OnePlus confirms they’re making affordable smartphones again

Towards the end of last year, we first saw renders of an upcoming mid-range OnePlus device shortly after renders of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro surfaced online. At the time, we believed that the company would launch the mid-range device as the OnePlus 8 Lite alongside its flagships for 2020. However, when the OnePlus 8 series was finally unveiled earlier this year in April, there was no sign of the OnePlus 8 Lite. Just a few weeks after the OnePlus 8 series launch, we learned that the mid-ranger might be launched as the OnePlus Z later this year in July with the MediaTek Dimensty 1000 SoC in tow, but there was still no official information from the company regarding the device. Now, the company has finally confirmed that they’re indeed working on an affordable smartphone which will be launched later this year.

In a recent post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the company is working to diversify its portfolio and, once again, make affordable smartphones that will give more users the chance to experience OnePlus devices. In an exclusive interview with Fast Company, Lau further revealed that the company is also planning on expanding into new product categories.

While the company hasn’t officially revealed any of the upcoming products, Lau has confirmed that a glimpse of this new strategy will arrive soon with an upcoming announcement for the Indian market. Following that, the company plans to bring affordable devices to other markets, including North America and Europe. Lau was quoted saying, “We can look at it as having more affordable product offering…but all products that still remain up to the OnePlus standard…and through this enabling, more people to have access to OnePlus products.” We believe that the aforementioned announcement will, most likely, be the new mid-range device featuring MediaTek’s Dimensity 1000L SoC, a flat display, a centered hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera, and triple rear cameras.

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Source: Fast Company, Weibo

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ARM’s Cortex-X custom CPU program may finally make Android flagship performance competitive with Apple

Each year in May, UK-based ARM, owned by Japan-based Softbank, announces its new Mobile IP (intellectual property) for use in mobile devices. This IP consists of new CPU cores as well as new GPUs. ARM’s instruction set is used in every smartphone in the world – it’s a crucially important company. In terms of CPU core architectures, from 2021, every major mobile chip vendor of note will use ARM’s stock CPU IP (as Samsung System LSI has given up on its Exynos M custom cores). That’s why, it’s doubly important that ARM gets things right. This year, ARM has now announced the ARM Cortex-A78 CPU architecture and the Mali-G78 GPU, the successors of the Cortex-A77 CPU and the Mali-G77 GPU respectively. While these announcements were expected, what was not expected was for ARM to announce another CPU core. For years, tech reviewers and users have bemoaned the fact that Apple’s CPU architectures are multiple years ahead of ARM’s Cortex-A series. With the Cortex-X CPU program and the Cortex-X1, this may finally change in 2021.

ARM knows that its customers are demanding more solutions and products based on different needs in different product segments. The Cortex-A76, for example, is used in flagship SoCs as well as in some lower mid-range SoCs. Its maximum performance was not as high as Apple’s competitors because ARM needed to focus on PPA (performance, power, and area) first. Energy efficiency and power efficiency were higher priorities for the company instead of absolute performance.

With the Cortex-X1, this changes.

ARM has announced the Cortex-X Custom (CXC) program. This program entails close collaboration with ARM engineering teams and ARM’s program partners, who can shape a final CPU product to meet their specific market demands. ARM notes that this allows program partners to define their own performance points outside of the “usual Cortex-A envelope of PPA”. The final custom CPU, designed and built by ARM, will be delivered under the ARM Cortex-X brand. The first CPU as part of the CXC program is the ARM Cortex-X1 CPU.

ARM is very proud of the Cortex-X1, saying that it’s the most powerful Cortex CPU to date. It brings 30% peak performance improvement over the current Cortex-A77. It’s said to bring “ultimate performance” for next-generation custom solutions. The CPU came in response to partners who wanted to maximize performance in line with their own use cases.

The Cortex-X1, as expected, is also faster than the newly announced Cortex-A78, which slots in below it. The wording is important here. ARM says that it provides performance uplifts when compared to the Cortex-A78 with up to 22% single-thread integer performance improvements. The “uplifts” refers to the fact that the improvements are related to short bursts of high performance, which are best for reactivity and responsiveness, according to ARM. This will supposedly enable the highest performance ever for smartphones and large screen devices, but on account of the numbers, the Cortex-X1 still won’t be able to match the upcoming Apple A14, with which it will compete. It may be able to score on par with 2019’s Apple A13, though.

The Cortex-X1 offers 2x machine learning (ML) performance improvements over the A77. This is a notable improvement, and it comes as part of ARM’s wider push for more local compute performance.

The DynamIQ cluster of 4x Cortex-A78 and 4x Cortex-A55 cores provides 20% sustained performance improvements over the 4x Cortex-A77 and 4x Cortex-A55 cluster. For more information on the 20% claim, check out our article. (Yes, ARM didn’t announce a successor to the Cortex-A55, unfortunately. It may come next year.) The Cortex-X1, on the other hand, enables greater scalability while boosting peak performance. Partners adding 1x Cortex-X1 as part of the DynamIQ cluster alongside 3x Cortex-A8 and 4x Cortex-A55 will get 30% improvement in peak performance over the previous generation, which is a feat worth noting. The A78 is especially made for efficiency, so when combined with the Cortex-X1, the combo will deliver the best sustained and peak performance. Flagship Android phones will get a lot faster.

ARM says the key market for solutions with the Cortex-X1 are smartphones and new form factors (foldable phones and big, multi-screen devices). The X1 provides a quicker UX with faster app loading times and improved web page scrolling responsiveness. AI and ML-based experiences will get better with the improvement in ML performance. The X1 will, predictably, also improve use cases such as productivity, communication, security, multiple digital immersion, camera-based, advanced gaming, and XR experiences.

ARM Cortex-X1 – CPU architecture

The Cortex-X1’s architecture is where things get interesting. It has numerous microarchitectural upgrades that provide that peak performance boost. The Cortex-A76, which was announced in 2018, upgraded the instruction decode width to 4-wide from the 3-wide of the Cortex-A75, which, in turn, had increased from the 2-wide width of the Cortex-A73. However, the Cortex-A77 opted to keep the decode width constant at 4-wide. Apple’s A-series chips are big and wide, as the decode width of all A-series chips since the A11 has been 7-wide, which is wider than even desktop CPU architectures. ARM has taken a step closer to Apple with the Cortex-X1, as the decode bandwidth has been increased by 25% to 5 instructions decoded per cycle.

