It has been reported that Huawei announced the 5G smartphone ‘Mate 60 Pro’ despite US semiconductor sanctions. This is the first time since the US government’s sanctions in 2019 that a Huawei smartphone supporting 5G mobile communications has been released. Huawei did not disclose the chipset information of the Mate 60 Pro 5G, but it appears to be powered by Kirin 9000S.
📱 Huawei ‘Mate 60 Pro’ announced: Independent development despite US sanctions
One. Launch of Mate 60 Pro
- Huawei announced the 5G smartphone ‘Mate 60 Pro’.
- This is the first Huawei smartphone supporting 5G mobile communications to be released since US sanctions in 2019.
2. Huawei’s semiconductor technology independence
- The Mate 60 Pro uses Kirin 9000S AP and utilizes 7 nanometer-level cutting-edge semiconductor technology.
- China has independently secured advanced semiconductor technology, adding to the surprise of US sanctions.
3. Sales success and industry doubts
- The Mate 60 Pro was sold out in four color models upon release.
- However, doubts are growing as information about the chipset and mobile communication method has not been disclosed.
4. Huawei’s semiconductor production technology independence
- Although Huawei is believed to have secured 5-nano semiconductor production technology, it is still facing production yield and supply chain problems.
- The stock price of SMIC, a leading order supplier to Huawei, rose.
5. Huawei’s future outlook
- Huawei is showing its will to continue its smartphone business despite US semiconductor sanctions.
- There is a possibility that China’s semiconductor industry will develop independently.
Huawei’s use of the Kirin 9000S AP was expected to utilize advanced 7-nano semiconductor technology, surprising the United States as China was already considered to have advanced semiconductor technology. The Mate 60 Pro is said to have sold out in four color models upon release.
Through this announcement, there is an interpretation that Huawei, China’s largest telecommunications equipment company, is developing independently despite US semiconductor sanctions. The announcement of this new product was reportedly timed to coincide with the U.S. Commerce Secretary’s visit to China, sparking concerns that U.S. sanctions were not preventing the development of China’s core technologies.
In addition, there has been no disclosure of the Mate 60 Pro’s chipset and mobile communication method, raising doubts in the industry. Some are speculating that China has already secured 5-nano semiconductor production technology, considering actual performance.
However, it is unclear whether Huawei has secured semiconductor production technology. Some industry insiders say that Huawei’s production yield is still low and that it has not properly resolved its supply chain issues. Still, as speculation emerged that Huawei had secured enough semiconductor production technology to be installed in the Mate 60 Pro, the stock price of SMIC, Huawei’s leading order holder, reportedly rose.
Due to US semiconductor sanctions, Huawei has been unable to receive cutting-edge semiconductors of 14 nanometers or lower from major semiconductor producers such as Taiwan’s TSMC or Korea’s Samsung Electronics. Therefore, Huawei is investing to produce its own smartphone chips of 7 nm or less.
Through this announcement, Huawei demonstrated its will to continue its smartphone business smoothly despite US sanctions, and the possibility of China’s semiconductor industry developing independently is also raised.