Huawei Technologies’ new Pura 70 smartphones, powered by a chip designed by its in-house fabless semiconductor unit HiSilicon, are expected to help the Shenzhen-based tech champion regain the top position in China’s smartphone market at Apple’s expense .
The Pura 70’s system-on-chip (SOC) – an integrated circuit that combines all the necessary components on a single piece of silicon – has been identified as the Kirin 9010 processor manufactured by China’s largest foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) , using its 7-nanometer N+2 node, the same process used to make the Kirin 9000s for Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro line, according to Dan Hutcheson, vice president at US integrated circuit research firm TechInsights.
TechInsights also found that the markings on the processor case are “technically new but remarkably similar” to HiSilicon’s Kirin 9000 in a recent teardown analysis of the Pura 70 Ultra that launched earlier this month.
However, Hutcheson believes that the 9010 is “slightly better” than the 9000 in terms of overall performance, despite the fact that they are manufactured using the same SMIC process.
China’s Henan province sees decline in smartphone exports due to supply chain changes
China’s Henan province sees decline in smartphone exports due to supply chain changes
The new phone is a sign that Huawei could have resolved more bottlenecks in its semiconductor supply, as the company turned to local partners for replacements of imported chips. Huawei has stepped up efforts to create a comprehensive ecosystem across multiple business fronts, from smartphones and AI computing to EV automotive solutions, all of which require large quantities of hardware modules and chips.
“Huawei has completely freed itself from US sanctions in Chinese markets,” Hutcheson said. “But this growth is still hampered by US sanctions on global markets.”
Huawei is expected to ship more than 50 million handsets in China this year, putting it in first place again with a 19% market share, up from 12% in 2023, according to TechInsights data. China’s resilience will help Huawei become the world’s eighth-largest smartphone vendor with a 5 percent market share, although the Pura 70 line is unlikely to be available in overseas markets.
SMIC and Huawei did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside of business hours on Sunday.
As with the Mate 60 Pro line, Huawei has remained tight-lipped about the Pura 70’s SOC, regarding its suppliers, manufacturers, and design specifications. The 7nm Mate 60 Pro chip has made the US government uneasy and triggered new threats of scrutiny from Washington.
The situation could be the same for Huawei with the Pura 70 series. “Huawei’s semiconductor supply challenges are lack of advanced node density, power, performance and cost,” according to Hutcheson.