Moreover, ARM says the MOP cache throughput has been increased by 33% to 8 MOPs per cycle. The Cortex-X1’s Neon engine gets two additional pipes that doubles its compute capacity over the A78. In terms of cache sizes, the X1 supports 64kB L1 and up to 1MB L2 cache, while the DynamIQ cluster has been upgraded to now support 8MB of L3 for ultimate performance. The larger L3 can also be used by the A78 when it is used in combination with the Cortex-X1.

The Cortex-X1 is the first example of a Cortex-CPU produced under the CXC program. The very need of the CXC program is to push performance at an envelope outside of the Cortex-A PPA. That’s because all that increased performance comes at a cost. The Cortex-X1 is 1.5x the size of the Cortex-A78. This means it has worse PPA as well as worse energy efficiency. Thus it’s unlikely to be found in any mid-range or budget phone, as it will likely be restricted to high-end flagship phones. Allowing partners to have a CPU that is specific to their market need will differentiate between the roadmap of the Cortex-A CPUs. It should be noted here that program partners will not be able to directly customize any CPU under the CXC program. Instead, the CXC program is essentially the successor of the “Built for Cortex” license, where ARM makes modifications upon partners’ request, and designs the CPU IP to be sold to the partner. In this way, ARM says it will meet the needs of the ever-expanding ecosystem.

The Cortex-X1’s target clock speed is 3GHz. ARM has been targeting 3GHz since the A76, and the clock speed has notably failed to materialize. With the upcoming advent of 5nm SoCs, though, ARM is hopeful that vendors will finally ship ARM’s big core design at 3GHz. ARM notes that all performance estimates were based on SPECint2006, which is an industry standard benchmark.

Outlook

The Cortex-X1’s announcement is exciting for aspiring buyers of flagship Android phones in 2021. For the first time since 2013 and the Apple A7, ARM will be able to get close to Apple’s A-series chips in terms of peak performance. Even if the Cortex-X1 doesn’t match the A14, it will be closer than it was in the last seven years.

The upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 will probably incorporate both the Cortex-X1 as well as the Cortex-A78 as part of its “Prime Core” and “Performance Cores”. HiSilicon is in no position to adopt ARM’s newest IP as TSMC has been barred from supplying it chips, so Huawei phones won’t feature the new CPU cores this year, and probably not even early next year. Notably, Samsung is in a strong position to adopt the Cortex-X1 + Cortex-A78 as part of the next flagship Exynos SoC, which will succeed the Exynos 990. Samsung released a statement in which it said it was “very excited” to see the new direction ARM is taking with the Cortex-X Custom program. The Cortex-X1 essentially negates Samsung’s failed custom cores venture. It is to be hoped that next year, the Exynos-powered Galaxy S21/S30 phones will finally be free of major or minor CPU performance deficits against the Snapdragon-powered competition. Finally, it’s uncertain whether MediaTek will adopt the Cortex-X1. The Dimensity 1000‘s successor may adopt the A78 only, or it could go for the X1 + A78 combo in order to compete head on with Qualcomm. We will have to wait to see how things play out next year.

The future for CPU performance in Android looks bright even as one major CPU chip producer stands on the brink of closure.

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Sources: ARM (1, 2), AnandTech

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ARM’s Cortex-X custom CPU program may finally make Android flagship performance competitive with Apple

Each year in May, UK-based ARM, owned by Japan-based Softbank, announces its new Mobile IP (intellectual property) for use in mobile devices. This IP consists of new CPU cores as well as new GPUs. ARM’s instruction set is used in every smartphone in the world – it’s a crucially important company. In terms of CPU core architectures, from 2021, every major mobile chip vendor of note will use ARM’s stock CPU IP (as Samsung System LSI has given up on its Exynos M custom cores). That’s why, it’s doubly important that ARM gets things right. This year, ARM has now announced the ARM Cortex-A78 CPU architecture and the Mali-G78 GPU, the successors of the Cortex-A77 CPU and the Mali-G77 GPU respectively. While these announcements were expected, what was not expected was for ARM to announce another CPU core. For years, tech reviewers and users have bemoaned the fact that Apple’s CPU architectures are multiple years ahead of ARM’s Cortex-A series. With the Cortex-X CPU program and the Cortex-X1, this may finally change in 2021.

ARM knows that its customers are demanding more solutions and products based on different needs in different product segments. The Cortex-A76, for example, is used in flagship SoCs as well as in some lower mid-range SoCs. Its maximum performance was not as high as Apple’s competitors because ARM needed to focus on PPA (performance, power, and area) first. Energy efficiency and power efficiency were higher priorities for the company instead of absolute performance.

With the Cortex-X1, this changes.

ARM has announced the Cortex-X Custom (CXC) program. This program entails close collaboration with ARM engineering teams and ARM’s program partners, who can shape a final CPU product to meet their specific market demands. ARM notes that this allows program partners to define their own performance points outside of the “usual Cortex-A envelope of PPA”. The final custom CPU, designed and built by ARM, will be delivered under the ARM Cortex-X brand. The first CPU as part of the CXC program is the ARM Cortex-X1 CPU.

ARM is very proud of the Cortex-X1, saying that it’s the most powerful Cortex CPU to date. It brings 30% peak performance improvement over the current Cortex-A77. It’s said to bring “ultimate performance” for next-generation custom solutions. The CPU came in response to partners who wanted to maximize performance in line with their own use cases.

The Cortex-X1, as expected, is also faster than the newly announced Cortex-A78, which slots in below it. The wording is important here. ARM says that it provides performance uplifts when compared to the Cortex-A78 with up to 22% single-thread integer performance improvements. The “uplifts” refers to the fact that the improvements are related to short bursts of high performance, which are best for reactivity and responsiveness, according to ARM. This will supposedly enable the highest performance ever for smartphones and large screen devices, but on account of the numbers, the Cortex-X1 still won’t be able to match the upcoming Apple A14, with which it will compete. It may be able to score on par with 2019’s Apple A13, though.

The Cortex-X1 offers 2x machine learning (ML) performance improvements over the A77. This is a notable improvement, and it comes as part of ARM’s wider push for more local compute performance.

The DynamIQ cluster of 4x Cortex-A78 and 4x Cortex-A55 cores provides 20% sustained performance improvements over the 4x Cortex-A77 and 4x Cortex-A55 cluster. For more information on the 20% claim, check out our article. (Yes, ARM didn’t announce a successor to the Cortex-A55, unfortunately. It may come next year.) The Cortex-X1, on the other hand, enables greater scalability while boosting peak performance. Partners adding 1x Cortex-X1 as part of the DynamIQ cluster alongside 3x Cortex-A8 and 4x Cortex-A55 will get 30% improvement in peak performance over the previous generation, which is a feat worth noting. The A78 is especially made for efficiency, so when combined with the Cortex-X1, the combo will deliver the best sustained and peak performance. Flagship Android phones will get a lot faster.

