HONOR Confirms Return Of Google Mobile Services; HONOR 50 To Be First Device

HONOR, the brand that was once a subsidiary of Huawei, made an indirect announcement recently that Google Mobile Services will indeed be returning to its devices. According to the brand, the first device that is set to reflect the return in a post-Huawei world is the HONOR 50.

Confirmation of GMS’ return to the brand’s upcoming device was done via Twitter, through the brand’s official German account. The tweet is no longer available, but as per Android Authority, it came as a reply to one user’s query. In addition to GMS, HONOR Germany also confirmed that the phone will retain Magic UI, which is technically an off-shoot of Huawei’s own EMUI.

As a quick primer, news about Huawei potentially selling off HONOR first cropped up in November last year. Back then, it was reported that the Chinese telecommunications and smartphone brand would sell its sister brand to a Shenzhen-based consortium for a sum of US$15.2 billion (~RM63 billion). Within a week, the sale was confirmed.

As for the hardware powering the HONOR 50, we know that the phone will be one of the first devices to be fitted with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC, while the Pro version of it should house the top-tier Snapdragon 888. Camera-wise, the phone is expected to feature a 50MP main camera reminiscent of Huawei’s alleged main camera design of the P50. It will also reportedly include a 13MP ultrawide and 8MP ultrawide.

In addition, the phone is expected to sport a 6.79-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate.

Qualcomm May Make Its Own Nintendo Switch-Like Device

The Nintendo Switch has been in the news quite frequently as of late, with recent 4K output and DLSS reports. Qualcomm is likely taking some notes from the Japanese games company. Recent reports indicate that the mobile chip maker may be trying to board the hype train by making something similar.

Sources to Android Police say Qualcomm is planning its own Android-based games console with a “less traditional form factor”. More specifically, it will likely be running a custom version of Android 12. The device itself will look like a thicker, bulkier smartphone. It will also come with detachable controllers much like the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons. It will also be packing a 6000mAh battery with Quick Charge.

Another similarity to the Nintendo Switch is that this Qualcomm device will have the ability to output to an external display. Though for now it is not yet clear if this will be via a mini HDMI or USB-C, or anything else entirely. Then it will also have the usual smartphone bells and whistles like GPS and even 5G connectivity. That being said, Android Police believes this will make use of the older X55 modem. The device will also not be able to act as a mobile phone, so no making calls and sending SMS from it.

The report also mentions that Qualcomm is aiming for a Q1 2022 release for its Nintendo Switch-inspired device. It may also come with a price tag of US$300 (~RM1240), but it’s unclear if this price includes the detachable controllers, or even the 5G connectivity. Distribution also seems to be direct sales or via US telcos, so it remains to be seen if the company intends to make it available anywhere else.