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Huawei may be working on a 2019 MediaPad tablet with a 10.7" display and Kirin 970
Huawei may be working on a new high-end tablet. A refresh of the 2018 Huawei MediaPad M5 may come in 2019, and it may have a 10.7" screen and Kirin 970.
Looking for a new Android tablet? Among the big name manufacturers, you don't have many options to pick from. Google has ditched Android for tablets in favor of Chrome OS, though the Pixel Slate sadly disappointed many reviewers. Xiaomi's Mi Pad 4 is only sold in China. Samsung just launched the mid-range Galaxy Tab S5e, but the Galaxy Tab S4 is still on sale if you're looking for something a bit more powerful. Lastly, there's the 2018 Huawei MediaPad series, with the highest-end tablet sporting the HiSilicon Kirin 960—the same mobile platform that debuted on the late 2016 Huawei Mate 9. Tablets are kept around a bit longer than smartphones for most users, so companies usually don't refresh their tablet line until a year passes. We're past due for a new MediaPad from Huawei, but according to firmware files, Huawei may be working on a refreshed version of their highest-end MediaPad M5 Pro.
Huawei releases kernel source code for Kirin 980 and Kirin 970 devices on Android Pie
The kernel source code for all Kirin 980 and Kirin 970 smartphones running Android Pie has been released by Huawei. You can download it here!
Android smartphones all run on top of the Linux kernel, and OEMs are required to distribute the source code of all Linux kernel binaries that they ship on their devices. While most companies do release kernel sources in a (somewhat) timely manner, there are some companies that take their sweet, sweet time in doing so. One such example is Xiaomi, which to their credit has recently upped their game by releasing the kernel source code in the timeframe they agreed on. Having access to the kernel source code can be a huge boon for developers seeking to create custom AOSP-based ROMs and custom kernels for a smartphone. Although the company recently closed down official bootloader unlocking tools, Huawei has still released the kernel source code for all Kirin 980 and Kirin 970 smartphones running Android Pie (as they are still required to do so).
Huawei Nova 4 launches with 48MP rear camera and a display hole for the front camera
The Huawei Nova 4 has launched, and it features a 48MP rear camera and a display hole for the front camera. Check it out here!
Huawei has been teasing a new release for a while now and the Huawei Nova 4 is finally here. Leaked photos showed a display hole ala the Samsung Galaxy A8s, and now that it's finally here it's confirmed that, yes, there is a display hole on the top left of the device for the camera. Display holes are the next attempt at a fully bezel-less smartphone, with the screen wrapping around the camera instead of a cut out at the top of the display. Functionally, they're the same as a corner notch, but they don't look like one which adds to their appeal.
Huawei P20, Huawei Nova 3, and Honor Play delisted from 3DMark for benchmark cheating
A report states Huawei has been found cheating in benchmarks. UL delisted the Huawei P20/P20 Pro, Huawei Nova 3, and Honor Play from 3DMark in response.
Benchmarks have always been a popular way to measure the performance of hardware, both in the PC and mobile space. Benchmark cheating occurs when a device maker unfairly tries to game a benchmark by making the results score better than they actually are. Cheating can happen in any benchmark tests including those that measure the CPU, system, or GPU performances. The obvious goal of cheating at benchmarks is so customers will be convinced that product A is better than product B. Unfortunately, this means that underlying weaknesses in hardware are masked by cheating. Put simply, it's a lose-lose situation for all parties involved in the industry: chip vendors, device makers, and most of all, end-consumers.
Testing Fortnite Mobile on Android's performance: Can your device handle Fortnite?
Fortnite Mobile on Android is here for devices with the Snapdragon 820/821, 835, 845, & Kirin 970. We tested the game's performance!
Just as Epic Games promised would happen, the free-to-play battle royale game 'Fortnite' finally became available last week. For the first 3 days of its release, the game was limited the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Tab S3, and Galaxy Tab S4. We expected a much longer exclusivity period, possibly limited to just the Note 9 and Galaxy Tab S4, but it turns out the exclusive content is just a free skin and 15,000 V-Bucks (the in-game currency.) Now that the game is officially available for non-Samsung devices, we decided to do some quick gameplay tests on as many supported devices as we could and capture the performance data thanks to help from our friends at GameBench. We tested several devices with most of the supported chipsets—that being the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, Snapdragon 835, Snapdragon 845, Kirin 970, and Exynos 8895—just to get a feel for how well Fortnite Mobile on Android performs on most current Android smartphones.
How to check if your Android phone is powerful enough to run Fortnite Mobile
Are you wondering if your Android smartphone or tablet is powerful enough to run Fortnite Mobile? We have the detailed hardware compatibility list to check!
Fortnite, the massively popular free-to-play battle royale game, is coming soon to Android. Epic Games said the game would launch this summer but we now know that the game will likely launch as an exclusive on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. It won't be on the Google Play Store (but possibly on Samsung Galaxy Apps) as the game will be distributed from Epic Games' website. If you're wondering whether your Android smartphone or tablet is powerful enough to run Fortnite Mobile on Android, we have put together a comprehensive list of software and hardware requirements based on a configuration file we obtained from a leaked build of the Android app.
Honor Note 10 is a massive 6.9-inch smartphone
Honor is one of the companies that stays on top of the leading trends and they have officially launched the Honor Note 10 with a whopping 6.9-inch display.
People have been complaining about smartphones getting bigger and bigger for years. Some like the ability to reach all major portions of the screen when holding the device in one hand. Others are using their phones more and more for TV, movie, and gaming consumption so they prefer the bigger screens. This trend seemed to reach a certain plateau until companies moved away from the 16:9 aspect ratio and now it's happening again with the slimming down of the bezels. Honor is certainly one of the companies that stays on top of the leading trends and they have officially launched the Honor Note 10 with a whopping 6.9-inch display.
