Since the release of the Huawei Mate 60 series smartphones, the Huawei Kirin chipset has been making a comeback with various iterations, including the Kirin 9000s and Kirin 9000E featured in the Mate 60 series. The latest update has revealed the confirmation of a new Kirin chipset named Kirin 9000W, making its debut in the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch.

According to the WeChat account ic211ic, the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch device was already available in the Chinese market last year, equipped with the Kirin 9000S chipset. However, the newly discovered Kirin 9000W is featured in the international version of the MatePad Pro 13.2” which has been launched in markets such as Malaysia, Italy, and Saudi Arabia.

The official website displays that the MatePad Pro 13.2-inch is equipped with the Kirin 9000W processor.

In other words, , the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2-inch employs different processors in different countries, indicating that Huawei’s Kirin chipset family has added new members.

Currently, there are six different versions of the Kirin 9000 chipset available in the market, namely Kirin 9000, Kirin 9000E, Kirin 9000L, Kirin 9000S, Kirin 9000SL, and Kirin 9000W.

However, Huawei’s official websites in the mentioned markets only mention the “Kirin 9000W” without providing further details. Apart from mentioning the model, they only introduce it as an octa-core CPU. Based solely on this information, it’s challenging to determine the performance difference between Kirin 9000W and Kirin 9000S.

As per TechNews citing from sources, it has been suggested that the Kirin 9000W is likely similar to the Kirin 9000S but may offer slightly improved performance. Additionally, due to the larger size of the MatePad Pro, better temperature control might be necessary.

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• [News] Kirin 9010 Shortage Rumors: Huawei P70 May Use Kirin 9000S in Some Models

(Photo credit: Huawei)

According to recent reports, Huawei is expected to unveil its flagship P70 series later this year, alongside the introduction of the new Kirin 9010 chipset. However, there are indications that the older Kirin 9000S might be utilized in a specific model.

Wccftech suggests that the P70 series will include the P70, P70 Pro, and P70 Art, followed by the Mate 70 series. Notably, not all P70 models will feature the new Kirin 9010.

As per insights from the Weibo account Smart Pikachu, the P70 series will boast a custom curved display that is easy on the eyes and power-efficient but lacks a 2K resolution, and the standard version of the P70 is tested with the Kirin 9000S. This may potentially impact the motivation for users who have already purchased the Mate 60 and might not find sufficient reasons to upgrade to the P70.

Wccftech suggests that the adoption of the 9000S in some models could be attributed to the limited supply of the Kirin 9010. The Kirin 9000S, produced by SMIC using a 7nm process, faces production challenges due to the use of older-generation DUV equipment, resulting in a time-consuming and costly manufacturing process with lower yields.

Despite this, there is a glimmer of hope for Huawei’s pricing competitiveness, as the production cost of the Kirin 9000S is expected to be lower than that of the Kirin 9010. This cost advantage could potentially contribute to Huawei’s goal of reaching an estimated shipment volume of 100 million smartphones in 2024, especially considering the company’s historical strength in offering competitive pricing for its base models.

(Image: Huawei)

According to the news from Taiwan media, CNA, Huawei has broken through the U.S. blockade and launched a 5G smartphone equipped with domestically produced Chinese chips, sparking discussions. Huawei stated that although Chinese-made chips lag behind foreign counterparts, if they are not used, staying behind will always be a setback. If widely adopted, it could drive technological progress and catch up gradually.

According to reports from Chinese media Yicai, representatives from Huawei made these remarks during a speech at the “2023 World Computing Conference” on the 15th.

Huawei mentioned that the computing industry includes PCs, servers, operating systems, databases, as well as processors, memory modules, SSDs, HDDs, network cards, RAID cards, SSD controllers, network chipsets, and RAID card chipsets that constitute PCs and servers, which are the most critical problems to solve.

“We couldn’t even make LOM and RAID cards before, and we couldn’t even create a PMIC for a server. So, we need to return to the basics of the computing industry.”