ARM says the key market for solutions with the Cortex-X1 are smartphones and new form factors (foldable phones and big, multi-screen devices). The X1 provides a quicker UX with faster app loading times and improved web page scrolling responsiveness. AI and ML-based experiences will get better with the improvement in ML performance. The X1 will, predictably, also improve use cases such as productivity, communication, security, multiple digital immersion, camera-based, advanced gaming, and XR experiences.

ARM Cortex-X1 – CPU architecture

The Cortex-X1’s architecture is where things get interesting. It has numerous microarchitectural upgrades that provide that peak performance boost. The Cortex-A76, which was announced in 2018, upgraded the instruction decode width to 4-wide from the 3-wide of the Cortex-A75, which, in turn, had increased from the 2-wide width of the Cortex-A73. However, the Cortex-A77 opted to keep the decode width constant at 4-wide. Apple’s A-series chips are big and wide, as the decode width of all A-series chips since the A11 has been 7-wide, which is wider than even desktop CPU architectures. ARM has taken a step closer to Apple with the Cortex-X1, as the decode bandwidth has been increased by 25% to 5 instructions decoded per cycle.

Moreover, ARM says the MOP cache throughput has been increased by 33% to 8 MOPs per cycle. The Cortex-X1’s Neon engine gets two additional pipes that doubles its compute capacity over the A78. In terms of cache sizes, the X1 supports 64kB L1 and up to 1MB L2 cache, while the DynamIQ cluster has been upgraded to now support 8MB of L3 for ultimate performance. The larger L3 can also be used by the A78 when it is used in combination with the Cortex-X1.

The Cortex-X1 is the first example of a Cortex-CPU produced under the CXC program. The very need of the CXC program is to push performance at an envelope outside of the Cortex-A PPA. That’s because all that increased performance comes at a cost. The Cortex-X1 is 1.5x the size of the Cortex-A78. This means it has worse PPA as well as worse energy efficiency. Thus it’s unlikely to be found in any mid-range or budget phone, as it will likely be restricted to high-end flagship phones. Allowing partners to have a CPU that is specific to their market need will differentiate between the roadmap of the Cortex-A CPUs. It should be noted here that program partners will not be able to directly customize any CPU under the CXC program. Instead, the CXC program is essentially the successor of the “Built for Cortex” license, where ARM makes modifications upon partners’ request, and designs the CPU IP to be sold to the partner. In this way, ARM says it will meet the needs of the ever-expanding ecosystem.

The Cortex-X1’s target clock speed is 3GHz. ARM has been targeting 3GHz since the A76, and the clock speed has notably failed to materialize. With the upcoming advent of 5nm SoCs, though, ARM is hopeful that vendors will finally ship ARM’s big core design at 3GHz. ARM notes that all performance estimates were based on SPECint2006, which is an industry standard benchmark.

Outlook

The Cortex-X1’s announcement is exciting for aspiring buyers of flagship Android phones in 2021. For the first time since 2013 and the Apple A7, ARM will be able to get close to Apple’s A-series chips in terms of peak performance. Even if the Cortex-X1 doesn’t match the A14, it will be closer than it was in the last seven years.

The upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 875 will probably incorporate both the Cortex-X1 as well as the Cortex-A78 as part of its “Prime Core” and “Performance Cores”. HiSilicon is in no position to adopt ARM’s newest IP as TSMC has been barred from supplying it chips, so Huawei phones won’t feature the new CPU cores this year, and probably not even early next year. Notably, Samsung is in a strong position to adopt the Cortex-X1 + Cortex-A78 as part of the next flagship Exynos SoC, which will succeed the Exynos 990. Samsung released a statement in which it said it was “very excited” to see the new direction ARM is taking with the Cortex-X Custom program. The Cortex-X1 essentially negates Samsung’s failed custom cores venture. It is to be hoped that next year, the Exynos-powered Galaxy S21/S30 phones will finally be free of major or minor CPU performance deficits against the Snapdragon-powered competition. Finally, it’s uncertain whether MediaTek will adopt the Cortex-X1. The Dimensity 1000‘s successor may adopt the A78 only, or it could go for the X1 + A78 combo in order to compete head on with Qualcomm. We will have to wait to see how things play out next year.

The future for CPU performance in Android looks bright even as one major CPU chip producer stands on the brink of closure.

---

Sources: ARM (1, 2), AnandTech

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Samsung announces the Exynos 880 chipset for mid-range 5G smartphones

The theme for 2020 is 5G, whether we like it or not. Most of the releases this year have been on a handful of 5G SoCs in the upper ranges of the smartphone ecosystem. This fact will slowly change as more and more chip manufacturer increase their 5G portfolio. Samsung is now building upon its product portfolio with a quiet launch of the Exynos 880, a 5G SoC targeting the mid-range.

While the Exynos 990 and Exynos 980 SoC handle duties in the flagship realms, the Exynos 880 attempts to slot in slightly lower. The Exynos 880 is based on the 8nm FinFET process and comprises of 2x Cortex-A77 cores @ 2.0GHz and 6x Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz. This setup is quite commonly used to provide a balance of performance and efficiency. GPU duties are handled by the Mali-G76 MP5 GPU. The SoC also has an integrated NPU, which should aid in AI performance on smartphones. The SoC can support displays up to FHD+ (2520 x 1080), and support LPDDR4X RAM and, UFS 2.1 and eMMC 5.1 storage.

In the camera department, the Exynos 880 is able to handle three sensors concurrently, and up to five individual sensors. With regards to max resolution, it supports a single camera up to 64MP resolution, or up to 20MP + 20MP dual-camera configuration. For video, the SoC supports up to 4K 30fps video recording and playback, with support for HEVC, H.264, and VP9.

Of course, the offering would be incomplete if it weren’t for 5G. The Exynos 880 supports 5G NR Sub-6GHz with a maximum download of 2.55Gbps and an upload of 1.28Gbps. For LTE, you get Cat.16 with 5CA for up to 1Gbps download and Cat.18 with 2CA for up to 200Mbps upload. There’s also support for Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, FM Radio, and for GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo satellite systems.

Samsung has not revealed which of its phones will be powered by the new Exynos 880 SoC. Curiously, we already have our first phone powered by this new SoC in the form of the Vivo Y17s, although the device is limited to China only at the moment. We’ll likely get a global device soon.

