Huawei Technologies Co.’s latest flagship smartphone, the Mate 70 Pro Plus, has been analyzed, revealing that its chip technology is not as advanced as some had anticipated. This suggests a potential slowdown in the Chinese company’s technological progress.
Chip Technology Remains at 7nm
The Mate 70 Pro Plus utilizes a Kirin 9020 processor, designed by Huawei and manufactured by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC). This chip is built using the same 7nm technology as the Kirin chip in last year’s Mate 60 Pro. Earlier reports had indicated that Huawei might transition to the more advanced 5nm technology this year.
Lagging Behind Industry Leaders
This stagnation places Huawei approximately five years behind the industry leader, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). TSMC introduced its 7nm chip in 2018 and released a second iteration in 2019.
Challenges to Advancement
Huawei’s efforts to achieve further breakthroughs face significant hurdles. The company is not expected to surpass 7nm technology until at least 2026, due to the need for more powerful silicon for smartphones and artificial intelligence. Additionally, SMIC faces limitations in accessing advanced chip-making machines from ASML Holding NV, resulting in yield and reliability issues with its current technology.
Incremental Improvements
Despite these challenges, the Mate 70 Pro Plus does showcase some incremental improvements. The Kirin 9020 features a modified circuit floorplan to enhance performance and efficiency, and its die size is 15% larger than its predecessor. However, it still lags behind TSMC’s 7nm technology from 2019, which utilized ASML’s extreme ultraviolet (EUV) production technology.
The 5nm Gap
Huawei and SMIC are considered China’s leading contenders in advanced chipmaking. However, they are likely to fall further behind in the coming year as TSMC and Samsung Electronics Co. initiate mass production of 2nm chips. These advanced chips are crucial for powering devices like Apple Inc.’s iPhones and Nvidia Corp.’s AI chips.
