Kirin 9030 Pro Teardown Shows Huawei’s SMIC Chip Beating Intel 18A

memeburn.com Jun 19, 2026

Kirin 9030 Pro Teardown Shows Huawei’s SMIC Chip Beating Intel 18A

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Jun 19, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

A teardown of the Kirin 9030 Pro has revealed that SMIC's N+3 manufacturing process achieves a tighter local metal pitch than Intel's 18A node, with a 32.5 nm metal pitch compared to Intel's 36 nm. However, experts caution that this comparison is incomplete, as Intel's 18A node has a higher transistor density, approximately 38% higher than SMIC's N+3 process. The Kirin 9030 Pro's performance also trails the Snapdragon 8 Elite by a wide margin. Huawei's upcoming LogicFolding design may help close the gap by stacking logic circuits vertically. The finding has reignited the global semiconductor debate, with SMIC's achievement being seen as a significant milestone despite the limitations.

💡 Why It Matters

· SMIC's ability to achieve a tighter metal pitch than Intel using older equipment underscores the potential for innovation despite US sanctions.
· Huawei's LogicFolding design could further narrow the gap with industry leaders.

Capsules Semiconductors

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