Huawei Technologies Co.’s latest smartphones carry a version of the advanced made-in-China processor it revealed last year, independent analysis revealed, underscoring the Chinese company’s ability to sustain production of the controversial chip.
The Pura 70 series Huawei unveiled last week sports the
Kirin 9010 processor, consultancy TechInsights found in a teardown of the
device. That’s a newer version of the Kirin 9000s made by Semiconductor
Manufacturing International Corp. for the Mate 60 Pro, which alarmed officials
in Washington who thought a 7-nanometer chip beyond China’s capabilities.
Huawei has enjoyed a resurgence since the Mate’s August
debut, riding a wave of celebration around its ability to realize sophisticated
semiconductor manufacturing despite escalating US technology export curbs. Its
Pura 70 series sold out within two days of their launch, according to market
checks conducted by Jefferies analysts led by Edison Lee. US officials are now
weighing additional sanctions intended to ring-fence the company and China’s
semiconductor ambitions more broadly.
TechInsights, which was the first to identify the original
9000s in conjunction with Bloomberg News, said it found “with high confidence”
that the Pura contained a Huawei Kirin 9010 fabricated using SMIC’s so-called
7nm N+2 process, an enhanced version of typical 7nm manufacturing.
Formerly known as the P series, the Pura line has
traditionally sold on the strength of their camera capabilities. Giving
domestic users a fresh option could apply further pressure on the iPhone, which
isn’t due for an upgrade until September. Huawei is likely to see further
market share gains ahead of the June 18 sales festival, Jefferies said.
For Huawei, it’s another step toward rebuilding a consumer
business devastated by Trump-era sanctions. The company was roughly on par with
Apple Inc. in terms of Chinese market share in the first quarter, underscoring
the way it’s eroded the iPhone maker’s domestic market share in past months.