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Source: Samsung
Story Via: PocketNow

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[Update: May 26 builds] Download the MIUI 12 Closed Beta for Xiaomi and Redmi devices

Update 4 (05/26/2020 @ 07:14 AM ET): Added download links for MIUI 12 latest beta builds, compiled on May 26, 2020.

Update 3 (05/21/2020 @ 07:05 AM ET): Added download links for MIUI 12 latest beta builds, compiled on May 21, 2020.

Update 2 (05/18/2020 @ 07:25 AM ET): Added download links for MIUI 12 latest beta builds, compiled on May 18, 2020.

Update 1 (05/11/2020 @ 09:30 AM ET): MIUI 12 closed beta download links refreshed with newer releases (compiled on May 11). The article as published on April 28, 2020, is preserved below.

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The latest version of Xiaomi’s custom Android skin – MIUI 12 – is finally here. The company has dropped the curtain yesterday, alongside the Mi 10 Youth Edition launch event in China. Compared to MIUI 11, the stable version of which was released less than six months ago, MIUI 12 brings in a slew of improvements, visual overhauls, and many new features. We have already extracted the new wallpapers, and now we are presenting the downloading links of the first set of MIUI 12 beta firmware packages for a bunch of Xiaomi and Redmi devices.

It is worth mentioning that these closed beta builds are meant for the Chinese variants, as Xiaomi suspended the rollout of MIUI global beta since last year. As a consequence, you have to flash these recovery ROMs using TWRP to bypass the MIUI beta account whitelisting. Do not expect Google Play Services or any pre-installed Google apps in them. Language options are likely limited to English and Chinese only, too. Xiaomi did launch MIUI 12 globally, and we are waiting for builds to appear for that too. Meanwhile, you can try out the closed betas from China.

The beta MIUI 12 builds listed below are based on either Android Pie or Android 10, depending on the device.

Download: MIUI 12

You can download the latest beta (20.5.26) of MIUI 12 for your device from the links below. You can also visit our linked forums in case you need further assistance. While all of these download links are directly from Xiaomi, users are advised to proceed at their own risk. We warn you once again, this is not intended for the average consumer and is recommended only for users comfortable with flashing ROMs.

Sr. No.	Device, Device Codename, XDA Forum Link	Android Version	Download Link (20.5.26)
1.	Redmi Note 8 Pro (begonia)	Android 10	Download
2.	Mi 9 (cepheus)	Android 10	Download
3.	Mi Mix 2 (chiron)	Android 9	Download
4.	Mi 10 Pro (cmi)	Android 10	–
5.	Mi 9 Pro 5G (crux)	Android 10	Download
6.	Redmi K20/Mi 9T (davinci)	Android 10	Download
7.	Mi 8 (dipper)	Android 10	Download
8.	Mi 8 Pro (equuleus)	Android 10	Download
9.	Mi 9 SE (grus)	Android 10	Download
10.	Mi Note 3 (jason)	Android 9	Download
11.	Redmi Note 7/7S (lavender)	Android 10	Download
12.	Mi CC9e (laurus)	Android 10	–
13.	Redmi K30 Pro/POCO F2 Pro (lmi)	Android 10	–
14.	Mi Max 3 (nitrogen)	Android 10	–
15.	Mi Mix 3 (perseus)	Android 10	Download
16.	Redmi K30 5G (picasso)	Android 10	Download
17.	Mi 8 Lite (platina)	Android 10	Download
18.	POCO X2/Redmi K30 4G (phoenix)	Android 10	Download
19.	Mi Mix 2S (polaris)	Android 10	–
20.	Mi 9 Lite/Mi CC9 (pyxis)	Android 10	Download
21.	Redmi K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro (raphael)	Android 10	Download
22.	Mi 6 (sagit)	Android 9	Download
23.	Mi 8 SE (sirius)	Android 10	Download
24.	Mi Note 10/Mi CC9 Pro (tucana)	Android 10	Download
25.	Mi 10 (umi)	Android 10	–
26.	Mi 8 Explorer Edition (ursa)	Android 10	Download
27.	Mi CC9 Meitu Edition (vela)	Android 10	Download
28.	Redmi Note 7 Pro (violet)	Android 10	Download
29.	Mi 6X (wayne)	Android 9	Download
30.	Redmi Note 5/Redmi Note 5 Pro (whyred)	Android 9	Download

Links for the previous beta builds of MIUI 12 are preserved as well:

MIUI 12 (20.5.21) Download Links

Sr. No.	Device, Device Codename, XDA Forum Link	Android Version	Download Link (20.5.21)
1.	Redmi Note 8 Pro (begonia)	Android 10	Download
2.	Mi 9 (cepheus)	Android 10	Download
3.	Mi Mix 2 (chiron)	Android 9	Download
4.	Mi 10 Pro (cmi)	Android 10	Download
5.	Mi 9 Pro 5G (crux)	Android 10	Download
6.	Redmi K20/Mi 9T (davinci)	Android 10	Download
7.	Mi 8 (dipper)	Android 10	Download
8.	Mi 8 Pro (equuleus)	Android 10	Download
9.	Mi 9 SE (grus)	Android 10	Download
10.	Mi Note 3 (jason)	Android 9	Download
11.	Redmi Note 7/7S (lavender)	Android 10	Download
12.	Mi CC9e (laurus)	Android 10	–
13.	Redmi K30 Pro/POCO F2 Pro (lmi)	Android 10	Download
14.	Mi Max 3 (nitrogen)	Android 10	Download
15.	Mi Mix 3 (perseus)	Android 10	Download
16.	Redmi K30 5G (picasso)	Android 10	Download
17.	Mi 8 Lite (platina)	Android 10	Download
18.	POCO X2/Redmi K30 4G (phoenix)	Android 10	Download
19.	Mi Mix 2S (polaris)	Android 10	Download
20.	Mi 9 Lite/Mi CC9 (pyxis)	Android 10	Download
21.	Redmi K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro (raphael)	Android 10	Download
22.	Mi 6 (sagit)	Android 9	Download
23.	Mi 8 SE (sirius)	Android 10	Download
24.	Mi Note 10/Mi CC9 Pro (tucana)	Android 10	Download
25.	Mi 10 (umi)	Android 10	Download
26.	Mi 8 Explorer Edition (ursa)	Android 10	Download
27.	Mi CC9 Meitu Edition (vela)	Android 10	Download
28.	Redmi Note 7 Pro (violet)	Android 10	Download
29.	Mi 6X (wayne)	Android 9	Download
30.	Redmi Note 5/Redmi Note 5 Pro (whyred)	Android 9	Download

