Author: Mukund Krishna Kumar

Nokia 2.1 Plus Specs Revealed Through Listing

Sometime back, a Nokia device with the model number TA-1136 was spotted at Bluetooth SIG. At that time, the device was believed to be the Nokia 8.1, which is the international version of the Nokia X7, owing to its Bluetooth 5.0 support. However, the TA-1136 model has now received approval from the FCC in the US and the listing has revealed some of the specifications of the device. The specifications reveal that this is not the Nokia 8.1, but the possibly the Nokia 2.1 Plus.

The Nokia 2.1 was launched earlier this year and offered really attractive features at a low price. The company also claims that the device offers a 2-day battery life.

The addition of the Plus to its name indicates that the phone will sport a larger display. The Nokia 2.1 has a 5.5 inch display, so we can expect something bigger than that. Additionally, the RAM and storage variants listed on the site reveal that it is indeed a successor to the Nokia 2.1. The listing has a phone with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. While the Nokia 2.1 had only 8 GB of storage, the larger storage capacity might owe itself to the Plus moniker.

However, the listing also reveals that the device will not be available in the US. The phone does not have 5 GHz Wi-Fi support, which means that HMD Global will be disabling some of the network bands on the device, causing it to be unavailable in the US.

While the display size and storage options might be different from the Nokia 2.1, as mentioned above, the rest of the specifications on the Nokia 2.1 Plus might remain the same.

Nokia 2.1 Specs

The Nokia 2.1 has a 5.5 inch IPS LCD display with a 1280 x 720 resolution. The display and a 16:9 aspect ratio with a 267 ppi pixel density, along with Gorilla Glass for protection. The phone has an aluminium frame along with a plastic back.

Also Read: Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 With Triple Cameras To Launch Soon

Running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, it has 1 GB of RAM along with 8 GB of internal storage. The storage can be expanded up to 128 GB using a microSD card. The device has an 8 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front facing camera. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and is a part of Google’s Android One Program. Android Go is a custom version of Android built for phones with lower processing abilities. Under the hood, it has a 4,000 mAh battery which gives the device a 2 day battery life claim.

November 14, 2018
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 With Triple Cameras To Launch Soon

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 was launched earlier this year and was a hit in the budget segment. The phone got everything right and put Asus back on track again. It packs a massive 5,000 mAh battery, along with a solid build quality and some stellar features. All this combined, it is a great deal. Naturally, the successor to this phone would be highly anticipated and the latest leak has just added to the excitement. According to sources, the Zenfone Max Pro M2 will sport a triple camera setup on the back.

ASUS ZenFone ZB634KL should launch "SOON" ™. Comes with triple cam setup on rear.

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) November 12, 2018

The feature was made public by Roland Quandt, who is one of the most trustworthy leakers. So we can be sure that this feature will be seen on the upcoming smartphone. He detailed a phone by the name of Asus Zenfone ZB634KL which is set to launch ‘soon’. However, the source did not detail a specific date or time frame, so we do not know when we can expect this device. However, the fact that it will have triple cameras is really interesting. This would make it the first device in the sub-20K category to have triple rear cameras.

While no other specifications regarding the device are available as of now, we can expect it to have similar features to the Zenfone Max Pro M1, if not better. Here are the specifications of the Max Pro M1 for reference.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 has a 5.99 inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone has an aluminium unibody design. Running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, it has 3 GB, 4 GB and 6 GB RAM options. The phone has 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage options which is also expandable up to 256 GB using a microSD card.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S9 Gets A New Ice Blue Gradient Colour

On the rear, it sports a dual 13 MP + 5 MP camera setup. It has an 8 MP front facing camera with flash and bokeh effect. The Zenfone Max Pro M1 packs a massive 5,000 mAh battery and has a fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking the phone.

November 14, 2018
Honor 10 Lite Specs Revealed In Pre-Order Listing

The Honor 10 Lite is an upcoming smartphone by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. While the company has announced that the device will be launching on the 21st of November, a listing has revealed some the specifications of the device.

The Honor 10 Lite is a cheaper alternative to the Honor 10. As the name suggests, the device will be lighter on your pocket and will also have some toned down specs when compared to the Honor 10. Some earlier reports that speculated it is just another rebranded Huawei device. However, it is not so and we will see the launch of a brand new device.

