Coolpad’s 5G phone costs under $400 and packs impressive hardware

If you’re looking for an affordable smartphone in the United States, then Coolpad is one of the brands that you’ll likely come across. The company is well known as an entry-level brand, but last year, they pivoted to become a more family-oriented brand with products like the Dyno smartwatch and FamilyLabs application. While major smartphone brands heavily market their high-end (and expensive) 5G devices, Coolpad aims to democratize 5G access by bringing a 5G device below the $400 price point. At CES 2020, the company announced a family of Legacy 5G devices, starting with the Coolpad Legacy 5G. It’s the first 5G smartphone from Coolpad, and it’s likely the cheapest 5G smartphone coming to the U.S.

Coolpad caught our attention when they announced that they were making a 5G smartphone for under $400, but they grabbed our interest when they shared the full specifications of the device with us. When the device launches this year, it’ll bring a 6.53″ FHD+ LCD, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of UFS 2.1 storage, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 4000mAh battery, a 48MP primary camera, and Android 10. These specifications place the Coolpad Legacy 5G in the upper tier of mid-range devices in the U.S. market. At least on paper, the Coolpad Legacy 5G should be the best performing mid-range phone in the U.S.; the only other mid-range smartphone with a Snapdragon 7 series chipset in the U.S. is the Motorola razr, a foldable phone that costs nearly 4 times as much as the Coolpad Legacy.

Sure, when compared to the Google Pixel 3a, the Coolpad Legacy 5G lacks NFC, an AMOLED display, comparable camera processing, and guaranteed updates. What’s most important about the device, though, is the fact that it supports sub-6GHz 5G networks like T-Mobile and AT&T, thanks to the integrated Snapdragon X52 modem in the Snapdragon 765. Sub-6GHz frequencies don’t provide as high throughput or as low latency as mmWave frequencies, but sub-6GHz connections are more reliable and have far better range, which is why these frequencies form the backbone of 5G networks across the U.S.

Coolpad Legacy 5G Specifications

Specification	Coolpad Legacy 5G
Dimensions and Weight (Not Final)	165 x 77 x 9.5 mm 195g
Display	6.53″ FHD+ IPS LCD; PixelWorks HDR for HDR 10; Waterdrop notch
CPU and GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765: 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Prime core 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Performance core 6x (ARM Cortex-A55-based) Efficiency cores 7nm EUV manufacturing process Adreno 620
RAM and Storage	4GB + 64GB UFS 2.1; Expandable through microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
Battery and Charging	4,000 mAh battery 18W fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0)
Rear Camera	Primary: 48MP primary (undisclosed sensor) Secondary: 8MP wide-angle (undisclosed sensor)
Front Camera	16MP, fixed focus
Software	Android 10, monthly security patches, no commitment yet for major OS upgrades
Connectivity	4G and 5G (sub-6GHz): T-Mobile, AT&T, support for Sprint bands CDMA fallback to support rural carriers No NFC No WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0, with Tempow’s technology built-in multi-Bluetooth broadcasting Dual-frequency GNSS Single SIM
Audio	3.5mm headphone jack Dual microphones Hotword detection for Google Assistant voice wakeup Audio tuned by THX
Security	Rear-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor Face unlock (software-based)

The specification sheet paints the Coolpad Legacy 5G as an excellent mid-range smartphone made even better with its support for sub-6GHz 5G and a sub-$400 price tag. While other 5G phones in the U.S. are near $1,000, this device is less than half that. Only the upcoming TCL 10 5G is comparable in price, though that device is still at least $100 more expensive. We’ll have to test the Coolpad Legacy 5G for ourselves to see if the device actually provides a good experience beyond what the specification sheet can tell us.

The Legacy 5G will be available for purchase through Amazon, Coolpad’s website, and in retail outlets across the USA in Q2 of 2020.

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The MediaTek Dimensity 800 is a new 5G chip for mid-range smartphones

MediaTek is a Taiwanese chip vendor that is primarily known for producing low-end and mid-range smartphone SoCs (system-on-chips). In the past, the company also made high-end SoCs that were intended for flagship smartphones. This changed in 2018 as MediaTek vacated the high-end SoC space due to Qualcomm’s dominant position in the market. For 2018 and 2019, MediaTek opted to focus on the mid-range Helio P and Helio G series. With the arrival of 2020, MediaTek has again opted to dip its toes in flagship territory with the 5G Dimensity series. The company announced the flagship Dimensity 1000 SoC for high-end phones in November 2019. In December, OPPO announced the OPPO Reno3 with the Dimensity 1000L SoC, although as of now, the differences between the Dimensity 1000 and the Dimensity 1000L are unknown. Now, MediaTek has expanded the Dimensity series by announcing the mid-range Dimensity 800 5G SoC. The company aims to bring flagship features, power and performance to 2020’s premium mid-range 5G phones.

