TECH NEWS – However, that doesn’t mean the Chinese company will make the switch this year, as its latest products are slightly behind.

The Pura 80 series was introduced last week, featuring the 7nm Kirin 9020 system-on-a-chip (SoC). However, Huawei had already used this chip in last year’s Mate 70 lineup. While the architecture has moved from N+1 to N+2, the design has effectively hit a ceiling — even though SMIC, China’s largest semiconductor foundry, has reportedly succeeded in developing 5nm technology. A new rumor suggests that commercialization of 5nm chips is underway, with future Huawei Kirin SoCs expected to adopt the tech — but not before next year.

A known Weibo leaker using the alias “Smart Chip Consultant” claims that 5nm is in the pipeline, but none of Huawei’s 2025 devices will ship with it. According to the same source, the most advanced lithography process Chinese companies — including Huawei — can use in 2025 remains N+2, already deployed in the Kirin 9020. The delay is likely due to SMIC’s continued reliance on DUV-based equipment, which limits further miniaturization.

The U.S. government has blocked sales of ASML’s EUV machines to China, making high-volume 5nm wafer production extremely difficult. For Huawei, this means navigating low yields and rising manufacturing costs. While current DUV hardware can use a workaround called multi-patterning to fabricate 5nm chips, the process involves higher mask counts, added complexity, and elevated error rates.

Additionally, Washington has banned exports of EDA tools (Electronic Design Automation) to Chinese firms. These tools are critical for chip design. Reportedly, Huawei preemptively developed its own 14nm-compatible EDA systems to support the 7nm Kirin 9020. Whether these same tools will suffice for future 5nm SoCs, or whether a new platform will need to be built from scratch, remains unclear.

Source: WCCFTech, Huawei Central