Huawei has introduced the Kirin 9050 Pro processor, which utilizes the new LogicFolding architecture. This design doubles the transistor layer density and incorporates vertical connections, increasing density from 155 to 238 million transistors per square millimeter.
According to a Bernstein report, the Kirin 9050 Pro outperforms the 3-nm Apple A17 Pro in Geekbench 6 multi-core tests. Analysts suggest this narrows the gap between Chinese mobile chips and Western counterparts to three years, down from the previous four-year lag.
The processor is manufactured by SMIC using N+2 or N+3 class technology, which is comparable to 7-nm processes but relies on DUV equipment rather than EUV lithography. In single-core tasks, the chip performs similarly to 4-nm processors produced by TSMC.
Compared to the previous Kirin 9030 Pro, the new model offers a 20% increase in multi-core performance and a 39% boost in graphics. Additionally, the neural processing unit has seen a 150% increase in throughput, while maintaining lower power consumption.
The Kirin 9050 Pro debuted in the Huawei Mate XT 2 foldable smartphone. Huawei plans to implement this design approach in future Ascend 970 and 980 AI accelerators, which are scheduled for release in 2028 and 2029, respectively.