The key feature of the Dimensity 5G series is that it offers integrated 5G modems in a single chip, making itself similar to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765/765G, and the HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G. In contrast, SoCs such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and the Samsung Exynos 990 have discrete 5G modems (which means having two chips — i.e. SoC + modem). Having an integrated 5G modem should theoretically offer improved power efficiency. The Dimensity 800 is manufactured on a 7nm process (it’s unknown whether it’s TSMC 7nm or Samsung 7nm), and the first devices featuring the SoC are expected to launch in the first half of 2020.

The Dimensity 800 5G SoC supports 5G with two carrier aggregation (2CC CA) for 30% wider high speed layer coverage, more seamless 5G handover, and higher average throughput performance compared to other solutions that use single carrier (1CC, no CA). It supports both standalone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) sub-6GHz networks (Currently all 5G networks are NSA, while the first 5G SA networks are expected to arrive later this year). It includes multi-mode support for 2G/3G/4G, and also supports Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS). The Dimensity 800 series includes support for services such as Voice over New Radio (VoNR). According to MediaTek, the chip’s integrated 5G modem delivers “extreme energy efficiency” and is said to be a more power-efficient design than other solutions in the market.

The MediaTek Dimensity 800 has four big ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked at up to 2GHz, paired with four little ARM Cortex-A55 cores clocked at up to 2GHz. MediaTek is specifically promoting the chip’s inclusion of more performance cores compared to SoCs such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765/765G as having more performance cores improves app and game launch times and improves multi-threaded performance as well. The Dimensity 800 is the first SoC to introduce the four flagship performance-core architecture to the mainstream segment. It’s not using the newer flagship ARM Cortex-A77 core, which is a bit of a disappointment. MediaTek likely made the decision to use the older Cortex-A76 to provide differentiation between product segments, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 series also didn’t make the jump to the Cortex-A77.

In terms of GPU performance, the Dimensity 800 has four cores of Dimensity 1000-class GPU IP, which likely means that it’s using a 4-core version of ARM’s Mali-G77 (Mali-G77MC4). This is combined with MediaTek’s HyperEngine gaming technology to provide a “no-compromise” gaming experience, and on paper, this particular GPU implementation should be competitive with the Snapdragon 765G’s Adreno 620 GPU.

MediaTek’s APU 3.0 (AI Processing Unit) has four cores consisting of three different core types in its design and this enables the Dimensity 800 to provide up to 2.4 TOPS of AI performance. The APU HW design is said to be more efficient and more powerful for FP16 to enable the most precise AI-camera results.

The ISP has a lot to say for itself as well. The company proclaims it as a “flagship-level” image signal processor, as it supports up to four concurrent cameras. The Dimensity 800 supports up to 64MP cameras, which means its ISP can handle processing of 64MP images, or large multi-camera options such as 32MP + 16MP dual cameras, backed by the hardware depth engine. The AI camera enhancements are said to be flagship-class as well. The Dimensity 800 series includes AI autofocus, autoexposure, auto white balance, noise reduction, high dynamic range (AI HDR), and dedicated facial detection hardware. It’s said to have the world’s first multi-frame 4K video HDR capability (video HDR).

Finally, the Dimensity 800 series supports Full HD+ displays with refresh rates up to 90Hz. While this brings a flagship-level feature to the mid-range segment, the Snapdragon 765 is even better in this respect as it supports 120Hz refresh rate displays.

MediaTek notes that the Dimensity 800 series is designed for global sub-6GHz 5G networks that are being deployed in Asia, North America, and Europe through 2020. On paper, the SoC seems to be a strong competitor to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765/765G, as it will likely have better CPU performance and a competitive GPU implementation. For the sake of competition, we hope to see mid-range phones adopting the Dimensity 800 series as an alternative to Qualcomm’s SoCs throughout 2020.

