SK hynix says no Huawei its memory should be in Chinese wonder-phone
If The Register ever held a contest to recognize innovative smartphones, the clear winner for 2023's Most Revolutionary Phone would be Huawei's Mate 60 Pro. This device has caused significant disruption on a global scale, particularly for South Korean memory manufacturer SK hynix, which is now facing uncertainties related to supply chain and compliance.
SK hynix is concerned about the Mate 60 Pro due to the discovery by TechInsight's teardown experts of its LPDDR5 memory housed within the smartphone.
However, according to Bloomberg, the Korean semiconductor manufacturer has not made any sales to Huawei since the United States imposed sanctions on the Chinese company last year.
"SK hynix has terminated its business partnership with Huawei following the implementation of the US limitations imposed on the company. In response to this matter, we have initiated an inquiry to gather further information," the semiconductor retailer informed Bloomberg.
In the beginning of 2020, SK hynix gave a sneak peek of LPDDR5 memory designed for mobile devices. Then, in March 2021, they proudly announced the start of large-scale production for 18GB modules.
It would not have been simple for Huawei to acquire the memory, therefore, they might have obtained it by securing a large supply in advance.
This poses a difficulty for SK hynix because the US has given it special permissions to bypass certain sanctions and keep its operations in China running. If the chip manufacturer is pretending to be shocked, they may encounter problems in the future.
It is highly possible that Huawei has utilized "alternative pathways" - the strategy of acquiring and transporting restricted products through unofficial channels - in order to obtain the necessary equipment. Alternatively, they might have simply attached hynix's brand to certain chips to confuse everyone.
No matter how the memory got integrated into the Huawei phone, the device has been embraced by the Chinese people with a strong sense of patriotism, surpassing even the excitement seen during the launch of new iPhones.
The cozy reception at home showcases Huawei's remarkable achievement of crafting a high-quality product without relying on foreign technology. It seems that the US sanctions were specifically imposed to prevent Huawei from accomplishing such feats.
The fact that the device runs on a CPU that Chinese factories were previously believed to be incapable of manufacturing adds even more importance to this mobile device.
According to Dan Hutcheson from TechInsights, the inclusion of a Kirin chip in the upcoming Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone, which utilizes SMIC's 7nm (N+2) foundry process, highlights the impressive advancements made by China's semiconductor industry. This achievement is particularly noteworthy as it was accomplished without the use of EUV lithography tools. It also demonstrates the remarkable resilience of the country's chip technology capabilities.
Hutcheson proposed that the presence of the device could potentially lead to additional penalties.
Reportedly, US authorities are exploring comparable avenues, as they initiate inquiries into potential evasion of sanctions in order to create the phone and its central processing unit (CPU).
We currently do not have any intentions of organizing awards.