Huawei believes that China needs to develop its own processors, operating systems, and databases. If all of these are sourced from external suppliers, there is a risk of information breaches through backdoors and vulnerabilities in PCs and servers. It could also be exploited as a means of attacking other servers and PCs.

“If our opponent is at an expert level, even though we have domestically produced products, we are still at a basic level, making it relatively easy to attack and steal information”. Huawei emphasizes that domestic production does not necessarily equate to security; only by enhancing capabilities can genuine security be achieved.

“There are currently more than 600 Chinese enterprises listed on the U.S. government’s entity list,” said Huawei’s representative, covering chips, hardware, software, algorithms, and applications. Additionally, export controls have impacted everything from design tools and materials to manufacturing equipment and chip products.

“In this situation, a practical problem we face in the long term is that China’s semiconductor manufacturing process will remain behind for quite a while. Huawei believes that this situation will persist for a considerable period because advanced processes are needed to produce more advanced chips. On the other hand, due to U.S. sanctions, obtaining advanced chips or computing systems presents challenges, if not impossibilities. Based on our years of experience and future judgment, this is a long-term situation. Don’t harbor any illusions about the future.”

“Although the chips, servers, and PCs we produce lag behind those produced abroad, if we don’t use them, the gap will always be there, and falling behind will always be the case. But if we use them on a large scale, it could drive progress in our entire technology and product development, gradually catching up”. According to Huawei, only through widespread use of domestic chips can push the entire computing industry to progress and develop.

Huawei recently quietly launched a high-end 5G smartphone equipped with the 7nm chip “Kirin 9000S,” manufactured by SMIC. While Chinese public opinion refers to it as a “breakthrough of the U.S. blockade” and a “strong return to 5G,” experts point out that its performance still lags behind the latest smartphone chips by two generations and question its manufacturing yield rate and output.

(Source: https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202309160229.aspx)

Huawei’s official website unexpectedly unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro, on August 29, 2023, followed by the release of the Mate 60 the next day. The Mate 60 Pro’s performance, powered by the Kirin 9000S SoC, has garnered significant attention in the market.

TrendForce’s Insights:

• Kirin 9000S Offers Comparable Computing Power to 2021 Flagships, But Energy Efficiency May Lag

According to benchmark test results from the Geekbench Browser, a product known as Huawei LNA-AL00, believed to be housing the Kirin 9000S, first appeared in test data on March 30, 2023, and has been continually updated since. The test results for Huawei LNA-AL00 during this period fall into two ranges. One range is roughly equivalent to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, while the other is on par with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. This suggests potential variations in Kirin 9000S versions.

Further analysis of the Kirin 9000S reveals that its CPU architecture maintains the 1+3+4 configuration of the Kirin 9000 but operates at slightly lower clock speeds, with a difference of approximately 10-20%. The GPU is Huawei’s in-house Maleoon 910. However, in comparison to the Kirin 9000, which employs TSMC’s 5nm process, the Kirin 9000S has a larger chip size, roughly 30% larger. Additionally, the presence of a large Vapor Chamber beneath the Mate 60 Pro’s screen indicates that the Kirin 9000S may have higher energy consumption, reflecting the use of a less advanced process than TSMC’s 7nm. Overall, Kirin 9000S is expected to offer computing performance similar to mainstream flagships from 2021-2022, but its energy efficiency might align with levels seen in 2019-2020.

• Maintaining Performance Gap with Other Flagship SoCs Will Be a Key Challenge for Huawei and SMIC

Based on available information, Kirin 9000S is likely produced by SMIC. Currently, SMIC’s advanced process nodes include 14nm, N+1, and N+2. Since SMIC has indicated that the N+1 process is not equivalent to 7nm, it is speculated to fall between 10-8nm. To produce Kirin 9000S, it would need to utilize an N+2 process closer to 7nm, which is currently the most suitable process node for domestic wafer foundries in China.

