediatek don't share source code, and why they should! - Gizchina.com | Gizchina.com this article,
Mediatek will happily release the source code for their processors but at a price (which is against the GPL policies Android is distributed under). You can contact Mediatek now and pay for a license for your chip, but how many thousands of $ would they ask we don’t know, and the fact is it should be free.
So they will release kernel sources if company pays them or they have some business advantage in it. For Android one they may release kernel sources if Google has made agreement with them, otherwise it will be same old story, they won't release kernel sources.
 

amjath

Human Spambot
If you want a phone with good custom ROM support stay away from exynos and mediatek. About huawei's new processor it is early to predict. Snapdragon is way to go
 
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_prabhat

Journeyman
^^ I agree. I wish I knew this last year. I think MediaTek doesn't have control over source of Android. But they do not release device drivers of their SoC under GPL. So the driver sources are not released for general public. Cheap processors with cheap business policies completely against OpenSource on which Android is based. So it is misleading for the people who thinks that everything in Android phone is OpenSource. Android OS may be OpenSource but the device drivers in the phone may not be OpenSource if it is CHEAP MediaTek.

But iPhone 6 has Mediatek processors.
iPhone does not need custom ROM support.
 
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Minion

Conversation Architect
^^ I agree. I wish I knew this last year. I think MediaTek doesn't have control over source of Android. But they do not release device drivers of their SoC under GPL. So the driver sources are not released for general public. Cheap processors with cheap business policies completely against OpenSource on which Android is based. So it is misleading for the people who thinks that everything in Android phone is OpenSource. Android OS may be OpenSource but the device drivers in the phone may not be OpenSource if it is CHEAP MediaTek.

I will ask you one question when did you bought your Xolo Q700 and for how much?I bet at that time no other good alternatives are available.Qualcomm release their Snapdragon 200 recently before that there was not any low end chip from qualcomm and phone with qualcomm cost 15k upwards.

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What.It doesnt have mtk

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Under 10k it's fine.But now with Redmi 1s,Zenfone series it really doesn't make sense to buy a mtk device anymore

Calm down buddy.Intel even has app compatibility problem some apps simply don't run.
 

kamikaz

Ambassador of Buzz
Well if you plan to play around with roms and all you can forget about mediatek except for android one, for which I think they have released the sources already

The newer gen mediatek is catching up with other soc in terms of performance though, check out the meizu mx4, gorgeous phone, handling 4k videos is apiece of cake for it (playback)
The Lenovo vibe z2 is going to be another phone based on the same soc
They seem to have fixed most of the issues that plagued their previous iteirations
 

Desmond

Destroy Erase Improve
Staff member
Admin
What.It doesnt have mtk

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Under 10k it's fine.But now with Redmi 1s,Zenfone series it really doesn't make sense to buy a mtk device anymore

Ok. Just looked it up. It's TSMC, not Mediatek. I got confused.
 
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_prabhat

Journeyman
^^ Snapdragon

Here is one more discusssion Mediatek requires a Linux Kernel Source License Fee : Android

Have You Paid Your Linux Kernel Source License Fee? - XDA Forums
 
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_prabhat

Journeyman
Got reply from XOLO who says we are legally bound with our chipset partner, this is why we can not release sources. So won't buy MediaTek phones in future even though they are cheap.
 

SaiyanGoku

kamehameha!!
That is a very interesting question which is quite in favor of MediaTek atleast in 2018. The chipset manufacturer in 2018 has launched the Helio P 60, which came along with Oppo F7 recently. The AI backed perfect amalgamation of innovation and cost effect price make both the chipset and the phone more desirable.

After reading the sentence in bold, I just puked. AI is just a buzzword OEMs are throwing at customers (like PC component makers are using VR-Ready). F7 is an overpriced piece of crap.

PS: Don't go on bumping every dead mediatek related thread on the forum.
 

Nerevarine

Incarnate
That is a very interesting question which is quite in favor of MediaTek atleast in 2018. The chipset manufacturer in 2018 has launched the Helio P 60, which came along with Oppo F7 recently. The AI backed perfect amalgamation of innovation and cost effect price make both the chipset and the phone more desirable.
How about No.
 

Zangetsu

I am the master of my Fate.
Its not worth to buy Mediatek phones, and those who buy it don't have any idea about Rooting, Custom ROM, kernel source etc.
 
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