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HP Is Running a Huge Red Tag Sale on Laptops, Desktops, and Accessories

While the season of gifting has come and gone, the discounts are still going strong. If you’re looking for a hardware upgrade, the HP Store Red Tag Sale is definitely worth a look. This shopping event includes deals on laptops, desktops, displays, printers, and more, with up to 62% off standard prices.

One of the highlights is the HP Spectre x360 Laptop (13t Touch). Normally priced at $1,149.99, this lightweight yet powerful device is now just $729.99. The x360 runs Windows 10 on an 8th-gen Intel i5 processor, with 8GB of memory and 256GB of solid-state storage. It also has Intel UHD Graphics 620 for smooth gaming.

Another dazzling deal is $710 off the HP 340S G7 Notebook PC. This 14-inch laptop has a 10th Generation Intel i3 processor and great battery life. If you want more power, you can upgrade to an Intel i5 or i7 processor, up to 16GB of memory, and up to 512GB of storage.

You can also save 52% on the HP 24uh 24-inch LED Backlit Monitor. This impressive energy-efficient display offers full HD resolution at 60Hz, with a 5ms response time and a 10 million : 1 dynamic contrast ratio. During the sale, the monitor is only $119.99.

From gaming towers to security software, there are many more great savings in this sale. Head over to the HP Store now to find yourself a steal.

Prices subject to change.

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Lenovo announces the Yoga 5G 2-in-1 laptop with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx and $1499 price tag

At the Snapdragon Tech Summit in 2018, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8cx — a new mobile platform designed for Always On, Always Connected PCs. Devices with the new chip were expected to hit the market late last year and, as expected, Microsoft unveiled the Snapdragon 8cx powered Surface Pro X in October last year. Along with the Surface Pro X, the chip can also be found on the Samsung Galaxy Book S and now, it’s making an appearance on the Lenovo Yoga 5G 2-in-1 convertible.

Back at Computex 2019 last year, Qualcomm and Lenovo partnered to announce “Project Limitless” — a laptop powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx. The partnership has now finally come to fruition and we now have our first look at the Lenovo Yoga 5G 2-in-1 at the ongoing CES 2020. What differentiates the new Yoga from other Snapdragon 8cx powered devices is that it’s the first 8cx device to be paired with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 modem for 5G connectivity. The Snapdragon X55 modem can already be found on a number of Android devices and it supports both millimeter-wave full-band and sub-6 GHz 5G networks.

The Lenovo Yoga 5G offers a sleek design with a 360-degree hinge that we’ve previously seen on a number of Yoga devices from the company. The notebook weighs in a just 1.3kg and features a 14-inch Full HD IPS touch display with 400 nits of peak brightness. For graphically intensive tasks, the Yoga 5G packs in a Qualcomm Adreno 680 GPU that should be enough for high-definition media consumption. The Yoga 5G will pack in 8GB of RAM for fluid multitasking and up to 512GB of internal storage. The device is aimed at professionals and features an IR camera and a fingerprint sensor for security. Lenovo claims that the laptop can offer up to 24 hours of battery backup on a full charge, making it ideal for those of you who are constantly working on the go.

Since the Snapdragon 8cx is an ARM64 chip, the Yoga 5G will run Windows 10 on ARM out of the box. x86-64 bit applications will need to be recompiled to run on Windows 10 on ARM, though many x86- 32 bit application can be run through the emulation layer. In terms of I/O, the Yoga 5G packs in two USB Type-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack, and a nano-SIM slot for 5G SIM cards, however, the Yoga 5G will also feature eSIM support. Lenovo is set to release the Yoga 5G sometime in Spring this year at a starting price of $1,499.

Specifications	Lenovo Yoga 5G 2-in-1
Weight	1.3kg
Display Size	14″ IPS LCD with touch support
Display Resolution	FHD (1920 x 1080)
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
Graphics	Qualcomm Adreno 680
RAM	8GB
Storage Options	256GB 512GB
Ports & Extras	2x USB Type-C ports 3.5mm combo jack Nano SIM slot Fingerprint scanner IR Camera
Battery	Rated for up to 24 hours
Operating System	Windows 10 on ARM

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Qualcomm announces the aptX Voice Bluetooth audio codec for improved voice call quality

At CES‌ 2020, Qualcomm has announced a new Bluetooth codec aimed at improving voice call quality. Aptly named aptX Voice, the new codec is part of the aptX Adaptive audio family. While mobile carriers have made great strides improving the voice call quality on their networks in recent years, users have not able to enjoy many of the improvements when they’re making calls over Bluetooth.