Kirin 9000S undoubtedly represents the pinnacle of China’s domestic IC design and manufacturing capabilities. In terms of computing performance, it lags only 2-3 years behind Qualcomm and MediaTek’s upcoming flagship SoCs set to be launched in the second half of 2023. However, without access to EUV equipment, SMIC faces significant challenges in developing processes below 7nm, and even achieving mass production at 5nm is not a short-term goal.

As Qualcomm and MediaTek advance their products to 4nm and below, the Kirin series will likely remain constrained by SMIC’s process technology, making it difficult to significantly increase clock speeds and reduce power consumption. This situation will lead to a gradual widening of the performance gap between the Kirin series and Snapdragon 8 Gen series, and the Dimensity series. As they grapple with the responsibility of technological advancement, maintaining a competitive performance gap for the Kirin series against other flagship SoCs will be a primary challenge for Huawei and SMIC moving forward.

(Photo credit: Huawei)

According to a report from Taiwan’s TechNews, Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro smartphone, powered by its in-house Kirin 9000S processor, quietly appeared on the market recently, testing has shown that its network speed approaches that of 5G. This development has sparked enthusiastic discussions in the market about the manufacturing and development of this chip.

Prominent analyst Andrew Lu also expressed that if the semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC, which handles the production of the Kirin 9000S processor, makes significant breakthroughs in both 7nm process technology and capacity, it should not be underestimated. Additionally, with Huawei’s reintroduction of the Kirin 9000S processor through the Mate 60 Pro, they are expected to continue launching products that are likely to have an impact on the mobile phone and mobile chip market.

Andrew Lu outlined the following points on his personal Facebook fan page:

1. The Kirin 9000S processor is likely manufactured by SMIC using N+2 process technology, with N+1 being a pseudo-7nm process that is closer to 8-9nm. N+2 is a 7nm process (not the rumored 5nm), but it does not use EUV, so multiple exposures are needed. Due to insufficient capacity, shipping 40 million units would likely take several months. Assuming a die size of 169mm² and an 80% yield rate, SMIC would need to prepare 144k N+2 capacity, this indicates a monthly production capacity requirement of 24,000 units. The monthly production capacity appears significantly higher than what was previously anticipated. If these assumptions hold, it indicates that SMIC has made significant breakthroughs in 7nm process technology and capacity.
2. Apple’s iPhone doesn’t emphasize Antutu benchmark scores as much, and Android phones typically fine-tune their systems for benchmarking, making comparisons between iOS and Android phones less fair. However, compared to other Android flagship phones scoring around 1.5-1.6 million, the Mate 60’s 1.1 million still falls short, but it excels in satellite phone functionality.
3. Huawei/Huawei’s HiSilicon’s return is likely to continue with the release of new devices, aiming to reach annual sales of 100 million phones within 5 years, which should not be difficult. This means Huawei/Huawei’s HiSilicon will regain approximately 5-10% of the global market share, while other phone and chip manufacturers will lose 5-10% of their market share with flagship brands likely being more affected.
4. Despite the U.S. putting SMIC on the Entity List, how does SMIC still have so much advanced process capacity? Lu Xingzhi believes that being placed on the Entity List doesn’t entirely prohibit companies from purchasing all advanced U.S. equipment (EUV scanners are absolutely prohibited), but it requires approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce to purchase such equipment. Additionally, the rapid emergence of many semiconductor startups in China (some of which disappear shortly after) makes it challenging for U.S. equipment manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Commerce to determine if the purchased equipment is being resold to SMIC. Therefore, SMIC’s expansion of advanced process capacity is not surprising. According to Lu’s data, SMIC’s capital intensity, capital expenditure as a percentage of revenue, was 110% over the past year, significantly higher than TSMC’s 50% and Samsung LSI’s and GlobalFoundries’ 40% range, indicating that capacity expansion is likely to be considerably higher than peers in the industry.

(Photo credit: Huawei)