Honor 10 Lite Specs

Listed on Huawei’s on online store and Vmall, some of the specifications of the device have been leaked. These include the fact that it will run on the Kirin 710 chipset. It will also have GPU Turbo pre-installed. GPU Turbo is a technology used by the Chinese manufacturer to ensure that the gaming performance of its devices are boosted, even if it does not have a well performing GPU. Other features include a 5.84 inch LCD display with a 19:9 aspect ratio.

The phone is said to have a dual rear camera setup, which is vertically aligned, as seen in most of the Honor phones these days. No details about the camera specifications are available as of now. The back will also sport a physical fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking the device. It is also expected to have a gradient finish like most of the Honor devices these days.

Also Read : Netflix Updates Its iOS App To Support The New iPad Pro’s Resolution

The device is expected to have a battery with Huawei SuperCharge compatibility. It will run EMUI 9.0 based on Android 9 Pie out of the box, according to reports. The Honor 10 Lite is available for pre-order until its launch date, which is November 21st.

November 13, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9 Gets A New Ice Blue Gradient Colour

Samsung has been experimenting with gradient colours on its mid-range devices. The gradient finish was most recently seen on the quad-camera Galaxy A9. The company, however, did not extend this to its flagship phones. A launch in China, has changed that. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are now available in an Ice Blue gradient finish. The colour option has only been introduced in China as of now, but might make its global debut soon.

The new colour option for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ might be to warm up the market to introduce the upcoming flagship from Samsung. This move from Samsung reflects their latest findings. According to Samsung’s design labs, gradient colours are a major market trend for this year. This might have prompted the company to adapt this strategy with its mid-range phones as well. And might now spill over to its flagship devices.

Galaxy S9 Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display while the Galaxy S9+ has a 6.2 inch Super AMOLED display. Both the phones have a 2960 x 1440 px display resolution. While the S9 has a 570 ppi pixel density, the S9+ has a 529 ppi pixel density. Both the phones have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.

Running on the Exynos 9810, the S9 has 4 GB of RAM and and the S9+ has 6 GB of RAM. The devices have 64 GB and 256 GB memory options, which can be expanded up to 400 GB via a microSD card. The phones run on Android 8.1 Oreo and will soon receive the Android 9 Pie update. The devices have a 12 MP dual camera setup and an 8 MP front facing camera.

Also Read: Galaxy S10 Lite Pricing & Specs Leaked

Customers in China will be able to purchase the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in the Ice Blue colour variant starting 14 November in China. The Ice Blue S9 costs $790 and the S9+ costs $930.

November 13, 2018
Social Media Use Increases Depression And Loneliness, According To Study

Around a month back, the World Mental Health Day was celebrated. It laid emphasis on the importance of mental health, especially in today’s world. The emphasis in today’s world is due to the fact that increasing exposure to certain technology has in fact resulted in people becoming more distant from each other. While these were just speculations until now, a study now backs up this claim. The study proves that a relation exists between social media use and increased depression and loneliness.

The Study

The study was conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and for the first time, did not place the users in unrealistic situations. Earlier studies were done in laboratory conditions, were data was collected during short spans of time. Which were sometimes even within a duration of one hour. During these studies, users were sometimes not even using social media platforms like Facebook and mostly relied on self-reported data.

The study conducted now, aimed at a more comprehensive and rigorous approach towards the issue. The study included three of the most used social media platforms, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. The participants of the survey, which were around 140, recorded their mood. This was done both before and after using these social media platforms. They also share screenshots of their iPhone battery information to see how many hours a day they used the social media apps. They were then split into two groups. One group was allowed to consume the same amount of social media every day, while the other group had their share reduced to 10 minutes, per platform, per day.

The Findings

Based on the data received from the above, they identified seven major problems among the participants. These include the fear of missing out, anxiety, depression and loneliness, among others. The result of the survey was as stated, the fact that more social media exposure led to more mental health issues. The researchers even went further to say that they believe anyone between the age of 18-22 should stop using social media altogether.

Also Read: A Brain-Like SuperComputer With 1 Million Processors Is Here

The researches suggest that one stays away from social media as much as possible. And should spend more time with people in their lives. The awareness about the same is on the rise. Google has introduced its Digital Wellness program which ensures that you spend more quality time with those around you. This program is big in all google devices and some features are present in almost all Android smartphones. Apple also introduced certain parameters to limit the time you use a certain app in a day, with its latest updates.