MIUI 12 (20.5.18) Download Links

Sr. No.	Device, Device Codename, XDA Forum Link	Android Version	Download Link (20.5.18)
1.	Redmi Note 8 Pro (begonia)	Android 10	Download
2.	Mi 9 (cepheus)	Android 10	Download
3.	Mi Mix 2 (chiron)	Android 9	Download
4.	Mi 10 Pro (cmi)	Android 10	–
5.	Mi 9 Pro 5G (crux)	Android 10	Download
6.	Redmi K20/Mi 9T (davinci)	Android 10	Download
7.	Mi 8 (dipper)	Android 10	Download
8.	Mi 8 Pro (equuleus)	Android 10	Download
9.	Mi 9 SE (grus)	Android 10	Download
10.	Mi Note 3 (jason)	Android 9	Download
11.	Redmi Note 7/7S (lavender)	Android 10	–
12.	Mi CC9e (laurus)	Android 10	–
13.	Redmi K30 Pro (lmi)	Android 10	–
14.	Mi Max 3 (nitrogen)	Android 10	–
15.	Mi Mix 3 (perseus)	Android 10	Download
16.	Redmi K30 5G (picasso)	Android 10	Download
17.	Mi 8 Lite (platina)	Android 10	Download
18.	POCO X2/Redmi K30 4G (phoenix)	Android 10	Download
19.	Mi Mix 2S (polaris)	Android 10	Download
20.	Mi 9 Lite/Mi CC9 (pyxis)	Android 10	Download
21.	Redmi K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro (raphael)	Android 10	Download
22.	Mi 6 (sagit)	Android 9	Download
23.	Mi 8 SE (sirius)	Android 10	Download
24.	Mi Note 10/Mi CC9 Pro (tucana)	Android 10	Download
25.	Mi 10 (umi)	Android 10	–
26.	Mi 8 Explorer Edition (ursa)	Android 10	Download
27.	Mi CC9 Meitu Edition (vela)	Android 10	Download
28.	Redmi Note 7 Pro (violet)	Android 10	Download
29.	Mi 6X (wayne)	Android 9	Download
30.	Redmi Note 5/Redmi Note 5 Pro (whyred)	Android 9	Download

MIUI 12 (20.5.11) Download Links

Sr. No.	Device, Device Codename, XDA Forum Link	Android Version	Download Link (20.5.11)
1.	Redmi Note 8 Pro (begonia)	Android 10	Download
2.	Mi 9 (cepheus)	Android 10	Download
3.	Mi Mix 2 (chiron)	Android 9	Download
4.	Mi 10 Pro (cmi)	Android 10	Download
5.	Mi 9 Pro 5G (crux)	Android 10	Download
6.	Redmi K20/Mi 9T (davinci)	Android 10	Download
7.	Mi 8 (dipper)	Android 10	Download
8.	Mi 8 Pro (equuleus)	Android 10	Download
9.	Mi 9 SE (grus)	Android 10	Download
10.	Mi Note 3 (jason)	Android 9	Download
11.	Redmi Note 7/7S (lavender)	Android 10	–
12.	Mi CC9e (laurus)	Android 10	–
13.	Redmi K30 Pro (lmi)	Android 10	Download
14.	Mi Max 3 (nitrogen)	Android 10	Download
15.	Mi Mix 3 (perseus)	Android 10	Download
16.	Redmi K30 5G (picasso)	Android 10	Download
17.	Mi 8 Lite (platina)	Android 10	–
18.	POCO X2/Redmi K30 4G (phoenix)	Android 10	Download
19.	Mi Mix 2S (polaris)	Android 10	Download
20.	Mi 9 Lite/Mi CC9 (pyxis)	Android 10	Download
21.	Redmi K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro (raphael)	Android 10	Download
22.	Mi 6 (sagit)	Android 9	Download
23.	Mi 8 SE (sirius)	Android 10	Download
24.	Mi Note 10/Mi CC9 Pro (tucana)	Android 10	Download
25.	Mi 10 (umi)	Android 10	Download
26.	Mi 8 Explorer Edition (ursa)	Android 10	Download
27.	Mi CC9 Meitu Edition (vela)	Android 10	Download
28.	Redmi Note 7 Pro (violet)	Android 10	Download
29.	Mi 6X (wayne)	Android 9	Download
30.	Redmi Note 5/Redmi Note 5 Pro (whyred)	Android 9	Download

MIUI 12 (20.4.27) Download Links

Sr. No.	Device, Device Codename, XDA Forum Link	Android Version	Download Link (20.4.27)
1.	Redmi Note 8 Pro (begonia)	Android 10	Download
2.	Mi 9 (cepheus)	Android 10	Download
3.	Mi Mix 2 (chiron)	Android 9	Download
4.	Mi 10 Pro (cmi)	Android 10	Download
5.	Mi 9 Pro 5G (crux)	Android 10	Download
6.	Redmi K20/Mi 9T (davinci)	Android 10	Download
7.	Mi 8 (dipper)	Android 10	Download
8.	Mi 8 Pro (equuleus)	Android 10	Download
9.	Mi 9 SE (grus)	Android 10	Download
10.	Mi Note 3 (jason)	Android 9	Download
11.	Redmi Note 7/7S (lavender)	Android 10	Download
12.	Mi Max 3 (nitrogen)	Android 10	Download
13.	Mi Mix 3 (perseus)	Android 10	Download
14.	Redmi K30 5G (picasso)	Android 10	Download
15.	Mi 8 Lite (platina)	Android 10	Download
16.	POCO X2/Redmi K30 4G (phoenix)	Android 10	Download
17.	Mi Mix 2S (polaris)	Android 10	Download
18.	Mi 9 Lite/Mi CC9 (pyxis)	Android 10	Download
19.	Redmi K20 Pro/Mi 9T Pro (raphael)	Android 10	Download
20.	Mi 6 (sagit)	Android 9	Download
21.	Mi 8 SE (sirius)	Android 10	Download
22.	Mi Note 10/Mi CC9 Pro (tucana)	Android 10	Download
23.	Mi 10 (umi)	Android 10	Download
24.	Mi 8 Explorer Edition (ursa)	Android 10	Download
25.	Mi CC9 Meitu Edition (vela)	Android 10	Download
26.	Redmi Note 7 Pro (violet)	Android 10	Download
27.	Mi 6X (wayne)	Android 9	Download
28.	Redmi Note 5/Redmi Note 5 Pro (whyred)	Android 9	Download

