Huawei Technologies has launched its MateBook Fold laptop, which is powered by a 7nm chip manufactured by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).

This chip, known as the Kirin X90, uses SMIC’s N+2 process node, introduced in August 2023, according to a report from TechInsights.

The choice of the older chip raises questions about Huawei’s plans to adopt SMIC’s more advanced 5nm-equivalent N+3 process node.

TechInsights suggests that SMIC’s challenges in producing the 5nm node at scale are likely due to U.S. export restrictions, which limit the foundry’s access to advanced chipmaking technology.

The MateBook Fold features an 18-inch OLED dual screen and operates on Huawei’s Harmony operating system.

This launch is part of Huawei’s initiative to build a self-reliant tech ecosystem, marking a step into full-stack computing, which includes chip design, operating system development, and hardware integration.

Huawei has not officially disclosed details about the processor, and the company did not respond to a request for comment.

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🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ The widening semiconductor capability gap reveals a new technological divide

The use of a 7nm chip in Huawei’s flagship laptop provides tangible evidence of how U.S. export controls are creating a technological divergence in global semiconductor capabilities.

TechInsights’ analysis confirms China remains at least three generations behind industry leaders, with SMIC unable to mass-produce 5nm chips while TSMC and Intel prepare to launch 2nm technology within 24 months1.

This gap is directly tied to specific technical limitations imposed by export controls, particularly China’s lack of access to extreme ultraviolet lithography equipment essential for advanced chip manufacturing1.

The semiconductor divide represents one of the most significant technological separations in recent history, with Chinese manufacturers forced to use less efficient multi-patterning techniques that typically reduce production yields1.

Despite Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei’s claim that their chips are only one generation behind U.S. peers, independent analysis shows a more substantial gap that continues to widen as Western manufacturers advance1.

2️⃣ Strategic adaptation through vertical integration and software differentiation

Huawei’s MateBook Fold reveals how Chinese tech companies are responding to chip constraints through greater vertical integration and software independence.

The laptop marks what TechInsights describes as Huawei’s “most aggressive entrance into full-stack computing,” combining in-house chip design, operating system development, and hardware integration in a single product1.

By developing and deploying its own Harmony operating system on these laptops, Huawei is creating an alternative software ecosystem that reduces dependence on Western technology platforms1.

The 18-inch OLED double screen without a physical keyboard demonstrates how innovative form factors and user experiences are being prioritized to differentiate products when raw computational performance lags behind competitors1.

This approach of focusing on integration and user experience rather than pure performance metrics parallels how companies like Apple have succeeded through vertical integration, suggesting Huawei is creating an alternative path to technological relevance despite semiconductor limitations1.

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