Huawei Mate 60 Pro Teardown Reveals China’s Chip Breakthrough

According to the teardown report by analysis firm TechInsights, Huawei Technologies and China’s top chipmaker SMIC have built an advanced 7-nanometer processor to power, Mate 60 Pro. Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro is powered by a new Kirin 9000s chip that was made in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC).

Huawei started selling its Mate 60 Pro phone last week. The company claims that the phone has come with the ability to make satellite calls. However, the company did not reveal any information on the power of the chipset inside.

Huawei Mate 60 Pro Teardown Reveals China’s Chip Breakthrough

The processor is the first to utilize SMIC’s most advanced 7nm technology. The report suggests the Chinese government is making some headway in attempts to build a domestic chip ecosystem.

Buyers of the phone in China have been posting tear-down videos and sharing speed tests on social media that suggest the Mate 60 Pro is capable of download speeds exceeding those of top-line 5G phones.

The phone’s launch sent Chinese social media users and state media into a frenzy. However, some noticed that it coincided with a visit by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Since 2019, the US has restricted Huawei’s access to chipmaking tools essential for producing the most advanced handset models. However, the company is only able to launch limited batches of 5G models using stockpiled chips.

Back in July, Reuters claimed that Huawei was planning a return to the 5G smartphone industry by the end of this year, using its own advances in semiconductor design tools along with chipmaking from SMIC.

Dan Hutcheson, an analyst with TechInsights, told Reuters the development comes as a “slap in the face” to the US. He further said that this chip is [saying] ‘look what we can do, we don’t need you”.

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