More mid-range devices from HMD Global will likely feature HDR content support and other display enhancements after the device maker partnered with Pixelworks, a company that produces power-efficient visual processing solutions. This collaboration will allow the handset maker to take advantage of the display processing technologies from Pixelworks that may improve the display quality of HMD Global’s devices. The collaboration between the two companies started with the Nokia 7.1, which sports Pixelworks’ fourth-generation Iris Processor as part of the device’s PureDisplay feature.
Background: The fourth generation Iris processor solution from Pixelworks offers a comprehensive tone mapping pipeline, which, according to HMD Global, allowed the Nokia 7.1 to offer cinematic viewing experience when watching HDR-10 content. The visual processing solution also includes a core video processing technology developed originally for high-end television sets. Furthermore, this processor enables HDR content support on both LCD and OLED displays and it is also capable of converting SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) content to HDR in real-time.
The chipset also ensures accurate replication of the video quality of the content through its True View and True Color features. HMD Global further notes that Pixelworks’ display technologies also offer local contrast and sharpness enhancement. When Pixelworks launched the fourth-generation Iris chipset last year, it noted that both mid-range and premium smartphones may take advantage of the processing solution, which means that a wide range of Nokia-branded devices may feature this technology soon.
Despite being a young company, HMD Global was able to produce a wide variety of devices at large volumes with the help of the partnerships it set up with multiple companies. Among the tech firms that the handset maker collaborated with include Google, ZEISS Optics, and Foxconn. HMD Global’s partnership with Google enabled the smartphone manufacturer to include stock Android experience into its devices as part of the Android One program.
The participation in Google’s initiative also allowed HMD Global to deliver two years of major operating system upgrades and security enhancements. Meanwhile, its collaboration with ZEISS Optics permitted HMD Global to improve the imaging quality of Nokia-branded devices through the support offered by ZEISS in software development and optical design. On the other hand, its partnership with Foxconn allowed the handset maker to deliver millions of devices within a short span of time.
The recent collaboration with Pixelworks reiterates HMD Global’s focus on its mid-range devices. Unlike its underperforming premium handset offerings, most of the smartphones it sells are in the mid-range market, with the Nokia 6.1 being the top-selling device from the tech firm. Other popular mid-range handsets from HMD Global include the Nokia 7 Plus and the Nokia 3.1, and the company also recently launched more mid-range smartphones including the Nokia 7.1 and the Nokia 8.1.
Impact: Focusing on the mid-range market allows HMD Global to release handsets that serve as sales drivers. The company benefits from offering premium features in cheaper products, including HDR content support, by enticing more users to purchase its mid-range devices that offer comparable functionalities, specifications, and build quality compared to the costlier flagship handsets from manufacturers like Samsung, Google, and LG.