Huawei introduced its new Qingyuan L450 notebook in the Chinese market in December 2023, featuring the new 5nm Kirin 9006C chip. This sparked speculation about China’s chip manufacturing capabilities, suggesting that SMIC has made a breakthrough by producing advanced 5nm silicon.
However, a teardown test conducted by Tech Insights debunked these speculations as they discovered a chip manufactured by TSMC inside the Qingyuan L450 notebook. Furthermore, the SoC is based on an older, less efficient manufacturing process predating 2020, indicating that Huawei is relying on older 5nm chip stocks from TSMC.
Rumors still circulate that SMIC is working on its own 5nm technology. Unfortunately, no specific information has been revealed about this so far.
Why is this important? Since the imposition of sanctions by the United States several years ago, Huawei has been deprived of the ability to use chip technology from Western manufacturers. This hinders the Chinese giant’s competitiveness in the domestic market. Huawei is desperately seeking chips that will allow them to maintain at least a minimum level of competitiveness in their home market.
The rumors about China’s chip manufacturing capabilities quickly spread, but the teardown tests conducted by Tech Insights clearly show that Huawei still relies on trusted foreign partners, such as TSMC, to provide them with technological solutions. SMIC may be working on their own 5nm chips, but there is still no concrete evidence of this.
For the Chinese giant, the challenge remains finding new technological partners that will enable the production of future generations of chips within the country. Innovative technologies are becoming increasingly crucial for competitiveness in the market of modern electronic devices, and Huawei must find a solution that allows them to continue development without disruptions.
Contrary to rumors, Chinese manufacturing capabilities remain largely dependent on foreign partners. Huawei still needs to face the difficulties resulting from the imposed sanctions in order to maintain its position in the market.
FAQ Section:
The source of the article is from the blog be3.sk