As a keen technology observer, I have been closely following the “drama” between Huawei and the United States government. This conflict, rooted in national security concerns and technological dominance, has forced Huawei to undertake a monumental strategic recalibration.
The recent launch of the Huawei Pura 70 flagship smartphone series in China is not just the introduction of a new product, but a bold statement about a deeper ambition for technological independence amid the constraints of sanctions.
Dissecting the Pura 70 Pro’s Innards: An Unfulfilled Symbol of Independence
Detailed teardown reports from Reuters, in collaboration with experts at iFixit and TechSearch International, have unveiled the internal components of the Huawei Pura 70 Pro. These findings are crucial: the device, with 12 GB of RAM, up to 1 TB of internal storage, and a 5050 mAh battery, indicates a significant increase in the use of locally-made Chinese components compared to previous Huawei series. This is Huawei’s genuine attempt to reduce its dependence on the global supply chain, vulnerable to US intervention.
Kirin 9010 Chipset Performance: A Step Forward, but Still Distant
The heart of the Pura 70 Pro is the Kirin 9010 chipset, manufactured by SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation) using 7-nanometer (nm) transistor technology. While it’s a newer and better-performing revision of the Kirin 9000 found in the Mate 60 series, industry experts acknowledge that this 7 nm technology still lags behind current global flagship standards.
For comparison, leading chip manufacturers like TSMC and Samsung have moved towards 3 nm technology, with TSMC even starting to work on a 2 nm process. This represents a technological gap of approximately six years in refinement, mainly because Chinese chip manufacturers still lack access to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines from ASML, Netherlands, which are crucial for cutting-edge chip production. SMIC itself is expected to switch to 5 nm technology by the end of this year, a progressive step, but the challenges of commercial production in large volumes remain.
Tests on Geekbench prove the performance of the Kirin 9010. The performance increase of almost 10 percent from its predecessor is indeed appreciated, but it still lags approximately 30 percent behind the performance of competing flagship chipsets, such as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Memory and Other Components: A Winding Road to Self-Sufficiency
One of the most significant changes in the Pura 70 Pro is the use of 1 TB NAND flash memory associated with HiSilicon, Huawei’s semiconductor division. However, reports indicate that this component is designed and manufactured by another local company, with HiSilicon acting as the memory controller manager and NAND chip packaging. It’s important to note that the Pura 70 variant with 1 TB storage capacity is currently only available in China, while the global market gets 256 GB and 512 GB options, indicating product offering fragmentation.
As for the 12 GB of RAM, it is supplied by SK Hynix, a South Korean company that also feels the impact of US trade restrictions. There are indications that Huawei stockpiled these memory chips before the sanctions were imposed, but the high demand for the Mate 60 and Pura 70 series is believed to have depleted those stocks. Huawei will likely rely on CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies), which recently produced fully domestic LPDDR5 modules. However, efficient DRAM production also heavily depends on EUV technology, presenting another challenge for Huawei and its partners to compete in the global market.
Interestingly, the 6-axis gyroscope sensor and MEMS accelerometer still appear to be supplied by Bosch of Germany, even though Chinese companies themselves have the capability to produce these sensors. This shows that total independence is still an ideal, not a reality.
The Impact of the Chip “Cold War” on Global Consumers: An In-Depth Analysis
The story of Huawei and the Pura 70 Pro is a microcosm of the ongoing technology “cold war” between China and the US. This is not just a battle between two giants, but a complex dynamic that affects the global technology ecosystem, and of course, consumers around the world.
Expert Opinion: Pros and Cons for Global Consumers
As an observer, I see this battle as having two sides for consumers:
Advantages (Potential):
- Competitive Innovation Push: These sanctions force Huawei and China to invest heavily in research and development of core technologies. This can accelerate domestic innovation which, in the long run, could produce new breakthroughs that benefit the global market, even if they are currently catching up.
- Diversification of the Global Supply Chain: Global reliance on a handful of chip manufacturers (e.g., TSMC) poses risks. China’s efforts to build an independent semiconductor supply chain can reduce these risks and create alternatives in the future.
- Price Pressure: Stronger competition, even within a fragmented ecosystem, can sometimes trigger price wars or encourage innovation among established players, which could ultimately benefit consumers with better choices or lower prices.
Disadvantages (Real):
- Limited and Fragmented Product Choices: Consumers outside of China may not get access to the best Huawei product variants or with the most complete specifications (such as the 1 TB Pura 70 capacity example). This limits choices and user experience.
- Performance Gaps and User Experience: With chipsets that still lag behind global competitors, Huawei devices may not be able to offer the best graphics performance, AI processing, or power efficiency. This directly impacts the user experience in gaming, multitasking, or using heavy applications.
- Higher Prices for Intermediate Technology: The expensive development of domestic technology, especially in the early stages, can be passed on to consumers in the form of higher device prices, even for specifications that may not be as competitive as competing products. The price of the Pura 70 Pro, which is priced at over Rp20 million (about US$1,300) at launch in China, is an example.
- Uncertainty and Geopolitical Risk: Ongoing conflicts create uncertainty in the global technology market, affecting investment, research collaboration, and trade stability. Consumers in countries allied with the US may also hesitate to use Huawei products due to security concerns voiced by their governments.
- Ecosystem Exclusivity: With limited access to Google Mobile Services (GMS) and Huawei’s efforts to build the HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) ecosystem, global consumers switching to Huawei have to adapt to different operating systems and applications, which can be a barrier.
The Future of Huawei and the Global Technology Landscape
The Reuters report aptly calls the Pura 70 series “almost a symbol of China’s independence.” However, the word “almost” here is very important. Although China and Huawei have made incredible progress in building domestic capabilities, dependence on foreign technology, especially for critical components like EUV machines, remains a significant gap.
The US government and its allies continue to closely monitor Huawei’s rise in chip and device manufacturing. This could lead to harsher sanctions or an expansion of the restricted entity list. For global consumers, this means we will continue to witness a fragmented technology market, with various players trying to navigate geopolitical complexities, and innovation driven by the need for survival, not just pure progress. The end result is that consumers must be more careful in choosing devices that are not only sophisticated, but also fit their ecosystems and needs in the midst of this uncertainty.
The impact of this conflict is felt across various levels of global society. In emerging markets, where Huawei was once very popular due to competitive prices, consumers are now faced with more limited choices or have to compromise on features like Google services. Meanwhile, for entrepreneurs and investors in the technology sector, regulatory uncertainty and the risk of new sanctions affect investment decisions and expansion strategies in key markets.
