The Kirin 9000S powering the Mate 60 Pro proves that Huawei and SMIC can continue mass producing mobile chipsets without the help of U.S. firms and other entities that have been barred from partnering with the two Chinese entities. In addition to the Kirin 9000S, recent analysis reveals that apart from the chipset, the advanced 5G modem and radio frequency technology used in the flagship makes Huawei comparable to other high-end smartphones and chip makers.

Huawei and SMIC have also mass produced their first 5nm SoC, which will likely be accompanied by an even better 5G modem

The analysis conducted by TechInsights shows that the Mate 60 Pro is able to bypass the U.S. sanctions, with the Kirin 9000S being one example of this feat. However, while the SoC is viewed as the centerpiece of Huawei’s resurgence, there was a time when the Chinese firm could only employ Qualcomm’s 4G baseband chips in its premium smartphones, as it was banned from procuring any 5G parts.

“TechInsights’ continued analysis of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro reveals significant progress by China in bypassing technological embargos. This progress isn't just in the application processor system-on-chip (SoC) but also in the 5G BaseBand processor and mobile RF technologies.

China has also made leaps in developing advanced (2D) system-in-package (SiP) modules and RF filters, using improved techniques in acoustic wave filters and hybrid technology based on thin-film integrated passive device (IPD) and low-temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC). This is a significant step from previous RF FE 5G architectures dating back to 2015 and 2016.”

The company scaled these intimidating obstacles with its 5G modem and RF technology, making Huawei a comparable firm among other giants. Given that Apple has invested billions in an effort to make its in-house baseband chip, which included acquiring Intel’s 5G modem business, and has still run into a myriad of development problems, proves how difficult making these chips is, but Huawei has figured it out.

Not just this, but Huawei and SMIC also silently announced a 5nm chipset, and though it was for notebooks, scaling past the 7nm barrier is evidence enough that we may see a new Kirin silicon powering the P70 series next year, along with a new 5G modem. Still, China is a few years behind the U.S., but at its current rate, that gap might close.