Huawei Technologies is advancing its efforts to circumvent U.S. technology restrictions with the launch of a new generation of processors based on its self-developed Tau Scaling Law. The Chinese technology company plans to incorporate these chips into its recently unveiled Mate 90 smartphone series.
At a press event on Tuesday, Richard Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei’s consumer business, revealed that the company has shipped approximately 100,000 units of the Mate XT 2 foldable phone since its release on September 12. The Mate XT 2 is the first smartphone to feature mobile processors designed around Huawei’s LogicFolding architecture, which stems from the Tau Scaling Law chip concept. Huawei aims to push total sales of the device beyond one million units, with plans to expand availability across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and potentially Europe.
The Mate 90 series, announced on Monday, utilizes Kirin chips developed in-house based on the Tau architecture. This development strategy is part of Huawei’s response to U.S. export controls and China’s lack of access to cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing equipment such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. “Technologies like extreme ultraviolet lithography certainly are valuable to deliver advanced semiconductors ... but China does not have that,” Yu explained. “That’s why Huawei develops LogicFolding and the Tau Scaling Law to try to mitigate the gap.”
Starting at 5,999 yuan (approximately HK$7,020), the Mate 90 series is priced about 1,300 yuan higher than its predecessor, the Mate 80 series. The premium models—the Mate 90 RS Ultimate Design and Mate 90 Pro Max Premium Edition—are powered by Huawei’s most advanced processor yet, the Kirin 9050 Pro. The slightly less powerful Kirin 9050 chip is used in the Mate 90 Pro Max. Both processors implement the LogicFolding architecture, which aims to enhance computing power by reducing latency in signal transmission and increasing transistor density without relying on more advanced lithography techniques.
According to Huawei, the LogicFolding design shortens critical path latency by 30 percent, resulting in notable improvements in processing speed and data throughput. The Mate 90 Pro Max Premium Edition reportedly delivers a 31 percent performance increase compared to the Mate 80 Pro Max, largely due to the Kirin 9050 Pro.
A recent analysis by Bernstein indicated that despite using a manufacturing process equivalent to a 7-nanometer node, the Kirin 9050 Pro outperforms Apple’s leading 3-nanometer A17 Pro chip. The report suggests that Huawei’s chip technology lag has narrowed to three years behind Apple, improved from about four years with the previous generation.
Other models in the series include the Mate 90 Pro, powered by the Kirin 9035, and the base Mate 90, which uses the Kirin 9030. These chips, while also based on the Tau Scaling Law, employ an older architecture rather than LogicFolding.
Yu also cited rising memory prices as a significant challenge, noting that production costs for Huawei’s smartphones have increased by more than US$200 per unit. The surge in component prices has put additional strain on profitability, even after the company raised retail prices. He indicated that further price increases are likely, though they are expected to be moderate, stressing that sustainable operations require avoiding losses.