News

Huawei’s next-gen chipset is said to be faster than Apple A10

Published

October 19, 2016

Monch Lopez

Huawei just unveiled the next-generation mobile chipset that will power the company’s rumored Mate 9 flagship, which is expected to debut on November 3 in Munich, Germany.

The new Kirin 960 system-on-a-chip features eight CPU cores — one set of four performance cores and another that utilizes four low-powered cores — and a graphics chip that could be headed to the Samsung Galaxy S8 as well. In other words, pretty exciting stuff if you care about specs and what they will mean for the Mate 9.

[irp posts=”6906″ name=”Is Huawei set to announce a Note 7 clone?”]

But if anything, today’s announcement suggests how the next breed of Android devices could close the gap or even pull ahead of the iPhones of tomorrow. If you ask Huawei, they will tell you they’re already ahead of their U.S.-based arch-rival, in that the Kirin 960 smokes the silicon inside the Galaxy Note 7 and iPhone 7 in multicore tests, outdoing its competition in all but one of the 14 most popular apps in China.

The Kirin 960’s GPU is said to be 180 percent faster than that of Huawei’s P9, closing in on the graphical power of the iPhone 7. Assuming that is indeed the case, we may be looking at one of the most powerful — if not the most powerful — Android phones ever produced.

The chipset also further lowers power consumption while playing demanding games like Pokemon Go, with an array of optimized motion sensors. For Pokemon Go, the claim is up to 1.2 days of playing time compared to a device that can barely handle half a day’s worth of playing. The Kirin 960’s onboard radio is capable of hitting peak download speeds of 600Mbps and working effectively in areas where cellular coverage is weak or unreliable.

As for its camera capabilities, the chip improves image clarity and brings more selective focusing options after the fact, further hinting at the dual-camera setup on the back of the Mate 9.

Considering the hardware of the P9 phones, it’s practically a given that the upcoming phablet will sport more than one rear camera, though the second camera’s purpose may not be to capture black-and-white images but to refocus shots after they have been taken. Huawei isn’t new to taking that approach. We’ve seen the Honor 6 Plus and what it could do with its cameras.

In any case, we’ll report back on November 3rd when the Kirin 960 (and Mate 9?) becomes official.

[irp posts=”4396″ name=”Huawei-made Honor 8 now available in the U.S.”]

Source: Android Central

Related Topics:HiSilicon Huawei Kirin 960 Mate 9

News

Budget smartphone realme C100 Series launches

Long battery life, ruggedness, more

Published

June 18, 2026

GadgetMatch

The realme C100 Series, the brand’s latest rugged essential smartphone in the budget segment, has officially launched in the Philippines.

The series introduces up to an 8,000mAh Titan Battery on the realme C100 model, as well as IP69 Pro certification.

This means the handset has IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K dust and water resistance ratings to handle high-pressure water exposure and submersion for up to six meters and 30 minutes.

The C100 also supports 45W SUPERVOOC charging for quick battery top-ups. It even has a 10W reverse charging support to power other small devices.

On the other hand, the realme C100i comes with a 7,000mAh Titan Battery to likewise power all-day use. This model supports a steady 15W charging and 6W reverse charging. It is also rated IP64 for dust and water resistance.

In addition, both models support Rain Touch Mode, making the 6.8-inch 120Hz display optimized for touches even when it is wet. This panel also comes with ArmorShell Glass protection.

Powering the C100 is the MediaTek Helio G92 Max processor while the C100i has as Unisoc T7250 processor. The devices run on realme UI 7.0 (Android 16).

Price, availability

In the Philippines, the realme C100 Series comes in various storage configurations:

C100i (4GB+64GB): PhP 6,313 (SRP: PhP 8,999)
C100i (4GB+128GB): PhP 7,379 (SRP: PhP 11,999)
C100i (4GB+256GB): PhP 8,199 (SRP: PhP 13,999)
C100 (4GB+256GB): PhP 11,195 (SRP: PhP 16,999)
C100 (8GB+256GB): PhP 14,000 (SRP: PhP 19,999)

Limited-time launch offers are available through Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok from June 18 to June 30.

The phones are also available at realme concept stores, kiosks, and partner retailers nationwide. Potential freebies include a TechLife Smart band, extended warranty and screen damage protection, privilege card, or additional cash discount.

News

Did Tim Cook just confirm that iPhone prices are going up?

Once again, it might be because of the RAM crisis.

Published

June 18, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If there’s one thing you can count on in the smartphone world, it’s the high price of an iPhone. Unfortunately, with the ongoing RAM shortages, things might get worse. Apple’s Tim Cook has essentially confirmed that the brand is about to raise its prices.

Via an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cook said, “Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable.” As with other companies, the outgoing CEO is talking about the RAM crisis. With a lot of chips going to AI, consumer-ready silicon is getting scarcer and scarcer. Thankfully, some brands are shielding its users from the increases, but it’s reaching levels that aren’t sustainable for business.

“We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable,” he said.

Cook did not explain how much prices will go up or when. However, with the iPhone 18 series (and a potential iPhone Fold) just on the horizon, it seems nigh.

Apple isn’t the first brand to react to the shortages (nor will it be the last). Now, regardless of whether or not Apple has the capabilities to tank the crisis, the biggest culprit is still AI. Companies today are more than willing to use AI as a scapegoat, real or otherwise, for shady cost-cutting or profit-enhancing practices.

News

Apple might launch an iPhone Air 2 next year

This is despite the iPhone Air’s reportedly low demand.

Published

June 18, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Is this the most varied that an iPhone lineup has ever been? With an iPhone Fold supposedly coming out later this year, the current lineup includes a base model, two Pro models, an ultra-thin Air model, and the affordable 17e. There’s now an iPhone for everyone. According to a new report, next year won’t be any different. Apple is reportedly launching the iPhone Air 2 early next year.

Among all the current models in the lineup, the iPhone Air does seem like the oddest of the bunch. Whereas the other models already have established niches, the Air is positioned simply as a thinner iPhone, riding on the short-lived ultra-thin phone trend. In fact, recent reports suggest that the Air isn’t as popular as its contemporaries.

Apparently, Apple doesn’t see it that way. According to Bloomberg, the brand is still surging forward with an iPhone Air 2. The upcoming version might even add a second camera and an improved processor.

Despite reports that it isn’t that popular, Apple might still believe in the model’s future. At this point, they should; Apple has always had a problem with the base model’s partner. Years of flip-flopping around what it should be, Apple wants to stay a little bit longer on the Air.