Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, has been facing severe challenges in the smartphone market due to the U.S. sanctions that restrict its access to advanced chips and software. Despite these difficulties, Huawei has surprised the world with its innovation and resilience. In August 2023, Huawei launched the Mate 60 series, which were the first phones from the company in three years to feature a 5G-capable Kirin chipset designed by its own HiSilicon unit. The chipset, named Kirin 9000s, was fabricated by SMIC, China’s largest semiconductor foundry, using its 7nm process technology. This was a remarkable achievement, as many analysts had predicted that Huawei would run out of 5G chips due to the U.S. ban.
The U.S. government had imposed the ban on Huawei in 2019, accusing it of posing a national security threat and violating sanctions on Iran. The ban prevented Huawei from sourcing chips and software from U.S. and foreign companies that use U.S. technology. As a result, Huawei had to rely on its existing inventory of chips and modify its previous flagship phones, such as the P50, Mate 50, and P60 series, to use Snapdragon processors that did not support 5G connectivity. The launch of the Mate 60 series with the Kirin 9000s 5G chipset sparked outrage among U.S. officials and lawmakers, who demanded an investigation into how Huawei managed to circumvent the ban. On the other hand, the launch also ignited a wave of patriotic sentiment among Chinese consumers, who praised Huawei for its technological prowess and defiance of U.S. pressure.
Huawei is now preparing to release its next flagship series, the P70 line, which is expected to be unveiled in March 2024. The P-series is known for its emphasis on photography and camera performance. According to a Weibo leaker named Smart Pikachu, who cited HuaweiCentral as the source, the P70 series will be powered by a new chipset called Kirin 9010, which is also designed by Huawei’s HiSilicon unit. The chipset has not been officially announced yet, and there is some confusion about its specifications. Some long-time followers of Huawei might remember that in 2021, a Twitter tipster with the handle @RODENT950 claimed that Huawei was working on a 3nm Kirin 9010 SoC, despite the U.S. export ban. However, this rumor turned out to be false, as the first 3nm chip for smartphones was the A17 Pro AP made by TSMC, the world’s leading chipmaker, which powers the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Huawei cannot obtain any chips from TSMC or any other foundry that can produce 3nm chips, as they are all subject to the U.S. ban. China’s SMIC, which is Huawei’s main chip supplier, can only produce chips with a node of 7nm or above at the moment.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the Kirin 9010 chipset that will be used in the P70 series will be a 3nm chip. It is more probable that it will be a 7nm chip made by SMIC, and that Huawei is simply reusing the Kirin 9010 name that it had trademarked in 2021. SMIC is working hard to develop its 3nm technology, but it faces a major obstacle in the form of the ban on exporting extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines to China. EUV machines are essential for making chips with a node below 7nm, and they are currently dominated by a Dutch company called ASML, which needs a U.S. license to sell them to China. Unless SMIC can find a way to overcome this challenge, Huawei will not be able to get its hands on 5nm or 3nm chips, unless it has some old stock from before the U.S. ban.
For example, there are reports that Huawei’s new laptop, which was launched in January 2024, is equipped with the 5nm Kirin 9006C chips. These chips were fabricated by TSMC before the U.S. ban took effect, and were stored in Huawei’s warehouse of unused chipsets.
As for Huawei’s upcoming flagship series, the P70 ART is rumored to sport an ultra-wide camera backed by a one-inch type sensor and carry a lens made up of one glass element and six plastic. The company is also rumored to debut its own image sensors with the P70 series, which will enhance its camera performance and quality. The P70 series is expected to be unveiled in March 2024, and will be another showcase of Huawei’s innovation and resilience in the face of U.S. sanctions.