Rumor of next-gen Kirin outperforming Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is fake: Tipster

Huawei is allegedly developing a next-gen Kirin chip which was in the rumor to outshine Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. But a tipster has now refuted this buzz. As per his details, Mate 70 series could be another Huawei flagship running on the 7nm process.

X tipster @myplace_myworld claims that the rumor of the next-gen Kirin chip surpassing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is false. The input was initially reported by tipster Jason Will, saying that Huawei’s chip would perform better than Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

The new input also denies the upcoming Kirin chipset to be faster than 9000s and its power efficiency will be close enough to that of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

With these points, it appears that Huawei is struggling to develop a 5nm process chip. An early report said that SMIC has developed a 5nm chip technology without any advanced equipment. Probably the new tech could show up with the Mate 70 flagship.

Other details added that the Chinese phone maker initiated a small-scale production of its alleged 5nm chip. But the latest information has questioned all previous claims.

It further indicates that the Huawei Mate 70 series will likely use a new Kirin chip but based on a 7nm process. Perhaps the company has to work more on producing a 5nm chip technology and we can expect it to arrive by the next or forthcoming years.

A major reason behind Huawei being backward in the chip race is the use of outdated chip equipment. Following the tough U.S. export trade restrictions, the company cannot obtain advanced chipmaking tools from the foreign market that help in the 5nm making.

The next reason could be expenses. As per a report, SMIC 5nm process expected to be 50% more expensive than TSMC, despite using the same lithography equipment. It is so because SMIC still has a shortage of EUV machines. On the flip side, outdated machinery leads to higher production costs with lower yield rates.

Note that the current rumor rejection fits accurately with Huawei’s statement. During a conference, Zhang Pingan – the Executive Director of Huawei said that the company will focus on resolving 7nm issues rather than moving towards a new technology.

Huawei says that the lack of innovative chips is not the problem until the company knows how to enhance a chip’s capabilities. Thus, the Mate 70 series could deliver improved and upgraded performance over its predecessors, if not to the level of Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/2/3 chipsets.

[Source – MyplaceMyworld/X]