Samsung's Exynos range of processors have long been used in the South Korean manufacturer's flagship devices. Now it has added a new chipset to the lineup that caters to the mid-range market of smartphones - the Exynos 7 Octa 7870.

This latest offering makes use of Samsung's 14-nanometre (nm) technology, the most advanced it has produced to date, according to the company. As such, Samsung says it is designed for use in the 'next-generation' of mid-range smartphones. Whether or not that will include devices released in the first half of 2016 is unclear, but with mid-range smartphones like the Galaxy A5 (review) likely due for an upgrade, it seems like a very suitable candidate to sport the new chipset.

The Exynos 7 Octa 7870 is equipped with eight cores, clocking at an estimated 1.6 GHz. Furthermore, it will be capable of facilitating LTE signal, specifically the Cat.6 2CA modem, which also supports up to 300 Mbps download speeds. Added to this is up to 1080p at 60fps video playback and 1920x1080 display resolution.

Having strengthened its position within the 14nm SoC (System on Chip) space last year, with the introduction of the Exynos 8 Octa 8890 for high-spec smartphones, this latest addition will give Samsung a player at lower price points. To that end, Samsung has a potential rival to Qualcomm's lineup of chips, namely their Snapdragon 600 and 400 offerings.