Huawei unveiled its latest Kirin 990 flagship chipset during IFA in Berlin. The company said the new chipset is faster, more versatile and energy efficient than its predecessor, the Kirin 980. There will also be a version of the Kirin 990 with a built-in 5G modem, making it the first SoC that will be able to cope with the next generation of mobile networks, the company said.
The 5G version of the Kirin 990 has a fully integrated 5G modem, which means it takes 32 percent less space than processors using a separate modem. Huawei says it can perform up to 5 times better than other flagship AI chipsets, and that it is 8 times more energy efficient. The 7-nm processor includes a modem that provides speeds of up to 2.3 Gbps up and 1.25 Gbps down, alongside eight ARM Cortex CPU cores.
The 5G version also features a built-in Da Vinci dual-core NPU. The chip is ideally suited for heavy tasks such as video and photo editing. The NPU also provides support for camera sensors when shooting photos and videos in poor lighting conditions. Support for real-time video editing has also been greatly improved. With the new Face AR, faces can be immediately recognized, tracked and modeled. In addition, health characteristics such as heart rate and respiratory rate can be monitored.
Huawei also presented a newly designed Huawei P30 Pro, with new colours and Android 10. The upgraded smartphone will still feature the Huawei P series design and technology, but will come in Mystic Blue and Misty Lavender. There are improved photography and video editing features with a new EMUI 10 custom mobile operating system, based on Android.
Finally, the company also showcased the Huawei FreeBuds 3, new flagship wireless earphones. The earphones sport a “delicate” design and come with a unique, round case. The buds will be available in black and white. Based on the Kirin A1 chip, Huawei said the buds provide stable and fast connectivity, impressive sound quality and a smart noise canceling experience.
Meanwhile, the Huawei Mate Series powered by the new Kirin 990 Series chips will launch in September.