November 13, 2018
Apple’s New Patent Show’s Off An In-Display Camera

With the notch being present on two generations of iPhones, everyone was wondering as to what will be Apple’s next step towards a bezel-less display. Well, we might have the answer now. A patent, filed by Apple back in June, has finally been approved. The patent shows a smartphone with just a camera cut-out in the display.

The Bezel-Less Future

Apple isn’t the first company to patent such a design, though. This was seen in patents by Samsung, LG and even Asus. Huawei recently patented a design with just a cut-out for the earpiece. While these designs were only limited to smartphones, the patent by Apple seems to have much more.

The patent describes a method with which a camera window can be integrated with the ‘cover glass’. Obviously the cover glass being referred to here is the display. Additionally it mentions only LCD displays as an example. This may not mean that OLED displays are completely eliminated. But, we can expect that the technology might be restricted to just LCD displays as of now.

It is possible that Apple may just introduce it in its 6.1 inch LCD iPhone coming next year. Which might be the successor to the iPhone XR. However, there is also a possibility that the tech giant won’t hold back. It might ensure that its flagship devices carry the latest design language as well. Considering the fact that the patent was filed back in June, the company might have figured out a way to integrate it into OLED displays as well.

Not Just iPhones

Another interesting bit of information we get from the patent is the fact that it mentions not only mobile phones but also other hand held devices. These include larger devices such as portable computers, tablet commuters, etc. This could mean that Apple might not limit this design to only the iPhones. It might extend it to iPads, MacBooks and iMacs as well. This is quite probable as Apple introduced a totally new design language with the latest iPad Pro.

Also Read: OnePlus 6T Thunder Purple Variant To Launch In India On November 16

Whether this patent will be seen through and will give us a device which goes into production is still a huge question. But, considering the pace at which the smartphone industry is moving forward, it is safe to assume that companies will no longer hold back on any innovations they have.

For those of you interested in reading through each and every detail of the patent, you can do so by clicking here.

November 13, 2018
Nokia 8.1 To Launch In India This Month At Rs 23,999

The Nokia 8.1 will launch in India this month itself, according to a report. The report also claims that the Nokia 8.1 is the global variant of the Nokia X7 which was launched in China recently. However, there is no word on the global launch of the device as yet. But the source claims that it has got to know through retail sources that the device might launch in India on the 28th of November. What’s more. the retail source also claims that the device will be priced at Rs 23,999.

Nokia 8.1

Earlier reports had suggested that the Nokia 8.1 is a completely new device. This report says that it is the global variant of the Nokia X7. While most expected the X7 to be launched as the Nokia 7.1 Plus, it now seems like that will not be the case.

The Nokia X7 has a 6.18 inch FHD+ LCD display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. The phone has a notch on the display and sports a chin at the bottom with the Nokia branding on it. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC. With the Adreno 616 GPU. The device has 4 GB RAM and 6 GB RAM variants. It also has 64 GB and 128 GB storage options, which can be expanded up to 400 GB via a microSD card.

Under the hood, it packs a 3,500 mAh battery with fast charging support. It has a dual rear camera setup with 12 MP + 13 MP sensors. The front camera has a 20 MP sensor. The device runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and a 3.5 mm jack along with a USB Type-C port for charging. The device also has a rear mounted fingerprint sensor for securely unlocking the phone.

Also Read: OnePlus 6T Thunder Purple Variant To Launch In India On November 16

While it is still not clear as to whether we will see a completely new device or just the X7 under a new name, the news it still every bit exciting. You can read about the rumoured Nokia 8.1 here.

November 12, 2018
OnePlus 6T Thunder Purple Variant To Launch In India On November 16

The OnePlus 6T Thunder Purple edition was teased by the company earlier today and now the official date for the release is out. The Thunder Purple OnePlus 6T will be available in India starting November 16th. The smartphone will be available on Amazon.in and OnePlus.in starting 2 PM. It will be available in exclusive offline stores starting 11 AM on the same day. These stores include Croma outlets, Reliance Digital stores and all OnePlus exclusive stores. The device will be available in an 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant and will cost Rs 41,999.

