Yesterday, Huawei unveiled its Matebook Pro 2025 laptops, powered by HarmonyOS, the firm's newly developed operating system, independent of Linux and Android, breaking free from Microsoft's shackles. At the event, Chinese enthusiasts had a go with the machine. They discovered it reportedly features a new SoC from Huawei's chip subsidiary HiSilicon, the Kirin X90, built on a custom Arm-based design. This might be Huawei's "Apple silicon" moment, integrating its devices with in-house software and hardware, though compatibility with already-developed applications remains an open question.
Following sanctions imposed in 2020, the US significantly limited Huawei in its ability to work with international chip designers and manufacturers. Within a short span, the firm was forced to rely on indigenous alternatives, sourcing chips from its HiSilicon division, with manufacturing primarily handled by China's SMIC. Unlike Loongson's chips, which employ its custom LoongArch architecture, Huawei's cores utilize off-the-shelf Arm Cortex designs, and now its own Arm-based Taishan V-series architectures.
