Counterpoint’s prediction about Huawei reintroducing the Kirin chip with 5G in the second half of 2023 raises suspicions. The report suggests that Huawei HiSilicon will relaunch the Kirin chipset with 5G support, utilizing SMIC’s N+1 manufacturing process, which is said to be comparable to TSMC’s 7nm node. However, the low yield rate of SMIC’s N+1 process, at less than 50%, indicates that Huawei’s 5G chip shipments will be limited initially, estimated to be around 2-4 million in 2023.
Moreover, the report states that the 5G chipset will not be used in Huawei’s flagship models, such as the Mate and P series devices, but rather in mid-range devices like the Nova and Enjoy smartphones.
It is important to note that Huawei has not officially confirmed these claims, and they remain as unofficial information at this point.
There are reasons to be suspicious of this prediction. Currently, Chinese chipmakers, including SMIC, do not have mature processing nodes capable of producing advanced chipsets like the 7nm node. This raises doubts about the feasibility of Huawei reintroducing the Kirin chip through a domestic company.
Counterpoint’s statement also mentions that Huawei is depleting its inventory of HiSilicon chipsets and is using Qualcomm chipsets in its new smartphones, which are limited to 4G capabilities due to the US ban preventing Huawei from manufacturing new chipsets with TSMC or Samsung Foundry.
Furthermore, the report does not explicitly mention the relaunch of Kirin 5G in the second half of this year. It primarily focuses on market share of application processors, including the current status of HiSilicon. There is no definitive statement or prediction about Huawei reintroducing the Kirin chip with 5G support.
Previous reports have suggested that Huawei may explore alternative solutions for 5G rather than relying on the Kirin chip.
While Chinese media portals have been discussing Counterpoint’s supposed predictions, it is essential to note that the report itself does not contain such forecasts. Therefore, the details surrounding Huawei’s plans for 5G and the relaunch of the Kirin chip remain uncertain and misunderstood at this time.