OnePlus 6T Thunder Purple Specifications

The OnePlus 6T has sports a large, 6.41 inch AMOLED display. It has a water-drop notch on its display, giving it more screen real estate than its predecessor. The display has a 2340 x 1080 px resolution with a 19:5:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 402 ppi. The display has Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection against scratches and falls.

The biggest highlight on the OnePlus 6T is its in-display fingerprint sensor. this is the fourth generation of in-display fingerprint sensors and is one of the most advanced and fastest scanners, when compared to other devices with the same feature.

The phone runs Oxygen OS based on Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. Under the hood, it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and has 8 GB of RAM along with 128 GB of storage. The phone, however lacks a headphone jack and does not have memory expandability.

On the back, it sports a dual rear camera setup, which is the same as the OnePlus 6. It has a 16 MP + 20 MP primary camera and a 16 MP front camera, but does offer a lot of software improvements on the camera. The device has a 3,700 mAh battery and supports Dash Charge for faster charging speeds.

The 6T features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and a USB Type-C port fro connectivity. As mentioned before, it will be available both offline and online starting 16th November. The Thunder Purple OnePlus 6T will be available in an 8GB + 128 GB variant for a price of Rs 41,999.

You can also watch our video below:

November 12, 2018
Xiaomi Launches MIJA Air Quality Detector

MIJA, a sub-brand of Xiaomi has launched an Air Quality Detector. This detector is a part of Xiaomi’s smart home ecosystem. Xiaomi has previously launched an air purifier as well. With a growing need for such products in cities across the world, the Chinese tech giant is expanding its portfolio in this segment. The detector is available only in China as of now.

The Air Quality Detector

The MIJA Air Quality Detector has 5 parameters which it follows for air pollution detection. These include PM 2.5, TVOCs, Carbon Dioxide, humidity and temperature. With this, it not only tells you about the quality of the air. But also about the temperature and humidity levels in your surroundings. Most of us are familiar with PM 2.5, which is a scale to measure the atmospheric particulate matter that have a diameter less than 2.5 micrometer. TVOCs refer to Total Volatile Organic Compounds, which includes a group of chemical compounds including natural gas.

To display the information, it has a 3.97 inch touchscreen display with a 400 x 800 px resolution. The device is paired to your smartphone using the MIJA app. After pairing it with your phone, you can then synchronise it to other smart home devices. Such as the Mi Air Purifier or Mi Humidifier.

Also Read: Smartphones To Scooters; Xiaomi’s Ever Expanding Portfolio

As of now, the device has been launched in China at a price of RMB 399, which is around Rs 4,200. The Air Quality Detector is available online via Xiaomi Mall, Xiaomi Youpin and Tmall. With the addition of this device to the Xiaomi ecosystem, the company is launching more and more products which are becoming essential to our lifestyles. From toothbrushes to cameras to smartphones, it is slowly building itself to be one of the most prevalent brands in our homes.

November 12, 2018
A Brain-Like SuperComputer With 1 Million Processors Is Here

Having taken up more than 15 Million Euros, 20 years of conception and more than 10 years of construction, the world’s largest brain-like supercomputer has finally got its final coprocessor, making it ready to be switched on. The machine just got its one-millionth processor. While the majority of its contributions will be towards science. It can also help assistants like Alexa and Siri better understand accents among different human beings.

Named the Spiking Neural Network Architecture or SpiNNaker for short. The supercomputer is capable of completing more than 200 million actions per second. Additionally, each of its chips has a 100 million transistors. The machine has been designed and developed by the School Of Computer Science at the University of Manchester and can model more biological neutrons than any other machine, in real time.

The Science Behind All The Processors

To understand how this supercomputer works, we just need to understand how the human brain works. The human brain sends out a series of messages through an intricate network of parallel communication architecture. computers on the other hand, send chunks of information from Point A to Point B, no matter how large the information is. The SpiNNaker on the other hand, mimics the brain and uses a number of parallel connections to simultaneously send billions of small bits of information to different destinations.

By doing so, the supercomputer ends up mimicking the billions of biological neurons present in the brain. The brain uses a spikes of electro chemical-energy to send this information across. The SpiNNaker uses large scale systems with electronic circuits to mimc the spikes seen as seen in the human brain.

