Smartphones at IFA 2018: What’s New and What’s Hot?

The 2018 edition of the IFA consumer electronics trade show has a few new smartphone launches that you need to know about. LG has a cool new phone based on Android One, called the LG G7 One, and BlackBerry is finally deeming its gadgets worthy of mass consumption by releasing a phone that won’t make you break the piggy bank open.

BlackBerry Key 2 LE

Oh BlackBerry. Yes, it’s still around. The once-dominant business phone’s new owner, TCL, is as obstinate as the shopkeeper in the Monty Python sketch. TCL believes BlackBerry isn’t dead, and so must we.

At IFA, BlackBerry debuted the new Key 2 LE. It seems like LE stands for Light Edition because it’s essentially the Key 2 with inferior hardware. The phone has a Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 3,000 mAh battery, all of which are a step down from the Key 2. The dual camera is a combination of a 13-megapixel shooter and a 5-megapixel shooter, instead of the Key 2’s dual 12-megapixel shooters.

On the bright side, the price comes down as well to a much more affordable $399 for 32GB, or $449 for 64GB. That’s not cheap, but if you want a phone with a physical keyboard, then the BlackBerry Key 2 LE is the only real mid-range phone you should consider.

The rest of the things are what you know and love about BlackBerry. It’s the same keyboard as the Key 2, with its angled keys and the custom one-command shortcut key. You also get the famed BlackBerry security. Basically, if you’re a BlackBerry fan, you won’t miss any software.

LG G7 One

The LG G7 One is the latest in Google’s Android One program. What started as a simple initiative to give a stock version of Android on low-cost phones has now expanded to bring other features, notably augmented reality, to even mid-range and high-end phones. The G7 One is probably going to be mid-range, although LG hasn’t released the price details yet.

The lack of bloatware is welcome since LG has a habit of adding a ton of customizations that makes Android unrecognizable. It also inserts you deep into its ecosystem of products, so unless you’re buying every product from LG, these extra apps are bloatware.

In contrast, the G7 One feels slim and sleek both in software and in hardware. That said, the phone does make some compromises, especially in the camera department. In an age of dual cameras, it packs only a single 16-megapixel shooter. Still, the rest of the hardware is all right, with a quality Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, a 6.1 inch screen (3120×1440 pixels), and a 3000 mAh battery.

But the point of the G7 One really is all about the software. This phone is a good example of how Google Lens works, where you can take a photo of anything you see to see an explanation. For instance, let’s say you’re walking down the road and see someone wearing a bag you really like. Double-tap the dedicated Google Lens button on the phone to fire up the app, and point it at the bag. In a few seconds, Google Lens will tell you everything you want to know about the bag, and give you options to buy it online. It works really well, and it’s almost magical to see it live.

LG did not give any details about the price of the device or its availability. If you want to venture a guess, know that it is slightly stripped down version of the LG G7 Thinq, and the Thinq costs $750.

Huawei Kirin 980 and Honor Play

Huawei didn’t launch a new flagship phone at IFA. Instead, it launched a missile at mobile processor manufacturer Qualcomm, by unveiling the new HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor. This is the world’s first processor based on a 7nm chip. By comparison, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is based on a 10nm chip.

The quad-core processor includes four Cortex A76 cores for high-performance tasks, and four Cortex A55 cores for low-power tasks. Graphics are handled by a Mali G76 GPU, which should let you play any game out there. The Kirin 980 is also optimized for the new trend of dual rear cameras, and claims to understand and assimilate data from two cameras up to 46% faster than its predecessors.

Huawei concluded its keynote address by adding that they will launch the Huawei Mate 20, the first phone based on the Kirin 980, in October.

Meanwhile, it announced a new phone called the Honor Play, a smartphone aimed at gamers. What makes it a “phone for gamers”, you ask? Honor Play has a “Turbo Mode” that overclocks the GPU by 60%, without consuming that much extra battery. It’s a bit gimmicky, honestly, and not something to get overly excited about. What is worth noting is the price, as Huawei says the Honor Play will cost 329 euros. That’s an impressive phone for the price.

More At IFA

IFA 2018 will go on till September 5, and MakeUseOf will be at the trade show to cover it. There are more keynote addresses and press conferences scheduled, as well as exhibitors from all around the world showing off their wares. Keep watching this space for updates from IFA 2018.

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