Research firm reveals chipset inside Huawei Mate 80: Find out here

‎In a move suggesting China's willingness for self-reliance in advanced technology, a recent report reveals that Huawei’s Mate 80, the Chinese tech giant's newest flagship smartphone, is powered by an upgraded homegrown chip.

‎According to a new report, the Mate 80 series runs on the Kirin 9030 processor, which has been produced by SMIC, China’s leading chipmaker.‎

‎The Kirin 9030 is built on SMIC’s latest N+3 chip manufacturing architecture.

‎This is a toned-up version of its earlier 7-nanometre technology and marks a small but imperative step forward for China’s semiconductor industry, as reported by Reuters.

‎The N+3 process is described by industry analysts as a scaled-up refinement rather than a major breakthrough, offering better performance and efficiency than previous Kirin chips.

‎Despite this progress, SMIC is still lagging behind global chip leaders, the report claimed.

Industry giants such as TSMC and Samsung are already producing more advanced 5-nanometre chips, which are smaller, faster and more power-efficient. In comparison, SMIC’s technology is said to be less compact and technically behind.

The report carries significance as it was released by TechInsights, a Canadian research firm that closely tracks Huawei’s chip development.

In October, Chinese authorities added TechInsights to their “unreliable entity” list after it published a detailed report on China’s semiconductor progress.

The Mate 80 launch indicates Huawei's strides in enriching its in-house technology despite restrictions and external pressure.

While the gap with global rivals is considerable, the improved Kirin chip underscores China’s determination to progress.