Key Takeaways
1. Huawei announced the Kirin 9020 chip for its Pura 80 smartphones, marking its first high-end chip acknowledgment in five years.
2. The Kirin 9020 is manufactured by SMIC using a 7-nanometer-class process, representing a modest upgrade from the previous Kirin 9010.
3. This announcement reflects Huawei’s recovery in the mobile sector after U.S. sanctions impacted its supply chain and device availability.
4. Huawei is focusing on developing its HarmonyOS to reduce reliance on foreign technologies, with over ten million devices now running HarmonyOS 5.
5. As a result of these developments, Huawei regained the top position in China’s smartphone market with an estimated 18.1% of shipments in the June quarter.
Huawei has announced the Kirin 9020 as the chip used in its latest Pura 80 smartphones, ending years of uncertainty regarding the technology behind its top devices. The name was revealed through user screenshots following a system update, marking the first official acknowledgment of a high-end Kirin processor in about five years. Huawei has chosen not to provide any comments on the matter.
Chip Insights and Developments
Previously, information about the chips in recent 5G models like the Mate 60 Pro and Mate 70 was mostly obtained through analysis of the devices. TechInsights had noted that SMIC manufactures the Kirin 9020 using a 7-nanometer-class process, which they described as a modest upgrade from the Kirin 9010.
Recovery and Challenges
This announcement highlights Huawei’s ongoing recovery in the mobile sector after U.S. sanctions disrupted its supply chain. A teardown in 2023 linked SMIC to the Kirin in the Mate 60 Pro. Before this resurgence, the Mate 40 series, released in October 2020, was the last 5G lineup from the company after being added to the U.S. blacklist.
Consumer leader Richard Yu spoke about the impact of these events, stating that global availability had severely declined and shipments dropped significantly. Meanwhile, the company has continued to develop its own HarmonyOS to lessen its dependence on foreign technologies. Huawei claims that over ten million devices are now operating on HarmonyOS 5 due to substantial investments over the years and thousands of engineers working on it each year.
Market Position
This progress has led to a shift in market share: Huawei captured the lead in China’s smartphone market during the June quarter, accounting for an estimated 18.1% of shipments, marking its first return to the top in four years, as reported by IDC.
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