Huawei's New Flagships Opt for South Korean Memory Chips Over Chinese
On December 21, the Huawei Mate 70 series smartphones were revealed with memory chips from South Korea’s SK Hynix, highlighting continued reliance on foreign technology despite US-led restrictions.
TechInsights teardown revealed that SK Hynix high-performance DRAM and NAND flash storage used in the Huawei Mate 70 series, Pro and Pro Plus, showcase how the advanced 14-nanometer Mate 70 Pro memory chips fabrication and extreme ultraviolet lithography technology, further suggest the Chinese giant’s lasting reliance on high-performance foreign parts.
Huawei shifted its attention to the SK Hynix memory, despite the South Korean firm’s halt in business with Chinese giant due to US export bans. This dependency illustrates Huawei challenges in achieving supply chain self-sufficiency, even as it pursues domestic chipmaking amid geopolitical tensions.
Ban On Chinese Chips
SK Hynix memory chips as a Chinese memory chip alternatives in Huawei devices is quite an interesting move, as the South Korean company ceased trading with Huawei in May following US restrictions.
On Thursday, SK Hynix said it “has been strictly complying with the relevant policies since the restrictions against Huawei were announced.”
Despite restrictions, in 2023, Huawei caught the world by surprise with its Mate 60 Pro, powered by advanced locally made chipsets. But many premium models, including last year’s P and Mate line-ups, still rely on SK Hynix memory components.
The deepened reliance on foreign technologies shows the struggles Huawei Mate 70 continues to face in establishing a fully independent supply chain. Though some advances have been made with domestic chip production, most notably with processors, homegrown sources for advanced memory chips such as DRAM and NAND remain scarce.
Broader Implications on Huawei Mate 70
Huawei Mate 70 chip and its SK Hynix supplied components add another layer of complexity to international supply chains and imperfect export controls enforcement under strict geopolitical instability.
Huawei is only an example of what could soon be many, showing how reliance underlines a gap between domestic capabilities and technological prowess of international leaders in semiconductor technology in advanced memory chips like DRAM and NAND.
While Huawei continues to innovate despite these constraints and HarmonyOS Android replacement, its balancing act between dependence on foreign suppliers and pushing for greater technological independence remains a focal point. In an increasingly geopolitically divisive world, the company’s ability to navigate these challenges and adapt its strategies is being closely watched by both the tech industry and policymakers worldwide.
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