The US government is seeking more information on the Huawei Mate 60 Pro, a Chinese smartphone with a sophisticated CPU.
The new flagship device, which reportedly includes a new 5G Kirin 9000s processor developed specifically for Chinese manufacturer Huawei, recently surprised industry experts who were puzzled as to how the company would have the technology to make such a chip in the aftermath of the United States' massive efforts to restrict China's access to foreign chip technology.
During a White House press briefing on Tuesday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that the US requires "more information about precisely its character and composition" to assess whether parties circumvented American limits on semiconductor exports to produce the new device.
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In 2019, the government prohibited US corporations from supplying software and equipment to Huawei and prohibited overseas chipmakers from cooperating with Huawei if they used US-made technologies. The government cited perceived national security concerns, such as the possibility of Chinese government cyberattacks or spying. Adding a custom-built 5G chip would be a significant milestone for Huawei as it deals with the effects of US limitations on its device business.
David McQueen, a director at market research firm ABI Research, told CNN that he thinks the reaction in China seems to be one of mass excitement because Huawei, which was at one time vying to be the number one smartphone brand worldwide, is seen to be fighting its way back into the smartphone market with Chinese-made silicon, and has no doubt been trading on a ‘Made In China mantra,”
He stated that the unveiling raises issues about how Huawei could sell the phone after spending the previous four years under US constraints prohibiting access to 5G technology.
When Huawei announced the Mate 60 Pro smartphone late last month, it did not provide much information on the processor on its product page. Other than that, it offers improved communication and a more stable network connection. However, consultant firm TechInsights disassembled the Mate 60 last week to get a better look at the chip, which seemed to be a 7-nanometer processor built by China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).
SMIC, a mainly state-owned Chinese corporation, was included in the US government's export prohibitions imposed several years ago.
