Xiaomi and Oppo's in-house 5G chipsets may arrive this year

09 April 2021
The platforms could be ready by the end of 2021 or early 2022.

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  • Zoser
  • 847
  • 09 Apr 2021

blue.sun, 09 Apr 2021This, however, does not work. Huawei was completely origina... moreYou are wrong, Huawei is not completely original. Their Kirin and other chipsets use ARM arquitecture that is not free!

"Arm Ltd. develops the architecture and licenses it to other companies, who design their own products that implement one of those architectures‍—‌including systems-on-chips (SoC) and systems-on-modules (SoM) that incorporate different components such as memory, interfaces, and radios. It also designs cores that implement this instruction set and licenses these designs to a number of companies that incorporate those core designs into their own products."

So first all they are using a not original architecture, they buy licenses from Arm ltd. to use their designed architecture, as an example the Kirin 980 use the ARM’s Cortex-A76 cores:

https://consumer.huawei.com/en/community/details/%5BTecHuawei%5D-Kirin-980-All-You-Need-To-Know/topicId_3540/

U.S.A. cannot ban ARM Ltd. to license Huawei but can pressure them as a lot of big U.S.A companies do business with them and tell them that if you want to make business with my companies then don't do that with Huawei... But the ban came from other routes.

Huawei is not completely independent either. They order their SoCs to TSMC and others manufacturers when needed. But their actual providers-manufacturers are using U.S.A technology in their facilities to manufacture their Kirin SoCs and other processors and components. That is why U.S.A prohibited those component manufacturers to work with Huawei. And sure that other companies that also use U.S.A. technology and make business with Huawei. Manufacturers from China still don't have the technology that Huawein need for their SoCs. Only for old ones not in the 12nm - 5nm scale.

Also manufacturers of others components like RAM for example, processors for their servers, etc, were prohibited from doing business with Huawei. Qualcomm, Xilinx, Samsung Semiconductor, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), SK Hynix, Toshiba Memory, HP and Cisco for RAM, Intel and AMD for processors, etc. So imagine. In fact, Huawei stocked and bought as much components as possible before the ban. Including processors from Intel, etc.

Is not that easy. Be completely independent will take time and take a lot research and develop. But it can be done, not all is patented. But maybe to avoid the use of already patented technology could end with less optimal solutions. Or who knows if you can discover the best one in the process and patent it.

But, as it is very difficult not use what is already patented. One of the solutions is use free open technology that can be improved. Like RISC-V. But that is only one step to be completely independent. Then, who manufacture those chips? China and Europe are now investing a lot money in companies that will in the future manufacture SoCs, integrated circuits, etc. Or in other words, the components for circuits. But reach the advanced process and knowledge needed without use foreign technology is very difficult today... and manufacture and build the machines and facilities is a titanic work. The amount of money needed inmense, incalculable. Imagine manufacture in 5nm scale with your own technology... How long would it take you to develop that technology? At this point is expected that China will need at least 10 years. Europe less time as they already have several related patents from european companies although it lacks of facilities.

There are also other related problems as the rare materials for manufacture the chips... Where those are extracted? Who have the influence there?

The magnitude of all this is so big and the power/political/economic conflict so complex that deep down it is even dangerous. But hopefully they will avoid wars... Anyways all of them are working not to depend on each other in the future at design and technology level. The raw materials is another history. Hopefully, at the end, we will have more alternatives to choose and buy.

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    • Anonymous
    • EK0
    • 09 Apr 2021

    Anonymous, 09 Apr 2021Well they have employees of tsmc and Samsung semiconductors... moreExcept BOE never stole it. Koreans working for Samsung sold it.

      Would be nice with a more open chipset to rival Qualcomm in custom rom and alternative os development. Mediatek has many well performing chipsets but custom rom support is poor and Linux mainlining is not happening anytime soon.
      The cheaper Chinese chipsets such as Allwinner and Rockchip however are mainlined with fully open drivers and no proprietary spyware, they're just too weak and not really aimed at phones.

