I’ve always been fascinated by tech, especially the intricate dance of components that make our smartphones tick. So, when I heard about the teardown of Huawei’s Pura 70 Pro by Reuters, I was hooked. You see, it’s not just about taking apart a phone; it’s about understanding the story it tells, the ambition it embodies.
This time, the story is about Huawei’s journey towards technological independence. Reuters had the folks at iFixit and TechSearch International dissect the Pura 70 Pro, and what they found was pretty revealing. The phone, especially the Pro version, seems to be sporting a higher percentage of Chinese-made parts compared to the Mate60 series.
Think about that for a second. We’ve all heard the whispers about China’s push for self-reliance in technology, and here it is, playing out right in front of us in the form of a smartphone.
What struck me was the discovery of a NAND storage chip, among other components, sourced from Chinese suppliers. Although it’s still a bit of a mystery which specific manufacturer is behind this NAND chip, it’s a clear signal of intent. Remember when TechInsights tore down the Mate60 and found DRAM and NAND chips from SK Hynix? Well, the Pura 70 Pro seems to be singing a different tune.
And then there’s the Kirin 9010, the beating heart of the Pura 70 Pro. Think of it as the Mate60’s Kirin 9000 but with a little extra oomph. Shahram Mokhtari, the chief teardown technician at iFixit, hit the nail on the head when he said, “While we can’t give an exact percentage, we can say that there is a high usage of domestic components, certainly higher than in the Mate60. This is self-sufficiency.”
What’s fascinating is that Huawei still uses DRAM chips developed by SK Hynix in the Pura 70 series. However, the real twist is their move to HiSilicon, their own semiconductor arm, for packaging NAND flash memory chips. These chips, each with a whopping 1 terabit capacity, are right up there with what the competition is offering. The teardown analysts even suggested that HiSilicon might have developed the memory controller for the Pura 70 series. Talk about taking matters into your own hands!
Now, the iFixit experts pointed out that the Kirin 9010, built on a 7nm process, isn’t a radical departure from the Kirin 9000s processor. But here’s the kicker: we shouldn’t underestimate Huawei. Reuters ended their report with a tantalizing tidbit – SMIC, China’s leading chip manufacturer, seems poised to roll out a 5nm process later this year.
For me, the Pura 70 Pro is more than just a phone. It’s a symbol of ambition, resilience, and a quiet confidence that’s hard to ignore. It’s a reminder that the tech world is always in flux, and the future is being written as we speak.