Alleged SMIC 5nm process may improve power efficiency, good news for Huawei?

A Weibo tipster reported that the SMIC 5nm process has ‘better than expected’ power efficiency, and this seems good news for future Huawei phones. The alleged chipset technology is in testing and may enter mass production by the end of this year.

Tipster @DigitalChatStation says that the SMIC 5nm process tech will likely have better power efficiency than expected. The node could be able to boost performance significantly. It is currently in development but could soon land on official platform.

It’s surprising news amid the chip war between the U.S. and China. The former restricted its suppliers from selling advanced chip-making equipment to the latter.

However, the latest leak says that SMIC somehow managed to develop a 5nm process. It further confirms a previous report on this matter saying that the chipmaker used DUV machines to build new tech and may soon impose them on devices.

Read More:

• SMIC reportedly develops 5nm process, Huawei Mate 70 could be first to use it

If the current leak is accurate, then it could be good news for future Huawei phones. Note that the tipster didn’t mention if the next Kirin chip for Mate 70 models will use this 5nm node. Perhaps the company might settle with a 7nm process for now.

Yet the latest development hints that the processor tech might change for next year’s Huawei flagship smartphones. Hence, we can expect to see a 5nm Kirin chip with Pura 80 or Mate 80 products. Again, an official statement on this matter awaits.

Neither Huawei nor SMIC has commented on this headline.

Using DUV equipment brings several obstacles for SMIC. For instance, it requires more time and money in wafer fabrication. An estimation said that the SMIC 5nm process could be 50% more expensive than TSMC.

But as per a popular phrase, ‘something is better than nothing’. Over time, the chipmaker might resolve these issues and find an effective solution.