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        • blue.sun
        • 0CN
        • 09 Apr 2021

        Zoser, 09 Apr 2021Depends. If you are self-sufficient, your design is origina... moreThis, however, does not work. Huawei was completely original and still the Americans imposed a ban on them.
        The problem is, that all mobile chipset properties and functions are patented, so anything Xiaomi or Oppo do, they either have to pay or they would violate the patents.

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          • Zoser
          • 847
          • 09 Apr 2021

          Anonymous, 09 Apr 2021Mediatek has been around for years. Still their chips are... moreYou never know when something better can arrive. There is no such magic crystal ball to predict the future. But even if Mediatek doesn't have the best products, they have improved a lot and have some of the best value for the money chipsets now, and they sell them. Right? They have considerable piece of the global sales anyways.

          What is sure is that all the actual development in progress and the effort from several countries and their companies to be completely independent in the future or as much as possible depending the case. All that and the products coming from that work will affect and modify the market. How? We will see...

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            • Zoser
            • 847
            • 09 Apr 2021

            blue.sun, 09 Apr 2021Huawei produces their own chips, owns more 5G patents than ... moreDepends. If you are self-sufficient, your design is original and does not use any patents from others, you can produce or buy the necessary components and also manufacture it yourself, the answer would be YES. Or if it is manufactured by someone who does not depend on whoever wants to stop your product. In that case, YES, it would be different. Regardless of whether each country or region decides to ban the sale of your product in its territory.

            In the other case, if you use technology or designs already patented by others, there will always be the possibility that someone who has enough power or with the right to do so, can block or ban your product or the use of said patents or technology. If that happens, the answer would be NO.

            At some point in the future. Watching the work in progress in several countries and regions... the YES answer will be a reality. Regardless of whether the company is from one country or another fo those that are working to not depend of foreign technology and facilities. Of course some products and technology will be better than the other and each will have its cost and price. But the benefit will be in not depending on others when necessary.

            The positive side is that there will be more alternatives in the market, more jobs will be created locally and new businesses will be created with government help, and countries will feel more secure and independent from each other. The negative side will be the economic cost, how the prices of the products can be affected, that they can become quite expensive and that affects the economy of the people, especially the most needy or with lower salaries.

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              • Anonymous
              • LkB
              • 09 Apr 2021

              The Android Freak, 09 Apr 2021When they will match Qualcomm? That's the real questio... moreMediatek has been around for years.
              Still their chips are inferior to Qualcomm.

              Brands like Vivo, Oppo, LG and Sony have used mediatek mostly for lower midranges and low ends just because they are cheaper than Snapdragon.

              X series failed to match SD8xx. The X10 was weaker than SD800 (2 years older), X20 failed to match 820.
              G and P series are inferior to 6xx.

              People here think that antutu score says cpu A is better than cpu B.
              No, it is not.

              Best phones of android world still use snapdragon, no matter price Qualcomm charges.
              It supports best screens, best RAM, best storage, most advanced video features, best internet speeds, latest bluetooth.
              Mediatek chips do not.

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                • Anonymous
                • p37
                • 09 Apr 2021

                Is this the end for Qualcomm?

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                  • Anonymous
                  • LkB
                  • 09 Apr 2021

                  Rev-9, 09 Apr 2021this is actually smart decision from both OEMs. I wish they... moreAll mobile SoCs are based on ARM.
                  All all modem use tech from Qualcomm.

                  Huawei thing is because 5G network, other nations think it can be used to spy for China.
                  It has nothing to do with cellphones.
                  OnePlus has sold phones in USA for at least 4 years.

