A recent report indicates that Huawei is not as close to rivaling U.S. chip designers as previously claimed. Initially, excitement surrounded Huawei’s MateBook Fold laptop, as it was thought to be powered by a 5nm Kirin X90 processor. However, it has now been revealed that this device does not feature the advanced 5nm application processor.
Huawei and its current foundry, China’s SMIC, are restricted from acquiring Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines due to U.S. and Dutch sanctions. These sophisticated machines are essential for producing chips with extremely fine circuitry patterns, particularly at the 5nm process node and below. Initially, it was believed that Huawei and SMIC could fabricate 5nm chips using older Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, which are not subject to the same sanctions.
Nonetheless, attempting to achieve 5nm features with DUV technology results in low yields and increased costs due to the complexity involved. The recent reports have clarified that the Kirin X90 was actually produced using SMIC’s 7nm process node, not the anticipated 5nm. This same 7nm technology was previously used to create the Kirin 9020 application processor featured in last year’s Mate 70 series smartphones.
This revelation casts doubt on recent statements made by Huawei’s CEO, Ren Zhengfei, who suggested that the company’s chips were only one generation behind those of the U.S. If the Kirin X90 employs a 7nm node, then Huawei and SMIC are now two generations behind their U.S. counterparts in chip technology. With Apple expected to unveil its iPhone 18 lineup featuring 2nm application processors next year, this gap may widen further.
For Huawei to close this divide, advancements in EUV technology or viable alternatives will be crucial, yet the company currently faces significant challenges in this area.