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Changelog

The full changelog for MIUI 12 beta, when updating from MIUI 11, is as follows:

• Highlights
  • MIUI 12. Yours alone.
• System animations
  • New: All-new physically-based animation engine with advanced architecture will refresh your device’s look.
  • New: Dynamic window technology takes switching screen orientation to a new level.
• System visuals
  • Brand new visual design works for all types of content and languages.
  • Magazine-level layouts bring important things into the spotlight and make the content structure clear.
• Privacy protection
  • New: MIUI 12 is the first Android-based mobile OS that went through the rigorous enhanced privacy protection testing.
  • New: Reset your device ID and control how it’s used based on virtual ID technology.
  • New: Grant permissions that will be used only while you’re using an app.
  • New: You can also grant permissions just once, and decide again next time a permission is required.
  • New: Restrict access to telephony to third party apps.
  • New: Return blank messages to the apps that require personal information.
  • New: Receive notifications whenever apps record audio, use camera, or access your location.
  • New: Use secure sharing to control what additional data is sent along with shared items.
  • New: Get comprehensive stats on how apps use permissions in app behavior history.
  • New: Visit privacy.miui.com to learn how MIUI protects your privacy.
  • Optimization: Apps aren’t allowed to launch other apps in the background now.
• AI Call Assistant
  • New: Mi AI can answer your calls now!
  • New: You can record a customized greeting that will be played to the other person during AI calls.
  • New: Customized greetings are also supported for outgoing calls.
• Xiaomi Health
  • New: All-new Xiaomi Health gives you more options and makes your health stats more accurate.
  • New: Put your device next to you before falling asleep to analyze your sleep cycle and record talking and snoring.
  • New: You can sync data with supported wearable and smart home devices.
  • New: Xiaomi Health can remind you to stand up and move when it detects that you’ve been sitting down for too long.
  • New: The app also analyzes your stats and gives you simple health advice.
• Control center
  • New: Swipe down from the upper right corner of your screen to open Control center.
  • New: Animated icons are a joy to look at!
• Accessibility
  • New: Mi Ditto combines dictation and speech output, making mobile devices more convenient for people who have difficulties using conventionally designed smartphones.
• Trips
  • New: Traffic and suggested routes to airports and train stations.
  • New: You can track your previous trips now.
  • New: Checklists for trips.
  • New: Alarms for train arrivals.
• Mi Carrier Services
  • New: View your SIM balance and mobile data usage stats.
  • New: Save frequently used phone numbers to top up balance and buy mobile data later.
  • New: Buy SIM cards and services.
• Messaging
  • New: Promotional messages are grouped according to their content now.
• Status bar, Notification shade
  • New: All-new design.
• Weather
  • New: New animations bring the weather from outside directly to your screen.
• Settings
  • New: Security introduces new comprehensive privacy protection mechanisms.
  • New: Lite mode simplifies your device and brings essential features up front.
• File Manager
  • New: Use the floating shortcut to filter and sort items, as well as switch view.
• Calendar
  • New: New layout tailored for landscape orientation is available now.
  • New: We added lots of fresh animations that will accompany your actions.
  • New: Calendar cards will remind you about important events and anniversaries.
• Notes
  • New: You can create folders with notes now.
  • New: New dynamic backgrounds look gorgeous!
  • New: Tasks are completed with a satisfying animation now.
  • New: Checklists of subtasks make managing your agenda much simpler.
• Security
  • New: New animations feel natural and refreshing.
  • New: Keep your home safe with smart home device alerts.
  • New: Binging your favorite shows will be more convenient with our new video toolbox.
• Xiaomi Cloud
  • New: Shared family storage plan is available now.

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Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer yshalsager and XDA Member kacskrz for providing these download links!

 

The post [Update: May 26 builds] Download the MIUI 12 Closed Beta for Xiaomi and Redmi devices appeared first on xda-developers.

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Huawei and Honor turn to high-end MediaTek chipsets for some new phones following new U.S. trade restrictions

For a time, it seemed as if Huawei was dealing fine with the aftermath of the U.S trade restrictions that were imposed on it in May 2019. Despite being placed on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List, Huawei’s Consumer Business Group continued to function. It was wounded, but the damage wasn’t catastrophic. Huawei was prevented from pre-loading Google Mobile Services (GMS) on any new phone launch featuring new smartphone SoCs, which meant that its international smartphone business was mostly crippled. The ban on American companies doing business with Huawei meant that its laptop business also ground to a standstill. However, Huawei re-grouped and re-calibrated its objectives by focusing more strongly on the Chinese smartphone market, where GMS was not part of the equation. It’s still the largest smartphone vendor in China. However, a recent addition in trade restrictions has the potential to create a crisis of survival for Huawei.

On May 15, 2020, the U.S. government imposed a de facto ban on TSMC and many other chipmakers on supplying their chips to HiSilicon, Huawei’s chip division. HiSilicon is a fabless semiconductor company, which means it does not actually produce the chips it designs. TSMC, a Taiwanese company that has the distinction of being the world’s largest semiconductor fabricator, supplied all of HiSilicon’s high-end chips, which included smartphone SoCs, server chips, and network base station chips. After the U.S. additional restrictions were made official, news reports stated that TSMC had stopped supplying chips to HiSilicon. As such, this represented catastrophic issues for Huawei, as it now cannot source any new HiSilicon chip from TSMC for any of its consumer hardware business, which includes the smartphone business.

Huawei hasn’t given up entirely despite facing sustained pressure, though. It is seeking help from rival mobile chip makers to help it continue selling phones. According to Nikkei Asian Review, Huawei is in talks with MediaTek, which is the world’s second-largest mobile chip developer after Qualcomm, as well as Unisoc, which is China’s second-largest mobile chip designer after HiSilicon itself, to buy more chips as alternatives in order to keep its business a going concern.

The relationship between HiSilicon, MediaTek… and Unisoc

The Huawei Enjoy Z was announced this week as a China-only release. The interesting thing about this phone is that it’s the first Huawei phone to feature a relatively high-end MediaTek chip, the Dimensity 800. Up until now, Huawei and Honor have only used low-end MediaTek chips in their phones. The Dimensity 800 competes with the Snapdragon 700 series in terms of product positioning, and it can also be compared with HiSilicon’s new Kirin 820.

The Nikkei report notes that developing cutting-edge chips of its own has been a key strategy for Huawei in recent years, helping it become China’s largest tech company as well as helping it achieve the world’s second-largest smartphone vendor position. Adopting rival chips is a knock against Huawei’s competitiveness, but then again, it’s not as if the company can choose from many options here.