Qualcomm claims its new aptX Voice can fill this gap by offering the same HD‌ quality voice over Bluetooth that we enjoy on our smartphones.

“aptX technology revolutionized the Bluetooth stereo listening experience by bringing unprecedented wireless audio quality, and aptX Voice is set to do the same for voice calls”

James Chapman, VP and General Manager, Voice, Music and Wearables, Qualcomm Technologies International

Think of aptX Voice as aptX HD but for voice calls. The codec offers 32KHz sampled audio with a flat 16KHz frequency response which is significantly better than those offered by the narrowband Bluetooth codecs within the Bluetooth Handsfree Profile which are usually capped at 8KHz sample rate. Qualcomm says the super-wideband support allows the codec to deliver superior voice clarity and speech intelligibility compared to the existing codecs. The codec will also reportedly make it easier to hear faint talkers, accented speakers and double-talk i.e. when both parties are speaking at the same time.

The aptX Voice will be offered as an optional codec in the aptX Adaptive suite. The codec is already supported on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 765 Mobile Platforms. It will be available for licensing to headphones and accessories makers as part of Qualcomm’s new range of Bluetooth Audio chips which the company plans to release later in 2020.

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Source: Qualcomm

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Intel’s Horseshoe Bend PC is a foldable laptop with a massive 17.3″ screen

Foldables displays have been luring enthusiasts at tech shows like the CES, Las Vegas, for over a decade now. The start was rough and patchy and all we saw were concept products. With time, we started seeing foldable OLED TVs and even though Samsung showed the first prototype of a foldable smartphone display in as early as 2014, the company took five years – and multiple hiccups – to realize that vision. After devices like the Huawei Mate X, the Galaxy Fold, and the Motorola Razr, there’s decent confidence in foldable smartphones but many laptop manufacturers like Lenovo have already started pitching ideas for foldable laptops. After Lenovo, chipmaker Intel is publicizing their own concept of a foldable “Horseshoe Bend” computer that can be folded into a 12.5″ laptop.

Instead of seeing this as a typical laptop, you can see Intel’s Horseshoe Bend concept as a desktop computer with special powers. The kickstand allows the concept device to sit straight on a table and hooked to a keyboard and mouse. In this orientation, the OLED screen measures 17.3-inches diagonally, which is quite a lot of real estate compared to a standard desktop monitor. Plus the display also supports touch which makes it even more useful.

Images courtesy of CNET

When folded along the center, the Intel concept becomes a mini laptop with a screen size of just about 12.5-inches. In a conversation with CNET, Intel GM Chris Walker insists that this is “not a reimagine tablet” but a mobile PC with full PC capabilities. CNET, which also got an exclusive look at the prototype, reports that Intel may not build this prototype into a commercial machine – after all Intel is not a PC manufacturer, but it is likely to sell this recipe to one or more OEMs for the latter to convert the concept to a product.

The Intel Horseshoe Bend concept is just 7.75mm in thickness and comes with “two hinges in parallel” to unite both the halves. Like the Galaxy Fold, there’s a gap towards the center when the display is folded. But this space, Intel suggests, can be used to accommodate a full-sized physical keyboard. The same keyboard can be used when the PC is fully stretched out for desktop usage. If you won’t like that much, a virtual keyboard comes up on the concept PC when it’s folded midway. For now, the prototype only seems to fold inwards and not outwards; so a tent mode may not be feasible just yet.

Images courtesy of CNET

Inside, the Intel Horeshoe Bend PC rocks Intel’s upcoming Tiger Lake 10nm mobile processor which will succeed the current Ice Lake Intel Core processors. The Tiger Lake processors will be announced later on in 2020 and not only is Intel showing the concept design but also using this chance to tease the new microarchitecture.

Clearly, the Intel foldable concept PC is far from being utilized as a commercial device. You obviously cannot buy it but the chipmaker will be working with other manufacturers to produce other pragmatic solutions. Naturally, there will a hefty price tag hanging from one of those but if you cherish technology irrespective of the money, you should be able to treat yourself with one of the devices based on this concept later this year.