Huawei launches the Huawei Nova 3 and Nova 3i in India
Huawei has launched the Huawei Nova 3 and the Huawei Nova 3i in India. The Huawei Nova 3 costs ₹34,999, while the Kirin 710-powered Nova 3i costs ₹20,990.
At an event in Delhi today, Huawei launched the Huawei Nova 3 and the Huawei Nova 3i in India. The phones are the first in the Nova series to officially make their way to India. The Huawei Nova 3 has high-end specifications including the HiSilicon Kirin 970 system-on-chip (which is a first for the Nova series), while the Huawei Nova 3i is the first Huawei phone to feature the new HiSilicon Kirin 710 SoC.
Exclusive: Huawei Nova 3 specifications and press renders leaked in full
The Huawei Nova 3 is set to launch soon, and we have exclusively obtained the full specifications sheet and multiple press renders of the device.
The Huawei Nova smartphones are a series of mid-range devices, but that's looking to change with the upcoming Huawei Nova 3 set to be announced on July 18th. Compared to the Huawei Nova/Nova Plus with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, the Huawei Nova 2/Nova 2 Plus with the HiSilicon Kirin 659, the Huawei Nova 3 will feature the high-end HiSilicon Kirin 970 system-on-chip. While we don't have any pricing or availability information, we have obtained exclusive access to the full list of specifications and press renders of the Huawei Nova 3 thanks to leaker MadSimar (@Hackersimar).
Huawei P20 Pro Review: A Low-Light Photography Master
This is XDA's in-depth review of the Huawei P20 Pro, covering aspects such as display quality, real world performance, camera evaluation, and more.
The Huawei P20 Pro is Huawei’s most ambitious phone yet. The company has been steadily climbing the ranks of Android device makers, to the point where it is now the world’s third-largest smartphone vendor. In China, the company is in first place, while in Europe, it is a rising star. Despite experiencing trouble competing in the US smartphone market, Huawei remains in a very comfortable position in other international markets.
Honor Play unveiled with "GPU Turbo" tech for gaming, Honor 9i mid-range announced too
Honor has just announced 2 new phones, the mid-range Honor 9i and the Honor Play with a feature called "GPU Turbo" to improve the mobile gaming experience.
We're starting to see smartphone companies create devices with a major emphasis on mobile gaming. Razer released a smartphone dedicated to gaming and ASUS just announced the ROG Phone, which again, is being marketed toward gamers. Honor has just announced two new phones, the mid-range Honor 9i and the Honor Play with a new feature called "GPU Turbo" that helps improve the mobile gaming experience. The company has also revealed how this GPU Turbo feature works and the list of other Honor devices that will receive the feature in a future update.
Huawei releases the HiAI Engine with the Huawei P20
Huawei has released the HiAI engine with the Huawei P20. The HiAI engine opens application capabilities and integrates "a plurality of AI capabilities." Its features are: scene recognition, document detection and document correction, code detection, face detection, and more.
Huawei launched the Mate 10 series in October with the HiSilicon Kirin 970 system-on-chip. The Kirin 970 notably has dedicated hardware for AI, in the form of a Neural Processing Unit (NPU). Last month, we also showed how Huawei was developing HiAssistant (powered by HiAI), a Google Assistant + Google Lens competitor for the Chinese market. Now, Huawei has released the HiAI Engine alongside the Huawei P20.
Huawei launches the Huawei P20, P20 Pro and the P20 Lite with notched displays
Huawei has launched the Huawei P20, P20 Pro, and the P20 Lite. The P20 and P20 Pro are powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC, while the P20 Lite is powered by the Kirin 659 SoC. All three phones have the display notch. The Huawei P20 has dual rear cameras, while the P20 Pro has triple 40MP + 20MP + 8MP rear cameras.
The Huawei P20, P20 Pro, and the P20 Lite have been in the rumor mill for quite a while. We have exclusively reported many specifications of the phones, including the fact that they have a display notch. We have seen everything from leaked specifications to stock wallpapers to the leaked firmware. In fact, the Huawei P20 Lite has already gone on sale in some countries. At an event on Tuesday, Huawei officially unveiled all three devices. The Huawei P20 and the P20 Pro are flagship phones in the P series, while the P20 Lite is a lower-end device.
Huawei and Linaro launch the HiKey 970 development board with the Kirin 970 SoC
Huawei and Linaro have launched the HiKey 970 development board at the Linaro Developer Conference. The board features the Kirin 970 system-on-chip, which is used in the Huawei Mate 10 series. It has 6GB of RAM, and will be released to developers in mid-April.
The Raspberry Pi was a groundbreaking device as it showed users what could be possible with a $35 development board. In the years since, we have seen plenty Raspberry Pi alternatives arrive in the market. Huawei and Linaro launched the HiKey 960 development board last year at a price tag of $239. The board featured the HiSilicon Kirin 960 system-on-chip, and was positioned as a high-end alternative to the Raspberry Pi.
Optimize Battery Life of any Rooted Kirin 970 Huawei/Honor Phone by Tweaking the Kernel
XDA Senior Member otonieru has created a guide for tweaking the kernel on any rooted Huawei/Honor phone with the Kirin 970. The results are extended battery life.
Some of the high-end smartphones from Huawei and Honor are equipped with the Kirin 970 SoC. This chip has shown to be powerful, but some feel it lacks in the battery optimization department. It can be difficult to find the balance between raw power and battery life. Most custom kernel developers lean more to one side or the other. If you have an Honor or Huawei device that' running the Kirin 970 SoC, then this guide of tweaking the kernel from one of our forum members may be of interest to you.