MediaTek, also a Taiwanese company, is a supplier of Huawei’s Chinese rivals – OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi. It already supplies Huawei’s low-end 4G phones, but Huawei now hopes to secure contracts to buy MediaTek’s mid-to-high-end 5G chips as well. Until the TSMC ban, Huawei had previously used only HiSilicon’s high-end chips for its premium phones.

According to the report, Huawei had foreseen today’s situation and started to allocate more mid-to-low-end mobile chip projects to MediaTek last year as part of its de-Americanization efforts, which were successful to a certain extent. Huawei has now become one of MediaTek’s key clients for its mid-range 5G mobile chip (Dimensity 800). Huawei’s size is such that MediaTek is now said to be evaluating whether it has sufficient human resources to fully support Huawei’s new strategy, as the Chinese giant is asking for volume 300% above its usual procurement in the past few years.

Apart from MediaTek, Huawei is also seeking to have more collaboration with Unisoc, which is a Chinese-backed mobile chip developer. Unfortunately, it relies mostly on smaller device makers as customers and supports only entry-level products and devices for emerging markets. Up until now, Huawei used few very Unisoc chips for its low-end phone and tablet products. Unisoc is a struggling company as it hasn’t been able to secure any big contract with global smartphone vendors as they could find better deals elsewhere. In one way, this could be the break it needs to upgrade its chip design capability. Unisoc accelerated its 5G chip development in 2019 to catch up with Qualcomm and MediaTek. It also received $630 million from China’s national integrated circuit fund. The company has big ambitions as it’s planning to list on the Shanghai STAR tech board (the Chinese version of NASDAQ) later this year.

Why can’t Huawei go with Qualcomm if HiSilicon isn’t an option? It’s because Qualcomm is an American company, and it has to comply with U.S. government regulations. It has needed a license from the Commerce Department to supply Huawei since May 2019.

HiSilicon and TSMC’s partnership has effectively come to an end for now. This because under the new export control rules that the U.S. government announced, non-U.S. companies must apply for a license to use American technology or software to produce Huawei-designed chips. It’s purposely designed to bring about the fall of HiSilicon, which has been designing cutting-edge custom chips based on ARM’s stock CPU and GPU IP and have TSMC produce them in the last few years to great success. HiSilicon employs 10,000 engineers and has been building its clout over more than a decade. TSMC produces all of HiSilicon’s high-end Kirin chips for Huawei’s flagship phones as well as networking processors for 5G base stations, AI chips, and server chips.

Huawei’s manufacturing partnerships with TSMC and other Asian contract chip builders such as Win Semiconductors, Advanced Wireless Semiconductor and Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp have helped it increasingly use its own chips instead of those from U.S. suppliers such as SoCs from Qualcomm and RF chips from Qorvo, Skyworks, and Broadcom. According to GF Securities, Huawei has expanded the use of in-house mobile SoCs for its smartphone business to 75% from 69% in 2018 and 45% in 2016. It shipped a whopping 240 million phones in 2019. All these partnerships helped Huawei’s consumer business continue to function, but thanks to the new regulations, they are all risk of fraying apart. TSMC has already halted new orders, while SMIC, Shanghai-based semiconductor fabricator, remarked that the chipmaker remains fully committed to abiding by U.S regulations. SMIC’s 14nm Kirin 710F has found its way to the Honor Play 4T.

A twist in the story is that Asian chip vendors may be wary of getting caught up in the U.S.-China trade war. The U.S. government has said it will monitor whether the export rules need to be changed further. Further escalation may eventually lead to the end of Huawei’s consumer business group, as the U.S. may look for ways to restrict exports by foreign companies of foreign-origin items to Huawei even if they aren’t subject to current rules. This speculation has led to MediaTek’s shares tumbling down this week.

Huawei has a different viewpoint, however, Eric Zu, Huawei’s rotating chairman, said in late March that the company could still buy chips from MediaTek and Unisoc if the U.S. blocked its contract chip-making partners from using U.S. equipment, materials, and software to build Huawei-designed products. This statement ignores the reality of the new export rules, though.

Huawei being forced to use off-the-shelf chips will be a bad thing for its consumer product portfolio because it won’t have a distinction. However, a tech analyst from GF Securities said that Huawei has enough inventories of mobile processors to last until the end of this year, which means the real impact would be felt from the last quarter of this year if the vital supply issues aren’t solved. If HiSilicon’s chips aren’t supplied next year, it would be adverse for Huawei’s flagship Mate and P series smartphones that are intended for the flagship market. Huawei may be able to get chips from MediaTek and Unisoc, but it faces an uncertain future.

The targeted strike against HiSilicon will eventually lead to the chip division’s closure

A Reuters report expanded on the actions that the U.S. government is taking against Huawei. The report makes it clear that the U.S. administration is directly targeting HiSilicon, as the U.S. believes it’s a tool of strategic influence for the Chinese government. Huawei, for its part, has denounced the allegations and called the new measures “arbitrary and pernicious.” HiSilicon has become central to China’s ambitions in semiconductor technology in just a few years – it was established in 2004. For a long time, it was only an afterthought in a global chip business dominated by U.S., South Korean, and Japanese companies as Huawei relied on others for the chips that powered its equipment.

However, HiSilicon distinguished itself in the 2010s. Heavy investment in R&D helped drive rapid progress, and the company has been central to Huawei’s sudden and astonishing rise in the global smartphone business as well as in the emerging 5G networking business, where it is generally acknowledged that Huawei has technical superiority over its two chief rivals, Ericsson and Nokia.

HiSilicon’s chips are now considered to be more or less on par with those from Qualcomm, although there are important differences and weaknesses in some areas. However, it still is a rare example of a Chinese semiconductor product that competes globally. 5G is also an important part of the equation with Huawei being recognized as a leader by telecom providers. In March, Huawei revealed that 8% of the 50,000 5G base stations it sold in 2019 came with no U.S. technology as it used HiSilicon chips instead, a worthy feat.

The U.S. government used a comprehensive strategy to break down this success. Reuters reported that the new export control rule aims to block HiSilicon’s access to a) chip design software from U.S. firms such as Cadence Design Systems Inc, Synopsys Inc, and b) the manufacturing power of foundries, led by TSMC, which builds chips for the world’s top chip firms such as Qualcomm, Apple, AMD, and others.

