Huawei’s Kirin 9100 Could Be Pricier Than Dimensity 9400: Leak

Huawei's Mate 70 series is slated to arrive with the new Kirin 9100 CPU, which, according to rumours, may exceed Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in terms of raw performance. This chipset, which will be made by China-based chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), is also expected to be competitively priced in the same range as Qualcomm and MediaTek's flagship CPUs, possibly changing the high-end smartphone market dynamics.

As per a prior report, the Kirin 9100 may outperform the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, putting Huawei in a strong position in the high-performance smartphone industry. The new processor is intended to power the Mate 70 series, which will be released in the near future.

A recent leak on China's Weibo network revealed that the Kirin 9100 might cost smartphone manufacturers between 1100 and 1300 yuan (USD 157 to USD 186). This pricing is comparable to other flagship CPUs such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which is expected to be priced about USD 190, and MediaTek's Dimensity 9400, which is priced at USD 155. Although validating these component costs is difficult due to chipmakers' lack of transparency, the leaked pricing indicates that the Kirin 9100 will be competitive with its rivals.

The Kirin 9100 is likely to be made utilising SMIC's 5nm technology, which is based on Deep Ultraviolet (DUV) lithography. This technology contrasts from the more modern Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography utilised by major manufacturers like TSMC and Samsung. According to reports, while SMIC works on their 5nm DUV process, yield concerns and production costs continue to be a challenge. If these concerns persist, the Kirin 9100 may be made utilising a 7nm technology instead.

Despite these production challenges, the Kirin 9100 is expected to deliver performance comparable to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, albeit it may not achieve the same degree of efficiency as the latest chips built using EUV lithography. Huawei's reliance on local production has limited access to refined technology such as EUV, but the company's ability to innovate within these limits will be key to the Kirin 9100's success.