Huawei remains silent about the chip in the Mate 60 Pro.

Following the surprise launch of the Mate 60 Pro on August 29th, Huawei refused to provide information about the device's chip and network connectivity. This prompted analysts, experts, bloggers, users, and others to investigate in order to find answers.

Based on tests conducted on the phone, the AnTuTu benchmarking website identified the CPU in the Mate 60 Pro as the Kirin 9000s from Huawei's HiSilicon chip design division. The CPU has 12 cores and a maximum clock speed of 2.62GHz, according to AnTuTu.

Huawei's new Mate 60 Pro phone. (Image: Handout)

Although HiSilicon's website doesn't have information about this CPU, both the Kirin 9000 and 9000e chipsets support 5G connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI) applications, and are manufactured using an advanced 5nm process.

The Mate 60 Pro's download speed can reach 500 Mbps, exceeding the 100 Mbps speed of 4G networks, according to independent tests by several users.

The graphics processing unit (GPU) of the Mate 60 Pro has been identified as the Maleon 910, another chip designed in China, according to AnTuTu.

In its latest announcement, Huawei claims the Mate 60 Pro is “the most powerful Mate model ever,” without mentioning the CPU or 5G connectivity.

Huawei's deliberate silence on CPUs reflects what the company is doing to quietly revive its smartphone business, which has been crushed by US sanctions. Both Huawei and HiSilicon were added to the US trade blacklist in 2019. With new sanctions in 2020, Huawei is unable to purchase advanced chips from major chip manufacturers such as TSMC or Samsung Electronics.

Meanwhile, SMIC – China's largest chip contractor – can only manufacture 14nm chips because Washington restricts the export of advanced chip manufacturing equipment such as EUV lithography machines. Nevertheless, speculation that SMIC may have made progress in producing next-generation chips using DUV lithography machines helped mainland semiconductor stocks rise across the board on August 30th.

According to analyst Ming Chi Kuo, those who benefit from the launch of the Mate 60 Pro include SMIC, the chip testing and packaging company Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Tech, filter supplier Murata, GlobalFoundries, and Win Semi.

Research expert Ivan Lam commented that Huawei released its latest smartphone to test market reaction. Priced at 6,999 RMB and sold online, the Mate 60 Pro quickly sold out within hours. A day later, the company began accepting pre-orders for the standard Mate 60 version at 5,999 RMB. Huawei's last 5G smartphone was the Mate 40 in October 2020, which used HiSilicon's Kirin 9000 chip.

An anonymous expert revealed that Huawei still faces several supply chain challenges, such as production success rates. According to a report by research firm Counterpoint, the company used up its stockpile of HiSilicon chipsets last year.

In addition, Huawei also has to solve the problem of convincing many customers who have switched to other smartphone brands in recent years when considering launching the product.

(According to SCMP)

Huawei surprises with new Mate smartphone launch: Huawei has surprised everyone by selling its high-end Mate 60 Pro on online marketplaces. The device is advertised as the world's first smartphone to support satellite calls.

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