LIVE FROM IFA 2019, BERLIN: Huawei claimed to have made a revolutionary leap in 5G with its Kirin 990, a chip which consumer CEO Richard Yu (pictured) hailed for a number of world firsts.

Speaking in the first keynote session, Yu said it was the world’s “most powerful 5G modem” as the first 5G flagship silicon-on-chip (SoC) unit, and the only one currently announced compatible with standalone and non-standalone versions of the network technology.

The executive went on to note rivals Samsung and Qualcomm offered a combination of 4G SoC chips and 5G modems, compared to the all-in-one solution released by Huawei.

Benefits of the new chip are said to include improved energy efficiency, increased processing power, superior delivery of AI applications and a reduction of the amount of space needed within devices to house what was previously two components.

A 4G version of the Kirin 990 with the 5G modem component swapped-out is also available.

Yu confirmed the Kirin 990 will be used in its forthcoming Mate 30 flagship, set to be unveiled in Munich later this month.

The session comes ahead of the second keynote, from Qualcomm president Cristiano Amon, where the company is expected to reveal its 5G chipset hand.

Launches
Among other announcements, Huawei also unveiled the Kirin A1 for wearables, alongside FreeBuds 3 earphones, which use the chip. The headphones will be marketed as offering a “new generation of true stereo”.

Yu also revealed details of new colours and various software upgrades for its flagship P30 Pro smartphone.