Also Read: Standalone Alexa App For Windows 10 Launched

The ultimate objective of the team is to make sure that they can mimic the entirety of the human brain. To put things in perspective, the 1 Million processor supercomputer can just mimic 1% of the brain. The supercomputer can then help scientists to better understand how the human brain works and the process it goes through. This will be a huge boost for neuroscience. On the technology front, the supercomputer can be used to help Alexa and Siri better understand human accents and how we interact with machines.

November 12, 2018
BattleField 1 Players Observed Cease Fire In Honour Of World War I

November 11th, 2018 marked the centenary of the end of World War I or the Great War as we know it. The end was brought about by an armistice which was signed between the Allies and the German powers which ended the fighting on the western front. The treaty of Versailles, which came into effect an year later, officially ended all aspects of the war. People all over the world paid their respects to the lives lost in the war. So did players of Battlefield I, in a certain online match.

The ‘Armistice’

At exactly 11 AM Melbourne time, the two sides playing Battlefield I came to a stop after an unofficial ‘truce’ was called. Battlefield I is based on World War I itself, so a homage like this is the perfect setting. Also adding to it was the exact timing. The armistice was called on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, back in 1918. Realising that he is a part of a historical moment in the game, one player recorded this magnificent sight.

However, the peace was unfortunately short-lived as a biplane swooped down and started bombing troops. This was followed by a player stabbing the very person who was recording the entire episode. This was an unfortunate end to a beautiful moment. Fortunately this was not how it unfolded in reality, back in 1918.

Also Read: Top Free Games To Play On The PlayStation 4

The user who had backstabbed the player, later popped up on a reddit thread and apologised for the act. World War I was one of the biggest loss of human lives ever seen. However, it did shape a lot in the gaming community. Numerous games are based on the Great War and real incidents from the war have made up for thrilling episodes in the games.

November 12, 2018
Samsung’s New Mid-Range ‘Galaxy M’ Series Leaked

Earlier reports had suggested that the Samsung will combine its Galaxy J, Galaxy C and Galaxy On series into a single ‘Galaxy M’ series. The M series is set to be the new mid-range series from Samsung. It might focus on producing more value-for-money phones. This move from Samsung comes in the wake of cut-throat competition from Chinese manufacturers who are hurting the Korean giant’s smartphone sales big time, especially in South Asia.

The New Galaxy M

Now, a leak ‘confirms’ that two devices from this series are on the way. Bearing the model numbers SM-M205F and SM-M305F, they have been dubbed the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M30. The leak also suggest that there are many more Galaxy M devices on the way. The source also claims to know the storage variants of the devices. The SM-M205F has 32 GB and 64 GB storage variants while the SM-M305F has 64 GB and 128 GB variants. Both the devices have dual SIM variants, while some countries might see the launch of single SIM variants as well.

Another recent report also suggests that the devices will not have AMOLED panels and will instead carry LCD panels. The inclusion of LCD panels will ensure that Samsung can keep the prices of these models down and focus on providing more features. The fact that Samsung mid-range phones lacked attractive specs was a huge complaint from consumers in the past. The tech giant maybe looking to change that by cutting corners in areas such as the display.

Also read: Samsung To Launch The Next Exynos SoC on November 14

One UI

Samsung had recently showcased the One UI for its devices at the Samsung Developer Conference. The One UI seems to be a great improvement over Samsung’s present UI which can be bit confusing and tedious to use. The company has announced that its latest flagships will be getting the new UI. We can only hope that they extend its reach to these mid-range phones as well.

November 12, 2018
Amazon To Start Selling iPhones & iPads In Several Regions, Including India

Amazon has officially announced that it will be selling more Apple products on its website. This will be done when the holiday season starts. The move reflects on how important e-commerce platforms like Amazon are becoming, even for brands such as Apple.

Earlier, Amazon only sold limited items from Apple’s inventory such as Mac computers and Beats headphones. Since Apple offers direct competition to the e-commerce giant with some consumer products, the companies always has their differences. Some issues also rose over Apple not adopting Amazon apps into its devices, which saw its resolution later. Now, the e-commerce giant will sell the latest iPhones, iPads and the Apple Watch 4 in select regions. These include the United States, Europe, Japan and most importantly, India. The company is already stocking up the devices, so that they are available in plenty in the coming weeks. The Apple products will now be available exclusively on the Apple Amazon page.