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                    • Anonymous
                    • nEm
                    • 09 Apr 2021

                    Google are developing there own Silicon for Pixel and the Chinese companies are going to develop there own Silicon too.... Maybe Qualcomm should consider acquiring LG Mobile for there Snapdragon Silicon

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                      • blue.sun
                      • 0CN
                      • 09 Apr 2021

                      Rev-9, 09 Apr 2021this is actually smart decision from both OEMs. I wish they... moreHuawei produces their own chips, owns more 5G patents than anybody else and still gets banned. You think this will be different?

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                        • ae86
                        • vaS
                        • 09 Apr 2021

                        Thank the chinese gov IP-thefts, these companies will be able to make their own in house chips

                          Rev-9, 09 Apr 2021this is actually smart decision from both OEMs. I wish they... moreWhen they will match Qualcomm? That's the real question. I hope they launch competitive chipsets at the end of the five years. Mediatek has done well too in last two years.

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                            • Anonymous
                            • ntJ
                            • 09 Apr 2021

                            Xiaomi is no. 1

                              I think these companies are anticipating a future US ban.
                              Lack of Snapdragon chips might affect these companies hard!!!!

                              Good to invest in in-house chips so that they don't have chip issues in the future.

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                                • Anonymous
                                • D09
                                • 09 Apr 2021

                                Indian, 09 Apr 2021They need 20 year's and billions of dollars to develop... moreWell they have employees of tsmc and Samsung semiconductors. They will just steal tech just like BOE stole display tech from LG and Samsung. So, they don't need 20years and 20 billion dollars.

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                                  • Zoser
                                  • 847
                                  • 09 Apr 2021

                                  A significant number of companies have already been working in this regard with the RISC-V architecture. Many of them in collaboration with universities. I myself am aware of it in Europe but i also know that China is doing the same. Obviously, it will take time for all that research give results and the new components with that tech reach the market. But they will as sooner as possible and it will be the future. Also Europe will have their own wafer manufacturers and facilities. So that in case of conflict, there is never a production deficiency for what is vital. That basic self-sufficient is necessary.

                                  The behavior of the USA with respect to Huawei and other companies. The trade war not only against China but also against Europe, South America, etc., in taxes and barriers for many products... It has opened the eyes of many people and companies. Confidence between countries has eroded. And now everyone is working hard to create technologies that are as independent as possible or completely independent of foreign country patents, specially patents from U.S.A. But also globally despite the country. Create your own pattents but also work with opensource technologies that promote the colaboration and a better future proof in some key technologies that can be shared to not let ONE to block or control others globally it's now the most important.

                                  Also the NVIDIA's attempt to acquire ARM is another BIG RED FLAG that has shaken the foundations of trust between companies and countries. And currently there is still a conflict in this regard with a large part of the sector promoting a blockade so that said acquisition is not made. Because many companies depend on ARM technology, of that architecture and that instead of being independent and controlled by a group or conglomerate of several companies, that it can become majority controlled by only one is something undesirable for all the companies affected.

                                  Negotiating with your own patents to find an equity against what you need from others and also using the technologies that are free for all but also customizable for your own matter, like RISC-V. And the use of software with a liberal Open Source license that let you evolve and colaborate with the global open source base code for everyone, but also let you do a comercial use and add some private code in your own product is now the way to go for a lot of business and a matter of future survival. So you can avoid that someone comes to ban you for political or economical reasons with the security or other excuse and sink your company vilely. That is.

                                    Love China
                                    As the west becomes weak. China becomes stronger. Hopefully UK decides to have the Huawei 5G

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                                      • Indian
                                      • YQD
                                      • 09 Apr 2021

                                      They need 20 year's and billions of dollars to develop independent everything and most important need backdoor US/Japan key people.

                                        Anonymous, 09 Apr 2021This is what you get when people like Trump exist.China Smartphone companies been trying to be independent, not something new to them but they just not that commit nor ambitious to make theirown ecosystem and self sufficient,, its hard, complex and expensive process with worrisome results.

                                        but things change when Trump BAN Huawei completely,, so Huawei BAN is wake-up slap for every entities not just China.


                                        now EU wants to have theirown wafer manufacturer

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