Huawei launches new Mate 90 smartphone series using local chip design to beat US limits

Huawei Technologies launched its Mate 90 smartphone series on Thursday, using its own operating system and a new chip design to handle US curbs on advanced semiconductors. Huawei consumer business chief Richard Yu said the company still faces tight supply for advanced chips in China, where capacity is shared with Ascend AI chips.

Phone Details And Pricing

The Mate 90 series follows the Mate 80 line from November 2025. Premium models like the Mate 90 Pro Max use Huawei's Kirin 9050 Pro processor, built with a 3D wiring method called LogicFolding that replaces flat layouts. Huawei did not state who makes the chip, while top foundry SMIC did not reply to a request for comment. The phones run on Huawei's HarmonyOS 7 operating system, which supports over 450,000 apps. The Mate 90 Pro Max with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage costs 9,999 yuan, while standard and Pro models start at 5,999 yuan and 6,999 yuan.

Market Impact And Rivalry

Yu noted that rising memory prices added an average of $200 to each handset cost, forcing Huawei to raise prices more slowly. IDC data shows China's phone shipments fell 7% year-on-year from January to August, while Huawei's domestic shipments rose 13%. Meanwhile, Apple launched its iPhone Duo foldable phone last month. Yu welcomed the move and said Huawei holds about a 75% share in China's foldable phone market, with Pura X Max sales rising 76% week-on-week after Apple's launch.

Context

Huawei's reliance on homegrown software and alternative hardware designs highlights how Chinese technology firms are adapting to strict international trade barriers. The competitive foldable phone market in China continues to grow as major global brands launch new devices.