It’s Not All Additive

The move also resulted in the elimination of third-party and unauthorised sellers who sell Apple products on Amazon. However, third party accessories supporting Apple devices will be found on the website. Only third- party sellers retailing Apple products will no longer be present .

The list of products will however not include the Apple HomePod, as it is a direct competition to the Alexa Powered Speakers offered by Amazon. The reasons for a stand-off between these tech giants are never-ending, but this seems to be a promising move towards a better future for consumers. As most of the consumers prefer to buy products from e-commerce websites, this is a welcome step.

Apple has said that they will continue to work to improve the experience for Apple customers on Amazon and are looking forward to customers having ‘another great way’ to buy their products. A notable statistic is the fact that about 71% of Apple’s sales in 2018 came through distribution channels such as Amazon.

November 10, 2018
Samsung Launches W2019 Flip Phone With Dual Super AMOLED Displays

Samsung has finally announced its flagship flip phone, the W2019. The smartphone has two AMOLED displays. The second screen features navigation keys as well, so that you can use the phone without having to open it. Though it is a flip phone, it has flagship specifications. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and has 6 GB of RAM. The phone will only retail in China as of now.

Specifications

The W2019 is the latest in the line of flagship flip phones launched in China by Samsung. While it may be a flip phone, it is crafted with premium materials. It is made from anodised diamond-cut aluminium and glass. Although the build of the phone shows off a retro design, the internals surely set it apart. The W2019 has two 4.2 inch Super AMOLED displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1920 x 1080 resolution. The phone runs on the Snapdragon 845 SoC with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB / 256 GB storage options.

On the back, it houses a camera setup which is the same as the Galaxy S9+. This consists of a 12 MP sensor with dual f/1.5- f/2.4 aperture and a second, telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. The front camera is a 8 MP sensor with f/2.0.

Under the hood, it packs a 3,070 mAh battery with a USB Type-C connector for charging. It has a side-mounted finger print sensor, seen on most Samsung phones these days, and is pretty convenient.

The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. The W2019 also has a dedicated Bixby button to activate the Virtual Assistant directly.

What’s More

Another huge aspect of the phone, quite literally, is the thickness, which is 17.3 mm when the phone is closed. While this is unheard of in smartphones these days, one must keep in mind the fact that this is a clamshell flip phone and not your every day device.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ To Get Android 9 Pie Based On One UI

That being said, the smartphone does have a huge fan following in China, despite its high price bracket. While nothing has been mentioned about the price and availability of the device, we can expect it to be somewhere upwards of the $ 2000 mark, considering the price of its predecessors.

November 10, 2018
Kirin 990 SoC To Debut Early Next Year With 5G Modem

The Kirin 980 was unveiled by Huawei earlier this year. It is the only Android Chipset made using the 7nm manufacturing process in the market right now. The chipset is seen on the flagship devices like the Mate 20 series and the Honor Magic 2. Now, new reports suggest that a successor to the processor is set to launch soon, named the Kirin 990. The Kirin 990 will most probably have the same 7nm manufacturing process as the 980. But will have 5G support as well.

What’s New

While the manufacturing process remains the same, this does not mean that the 990 can’t be any better than the 980. Sources say that the Kirin 990 will consume upto 10% lesser battery and offer more than 10% improvements in performance. The chipset is reportedly under testing already and the company will make it official in Q1 of 2019.

In terms of 5G connectivity, the chipset might arrive with the Balong 5000 modem. 5G is the next big thing in the smartphone industry with almost all major manufacturers rushing towards it. Xiaomi and OnePlus have already announced their 5G compatible phones which will be out next year. Other manufacturers are also jumping on to the bandwagon with Qualcomm already having developed modems for the same. However, Apple only plans to launch 5G devices in 2020. As they are waiting for the proper infrastructure for the same to be developed soon.

Also Read: Latest Google Findings Reveal Dark Mode Consumes 63% Less Battery

Additionally, other industry sources claim that the testing of the Kirin 990 chipset is already under way. According to them, the cost of testing the chipset is also very high, with each test costing around 200 million Yuan. While the chipset maybe announced soon, it is highly unlikely that it will enter production at the time. The Kirin 980 was recently announced and has made its way to only a handful of phones. Huawei will make sure that the Kirin 980 is present in a good number of devices, before pushing out the Kirin 990.

November 9, 2018