Xiaomi to introduce LPDDR5 handhelds in Q1 2020; K30 5G first in line?

LPDDR5 chips have been around for almost half a year now, but there is still no sign of any smartphone equipped with this type of memory. You would expect at least Samsung to come up with a few LPDDR5 handhelds, since it is the only supplier for now, but, knowing how the Korean giant likes to slow roll some important features, the upcoming Galaxy S11 series might not even feature the speedy LPDDR5 memory chips after all. Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s VP Lu Weibing is hinting at the company’s first LPDDR5 handhelds scheduled to hit the market in Q1 2020.

Samsung designed the LPDDR5 chips to optimize performance for the upcoming 5G-enabled smartphones. Using the 10 nm process, Samsung’s LPDDR5 chips are 1.3 times faster than the current LPDDR4x ones, which is not that impressive, yet the power requirements are almost 30% lower. Lu Weibing did not really mention which Xiaomi models will get the new memory standard, but knowing that the Redmi K30 5G is supposed to launch this January, the model could be among the first to benefit from LPDDR5 chips.

The Redmi K30 features only LPDDR4x memory chips and this was quite a letdown for many industry analysts. Weibing believes that LPDDR4x is not cutting it anymore for the “5G era,” so the 5G version of the K30 is clearly an ideal candidate to showcase the new memory standard. The K30 5G is also expected to include unique features like a 120 Hz display, the new IMX686 64 MP image sensor from Sony and Qualcomm’s recently announced Snapdragon 765G premium mid-range SoC.