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Huawei's Pura 70 Smartphone Features New 7-nm HiSilicon Chip Manufactured by SMIC, Report Reveals
Huawei's Pura 70 smartphones, powered by the Kirin 9010 chip, are expected to challenge Apple's dominance in China's smartphone market. The Kirin 9010 chip is manufactured by SMIC using the advanced 7-nanometer N+2 node process. TechInsights found similarities between the Kirin 9010 and the Kirin 9000s chips in a teardown analysis of the Pura 70 Ultra.
These devices, powered by a chip developed by Huawei's semiconductor unit HiSilicon, are expected to challenge Apple's dominance in the market.
The Pura 70 smartphone boasts a cutting-edge system-on-a-chip (SOC) called the Kirin 9010. This chip, manufactured by China's top foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), utilises the advanced 7-nanometer N+2 node process. Interestingly, this is the same process used to produce the Kirin 9000s chips for Huawei's Mate 60 Pro line. This information was revealed by Dan Hutcheson, the vice-chairman of US-based IC research company TechInsights.
TechInsights also conducted a teardown analysis of the Pura 70 Ultra, a variant of the smartphone launched earlier this month. During the analysis, they discovered that the markings on the processor package of the Pura 70's Kirin 9010 chip were "technically new but remarkably similar" to those found on HiSilicon's Kirin 9000s chips.
Despite being manufactured using the same SMIC process, Hutcheson believes that the Kirin 9010 chip offers slightly better overall performance compared to the Kirin 9000s.
Huawei unveiled its highly anticipated Pura 70 smartphone series in mid-April, marking the company's biggest flagship handset launch since the Mate 60 Pro. The Pura line, previously known as the P series, has been rebranded as part of Huawei's efforts to revitalise its smartphone business. It is projected that the Pura 70 series will ship over 10.4 million units globally in 2024, surpassing the sales of previous P series models.
The release of the Pura 70 smartphone indicates that Huawei may have overcome some of the challenges in its semiconductor supply chain. The company has been actively seeking local partners to replace imported chips, as it aims to build a comprehensive ecosystem across various business sectors, including smartphones, AI computing, and EV automobile solutions. These endeavors require a significant quantity of module hardware and chips.
Hutcheson stated, "Huawei has completely overcome US sanctions in China's markets. But it is still hindered by US sanctions in global markets."
According to TechInsights data, Huawei is expected to ship more than 50 million handsets in China this year, reclaiming the top spot with a 19% market share, up from 12% in 2023. Despite this success, the Pura 70 series is unlikely to be available in overseas markets, which may impact Huawei's global market share.
Both SMIC and Huawei have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the Pura 70 smartphone and its Kirin 9010 chip.
Similar to the Mate 60 Pro line, Huawei has remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the Pura 70's SOC, including its suppliers, manufacturers, and design specifications. The 7-nanometer chip used in the Mate 60 Pro raised concerns in the US government and led to increased scrutiny from Washington.
Last year, Huawei faced supply chain constraints due to the high demand for the Mate 60 Pro and low yields for the advanced Kirin 9000s processor. It remains to be seen if the same challenges will arise with the Pura 70 series. Hutcheson suggests that Huawei's semiconductor supply challenges lie in the lack of advanced node density, power, performance, and cost.
Huawei's Pura 70 smartphones, powered by the Kirin 9010 chip, are expected to challenge Apple's dominance in China's smartphone market.
The Kirin 9010 chip is manufactured by SMIC using the advanced 7-nanometer N+2 node process.
TechInsights found similarities between the Kirin 9010 and the Kirin 9000s chips in a teardown analysis of the Pura 70 Ultra.
Source: SCMP