Huawei has made a powerful return to the 5G chip market by reintroducing its Kirin chipset series with the launch of the Kirin 9020, unveiled alongside the Mate XTs triple foldable smartphone. This marks the first major appearance of a Kirin 5G chip in nearly five years, signaling Huawei’s renewed ability to compete at the highest level of smartphone innovation.
The company was forced to halt production of its Kirin 5G chips in 2020 due to U.S. sanctions that restricted access to critical semiconductor technologies. The Huawei P50 was among the last devices to feature a Kirin 5G chip before the company shifted to using Qualcomm Snapdragon 4G processors, resulting in a notable drop in performance capabilities.
READ MORE:
Infinix Leads Smartphone Assembly in 2025 as vivo Loses Momentum
The turning point came in 2023 with the surprise release of the Mate 60 Pro, powered by the Kirin 9000s 5G chipset. This bold move suggested that Huawei had found a way to sidestep sanctions and re-enter the chip development race.
Now, in September 2025, Huawei has officially re-launched its 5G chip line with the Kirin 9020, and the company is already preparing the next-generation Kirin 9030, expected to debut with the Mate 80 series later this year.
Industry watchers are closely following the progress of the Kirin 9030, which could further solidify Huawei’s comeback in the high-end chip market. As major competitors like Apple, Samsung, and Qualcomm continue to push boundaries, Huawei’s ability to deliver top-tier chip performance will be key to its future success.
