Huawei Technologies and China’s leading chipmaker, SMIC, have collaborated to develop an advanced 7-nanometer processor to fuel the latest Huawei smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro, as reported by analysis firm TechInsights. The phone, which hit the market last week, contains the newly designed Kirin 9000s chip manufactured by SMIC, marking a significant stride in China’s efforts to establish a homegrown chip ecosystem. Despite the lack of official data on the chipset’s capabilities, users have reported superior download speeds surpassing top-tier 5G phones.
The initiative indicates Huawei’s strategic move to re-enter the 5G smartphone sector, leveraging advancements in semiconductor design tools and SMIC’s manufacturing prowess despite the US restrictions on access to vital chipmaking resources since 2019. This development, unfolding during US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s visit, signals China’s growing independence in the chipmaking industry, challenging the US’s tech supremacy.