The report succinctly noted that with the new restrictions, HiSilicion would either not be able to make new chips at all, or it would be forced to produce less than leading-edge chips. Without its own chips, Huawei would then lose its competitiveness over domestic phone rivals. International phone sales have already been crippled because of the GMS ban, which is an indispensable loss.

Still, there may be some hope. According to industry sources, Huawei has stockpiled chips, and the new U.S. rule will not go into full force for 120 days. Licenses could be granted for some technologies and HiSilicon can also keep using design software it has already acquired. However, it remains to be seen how much of this actually matters on the ground, considering the U-turns we have been witnessing over the past year.

All chip factors globally (including China’s leading foundry – SMIC) buy gear from the same equipment makers, led by US firms Applied Materials Inc, Lam Research Corp, and KLA Corp. These makers will be required to apply for licenses to supply their technology to foundries building Huawei-designed chips that will be delivered to Huawei. One exception is that the new rule will not catch items shipped to third party. Thus TSMC can then ship chips to HiSilicon’s device manufacturers who can send them directly to a consumer… but the problem is that HiSilicon’s chips are only used by Huawei, and these chips aren’t allowed to be delivered to Huawei, which in turn means that the exception is useless for HiSilicon.

Alternatives to U.S. machines exist, but it’s not simple to replace them. Japan’s Tokyo Electron Ltd makes gear that competes with Applied Materials, but industry sources note that chip production lines are finely calibrated systems where everything has to work well with other components.

Huawei, therefore, has few options left anymore. Having suppliers ship directly to Huawei consumers would be one preposterous possibility, and U.S. officials have said they will be vigilant about such workarounds. The second possibility is that Huawei and the Chinese government could re-double efforts to build production capabilities that don’t require U.S. tools by investing in nascent Chinese competitors and buying from Japanese and South Korean firms even if this requires sacrifices in quality. Again, such an approach will require years of effort.

The third possibility is that Huawei allows HiSilicon to fold up entirely and reverts to buying from foreign suppliers, excluding U.S. suppliers. There has been some talk of Huawei turning to Samsung processors, but again, the same rule that prevents TSMC from supplying to HiSilicon would likely also prevent Samsung Foundry from supplying to Huawei.

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Our view: It’s clear that there are no good options left for Huawei. If this escalation continues, the company will have no choice left but to close the Huawei Consumer Business Group. It can’t make sell laptops. It can’t make and sell server and AI chips. It’s restricted in selling 5G chips as it can sell only those that don’t contain U.S. technology. Huawei’s smartphone business now has a huge question mark hanging over it, even when we are talking about domestic operations only. If things go on, Huawei will eventually find it impossible to produce and sell smartphones even in China.

No, it’s clear that products need the absence of trade restrictions to be produced, marketed, and sold. If Huawei Consumer Business Group closes down, the world will lose its second-largest smartphone vendor. This, in turn, would adversely affect the competitive nature of the smartphone market, and a significant portion of 194,000 Huawei employees will be out of jobs. It’s concerning not just for Huawei, but for the global economy at a time when the worst global depression in eighty years has become a reality.

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Sources: Nikkei Asian Review, CNMO, VMall, Reuters

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[Update: Possible July Launch] HTC is still making phones and will launch a 5G smartphone this year

Update 1 (05/26/2020 @ 06:54 AM ET): New report suggests that HTC’s first 5G smartphone will launch in Taiwan in July 2020. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on February 22, 2020, as preserved below.

Do you remember HTC? Yes, it was the world’s largest Android smartphone vendor at one time. HTC has many firsts to its name, the most significant being that it was the first to launch an Android phone in the form of the Dream/T-Mobile G1. In recent years, however, it became a sorry spectacle. Its revenue declined continuously all through 2016 and 2017. Google acquired part of HTC’s smartphone division for $1.1 billion in 2017, and the deal closed in 2018. HTC vacated the Indian smartphone market in July of that year. Its last flagship phone launch remains the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-powered HTC U12+, which was launched in May 2018. In 2019, it made a deal with Indian smartphone vendors to use its name. It stopped selling phones in the UK due to a patent dispute, and the HTC Elevate community shut down in December 2019. The last “true” HTC phone launches to date were the HTC U19e and HTC Desire 19+, and the last HTC-branded phone launch was the budget Lava-made HTC Wildfire X. According to most observers, HTC’s focus is no longer on the smartphone market as it now prioritizes other ventures such as VR, but the company kept saying multiple times that it wasn’t dead. In a strange turn of events, the company’s new CEO, Yves Maitre, has now said in an interview that they are planning to launch a 5G phone this year.

Maitre is the new CEO of HTC since September 2019. He said that 2020 will be a year with many development opportunities in the Taiwan market, especially in 5G connected applications and the development of virtual visual content driven by 5G connected applications. HTC will invest more aggressively this year for two reasons. Firstly, it plans to launch its first 5G-connected phone, and secondly, it wants to invest in virtual vision applications.

The interview didn’t go into any more detail regarding HTC’s first 5G phone and the expected time of its announcement, unfortunately. The United News Network did state that it’s expected that HTC will have further cooperation with Qualcomm. The company will also launch high-end flagship phones first, apparently. However, the interview is unclear whether the Taiwanese phone manufacturer will adopt a multi-device strategy compared to other manufacturers or launch a mid-range 5G phone. (If HTC wants to launch a 5G phone, it has multiple options. It can either launch a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865-powered flagship or launch a Snapdragon 765-powered mid-range phone. It can even use one of MediaTek’s 5G Dimensity SoCs.)

There wasn’t anything else smartphone-related in the interview, as it then pivoted to HTC’s focus on 5G and VR. Virtual reality and mixed reality are current topics of focus, as seen in the HTC Vive and the Vive Cosmos. AR will also be the future development focus for the company as the company wants to provide the best application solutions for such needs. The company’s opinion about AR is that while many people are optimistic about AR applications, there are still many parts that need to be refined based on the development of the technology application. HTC will, therefore, think about the appropriate layout, and will not launch-related applications too soon. VR will take priority. Finally, the new Vive Cosmos Elite, Vive Cosmos Play, Vive Cosmos XR, and Vive Sync are expected to be shown in San Francisco in mid-March. They will be further displayed during GDC 2020, where content applications will be communicated with more game developers during the conference.

Via: UDN

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Update: HTC’s first 5G phone will reportedly launch in Taiwan in July

According to reports originating from Taiwan, HTC will be launching its first 5G phone in July 202 in Taiwan. The company is hoping to ride on the first wave of 5G smartphone releases in the country. Most of the current crop of 5G processors are in the upper end of the market, so the phone is also expected to hover around those regions.

Source: EPrice

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