Huawei’s new MateBook Fold laptop uses a 7-nanometer chip made by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), instead of a more advanced version previously expected by the industry, according to a report by Canadian research firm TechInsights.
The laptop is powered by the Kirin X90 processor, built on SMIC’s N+2 process node. This same technology was introduced in August 2023, and it suggests that SMIC has not yet been able to scale production of a 5nm-equivalent chip. TechInsights said U.S. export controls continue to affect SMIC’s ability to advance to next-generation chipmaking technologies.
The MateBook Fold is one of two laptops Huawei launched in May. It is part of the company’s broader strategy to create a self-sufficient technology ecosystem amid U.S. restrictions. The device runs on Huawei’s Harmony operating system and features an 18-inch OLED dual-screen design, without a physical keyboard.
Huawei has not officially announced which chip the laptop uses. Previous Huawei laptops have been powered by Intel processors. Last year, the U.S. government revoked licenses for companies such as Intel and Qualcomm that allowed them to ship chips for Huawei’s laptops and smartphones.
Due to the U.S. curbs, SMIC cannot access extreme ultraviolet lithography tools needed for more advanced chip production. As a result, Chinese foundries depend on less efficient techniques that lower chip yields.
TechInsights said Huawei’s chip remains multiple generations behind those made by global companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD. It added that while TSMC and Intel are preparing 2nm chips, China’s chipmakers remain about three generations behind.
Earlier this month, Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei told Chinese state media that Huawei’s chip technology is one generation behind its U.S. peers and that the company is working to improve chip performance through methods such as cluster computing.