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Featured image courtesy: CNET

Source: CNET

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OmniVision’s new 48MP OV48C image sensor seems better than the 64MP IMX686

In 2019, the most popular image sensor for flagship and mid-range smartphones was by far the Sony IMX586 48MP image sensor, which made its way to a surprisingly large number of phones. Flagship phones from the likes of Samsung, Huawei, Google, and Apple continued to use custom sensors, but vendors such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO, Honor, and others fully adopted the IMX586 Quad Bayer sensor, which proved more popular than its competitor, the Samsung ISOCELL GM1. In the latter half of the year, some high-profile phones did opt to use Samsung’s newer 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor, while the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 made itself a pioneer by featuring the 108MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. In December, the IMX586’s successor, the 64MP Sony IMX686, started being included in new launches. These days, the competition in the mobile image sensor market consists mostly of Sony and Samsung, but there is another player in the market: OmniVision. While their products have had few design wins over the last few years, it has tried to make itself more relevant by announcing a new flagship 48MP image sensor for high-end phones in the form of the OmniVision OV48C.

The OmniVision OV48C is a 48MP image sensor with a large 1.2 micron pixel size. This makes it atypically large as all the other 48MP image sensors have a 0.8 micron pixel size. The higher pixel size is because the sensor is physically bigger. It has a 1/1.3″ sensor size, whereas the IMX586 and the Samsung GM1/GM2 have a 1/2″ sensor size. The 1/1.3″ sensor size is one of the largest for any smartphone image sensor, and it’s only smaller than the 2012 Nokia 808 PureView’s 1/1.2″ image sensor. The 64MP Samsung GW1 has a 1/1.7″ sensor size, which is still smaller than the OmniVision OV48C’s sensor. OmniVision states that this enables high resolution and excellent low light performance for flagship smartphone cameras.

The OV48C is said to be the industry’s first image sensor for high resolution mobile cameras with on-chip dual conversion gain HDR, which “eliminates motion artifacts and produces an excellent signal-to-noise ratio SNR)”, according to OmniVision. The sensor also offers a staggered HDR option with on-chip combination, which provides smartphone designers with flexibility to select the best HDR method for a given scene.

The 48MP flagship image sensor is built on OmniVision’s PureCel Plus stacked die technology. It integrates an on-chip, 4-cell color filter array (BCFA – Buried Color Filter Array) and hardware remosaic, which provides high quality 48MP Bayer output. This is an important differentiation versus sensors such as the IMX586, which have 48MP Quad Bayer sensors. Quad Bayer sensors have less color resolution than standard Bayer sensors. The OV48C seems to be the first mobile image sensor capable of handling 48MP Bayer output, which means it has higher resolution than the other 48MP and 64MP image sensors on the market. It can also output 8K video in real time.

Interestingly, OmniVision proclaims that in low light conditions, the sensor can use near-pixel binning to output a 12MP image for 4K2K video with four times the sensitivity, with a 2.4 micron-equivalent performance. The near-pixel binning part is puzzling, but a 2.4 micron-equivalent performance would likely lead to class-leading low light image quality, with the disclaimer that all other factors should remain constant. In either case, the OV48C is said to be capable of capturing “the best quality images without motion blur”, and it will also be capable of enabling digital crop mode zoom with 12MP resolution (this refers to lossless zoom) and fast mode switch. The sensor also offers features such as a CPHY interface that makes it more suitable for rear-facing main cameras in multi-camera configurations. For fast autofocus, the OV48C relies on 4C Half Shield phase detection.

The OmniVision OV48C can output 48MP at 15fps (this refers to the absence of zero shutter lag), 12MP with 4-cell binning at 60fps (ZSL), and 4K2K video at 60fps with the extra pixels needed for electronic image stabilization (EIS). It also offers 1080p slow motion video at 240fps in addition to 720p at 360fps, although this feature is arguably not impressive as competing sensors can go as high as 1080p at 960fps, while many phones can now record 1080p at 480fps.

OmniVision states that OV48C samples are available now, and the sensor will be demonstrated at the company’s CES hotel suite from January 7-10. As of now, the company hasn’t stated whether the sensor will actually be available in a phone this year. Apart from the OnePlus 2 in 2015, it’s hard to recall a major phone launch featuring an OmniVision image sensor. The specifications of the OV48C certainly sound impressive, but it remains to be seen how it will fare against Sony’s 64MP IMX686 and Samsung’s 108MP ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor in shipping phones.

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Source: OmniVision (press release)

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