New Huawei Chip Appears As Company Shifts Away From Windows, Intel

A new processor has appeared from Huawei, as the company moves toward selling PCs and laptops without Intel chips or Windows software.

The government-backed China Information Technology Security Evaluation Centre said the Kirin X90 chip, developed by Huawei’s chip design operation HiSilicon, received a Level 2 national certification for security liability, a voluntary certification often sought as a predecessor to commercial adoption.

While the agency provided no details on the chip, it comes as Huawei moves away from Intel processors due to increased US restrictions.

Desktop HarmonyOS

Huawei previously introduced the Kirin 9000S, Kirin 9000S1, and Kirin 9010 chips based on a 7 nanometre process from Chinese manufacturer SMIC and custom Taishan cores, which are based on technology from ARM that is not subject to US export controls.

The Kirin X90 is also likely to use SMIC’s 7nm process and Taishan cores.

Huawei previously used its Kirin 9000C in its Qingyun W515x enterprise PC, launched in May, and the Kirin 9006C in the Qingyun L540 enterprise laptop.

But most of its consumer PCs and laptops ran on Intel’s Core processors, with exceptions such as the Matebook E Go, which uses a Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm.

Last May the US revoked special licences that allowed Intel and Qualcomm to sell older-generation chips to Huawei for laptops and smartphones.

Huawei has already transitioned its flagship smartphones, such as last year’s Mate 70, to its own Kirin mobile chips.

The company’s licence to use Windows is also ending this month, and it may not receive an extension from US authorities, possibly forcing it to switch to its own HarmonyOS software for all future PCs and laptops, Huawei consumer chief Richard Yu told local media.

Silicon switch

Huawei may launch an “AI PC” running on its own hardware and software as early as April, Chinese news outlet Mydrivers.com reported.

The company’s most recent PC launch was the Matebook GT 14 in August, with Windows and Intel Core chips.

Huawei’s desktop and laptop shipments grew 15 percent in 2024, reaching 4.3 million units, giving it an 11 percent share of the mainland Chinese market, compared to 35 percent for Lenovo, Canalys said in a study last week.

The company’s smartphones also currently run on a version of HarmonyOS compatible with Android, but this year it is expected to switch to HarmonyOS Next, which removes Android support.

Huawei’s shift to ARM-based laptop and desktop chips is comparable to Apple’s move to its own Apple Silicon processors, which are also based on ARM technology.