Huawei unveils Kirrin 990 processor, Freebuds 3 and new P30 Pro colours at IFA

IFA is wrapping up as we speak, but there’s still some news coming out with Huawei announcing their Kirrin 990 mobile processor, an updated set of Freebuds 3 earbuds and new P30 Pro colours.

Kirrin 990

The Kirrin 990 processor will first be seen in the upcoming Mate 30 series of phones set to be unveiled in Munich on September 19th.

Built on the 7nm process, the octa-core CPU is expected to be both fast, and power efficient thanks to the 5G modem being incorporated into the processor. Huawei says the 5G modem is possible of download rates of 2.3 Gbit/s and upload speeds up to 1.25 Gbit/s.

The processor also incorporates professional-level hardware noise reduction (NR), which Huawei says allows whichever phone it’s in to capture ‘brighter and sharper images in low light environments’.

Freebuds 3

Huawei has also announced the Freebuds 3, an iteration on their wireless earbuds.

The Freebuds 3 are really looking to take on Apple’s Airpods especially with their similar design, with the bud hanging out of the ear. The buds aren’t just a clone though with Huawei developing the Kirin A1 chip to improve sound quality, including active noise cancelling technology for a much improved listening experience.

Huawei has confidence in the ability of the included 14mm dynamic driver in the Freebuds 3 to deliver a great audio performance, including a bass tube for an overall listening experience they say is ‘Louder, stronger, tighter and punchier’.

Battery life is expected to be good, with the buds able to play music for four hours, while the battery case – which is now powered by a USB-C cable – can add up to 20 hours of listening in total.

Huawei hasn’t announced pricing or availability for the Freebuds 3, but we’ll find out more closer to launch, possibly as a free gift with the Mate 30 when it launches.

P30 Pro refresh

Finally, Huawei is refreshing their P30 line with two new colours and the introduction of EMUI 10, their skinned version of Android 10.

The P30 Pro will be re-released in Mystic Blue and Misty Lavendar colours, with the design of the phone changing so there’s now a glossy section at the top, while the bottom is matte.

The matte bottom will avoid the messy fingerprints and smudges which often plague handsets with glossy backs, and the new colours certainly look spectacular.

The fresh coat of paint and updated EMUI 10/Android 10 software – which Huawei has announced will be released as a beta for other P30 Pro users this month – are the only real updates for the phone. The same great camera, which was rated by DXOMark as one of the best released, is still there, so you can be assured of a good shot.

Huawei Australia hasn’t announced any plans to release these two new P30 Pro variants in Australia as yet, but we’ll let you know if they do.

EFTM’s coverage of IFA 2019 is supported by Vodafone, Porsche & Samsung