The next-generation of chips is all set to hit the Indian affordable smartphone market with the launch of Huawei 5C phone in the country today.
Unlike older chipsets like MT6753 and Snapdragon 410 — which are built on legacy 28 nm technology — the Huawei 5C flaunts the new Kirin 650 processor from HiSilicon, the chipmaking unit of the Chinese vendor, with 16 nm technology.
Like its peer Snapdragon 625, the Kirin 650 is expected to offer superior battery life while also improving performance in entry-level and mid-range devices.
The Snapdragon 625 is built on 14 nm process, while the Kirin 650 is built on 16 nm. These chips are aimed at the mid-range, while the corresponding high-end chipsets are the Snapdragon 820 and Kirin 950/955.
Compared to the MT6753 chipset found in models such as Lenovo K4 Note and the Snapdragon 410, the Kirin 650 offers a performance boost of around 50-70% without consuming extra battery.
The Snapdragon 625 chipset, which should give competition to Kirin 650, is yet to debut in India, and is expected to first show up in Asus Zenfone 3, which will be launched very soon. However, that phone is likely to cost around Rs 17,000 at least.
In comparison, the Honor 5C is likely to be priced at Rs 14,000.
That said, it remains to be seen if the phone can make any impact in the Indian market due to the pricing strategy.
The Rs 10,000-12,000 range is where most of the sales are, and going by the specifications of the 5c, that is where the model belongs.
The 10,000-12,000 price segment currently offers Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, Meizu M3 Note and the new LeEco Le 2, which will start selling next Tuesday.
Compared to these models, the Honor 5c will appear way too expensive if the model is pitched at Rs 14,999 as is likely, going by its price in Europe.
While the Honor 5c comes with an efficient chipset that will prolong battery life, models like Redmi Note 3 and Meizu M3 Note pack extra big batteries to compensate for the higher power draw. The 5c has a 3 Ah battery, while the other two come with 4 Ah units.
Another difference is in terms of screensize, with all the other three models flaunting 5.5 inch displays versus the 5.2 inch one on the Honor model
Besides, the Huawei model comes with just 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory compared to 3 GB and 32 GB offered by the others.
Except for the Meizu M3 Note, these models are also significantly more powerful than the Honor 5c too. The 5c would work, however, if it’s priced at Rs 9,999 or thereabouts.
You can watch the live transmission of the unveiling of the phone below:
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