Kirin 9100 in Huawei Mate 70 lineup to perform worse than Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 despite SoC price hike

Huawei’s upcoming Mate 70 series is getting closer to an official launch, with new leaks shedding light on its SoC and pricing. A key highlight is the inclusion of a new Kirin 9100 chip, reportedly priced at 1100-1300 RMB ($150-$180). This chip, expected to be manufactured on either a 5nm process or a 7nm process, will still likely lag behind Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in energy efficiency. Despite this, insiders suggest the Kirin chip will provide a smoother overall experience compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The Kirin SoC has reportedly scored over a million points in AnTuTu benchmarks, as per past reports.

Huawei’s plans to produce the Kirin chip without relying on TSMC or Samsung is clearly indicating that Huawei is hell-bent on becoming self-reliant. According to leaks, the Mate 70 series could come with production costs up to 30% higher than Apple’s iPhone 16 series. However, Huawei may still be able to keep final retail prices lower by cutting profit margins, it seems.

Past leaks also point to major design changes. Pricing-wise, the Mate 70 RS Ultimate is rumored to cost 10,999 yuan (~$1,541), with other models like the Mate 70 Pro+ starting at 8,999 yuan (~$1,260). Additionally, the base storage option is rumored to start at 256GB, a bump from previous models.

With an expected launch mid-next month, Huawei's Mate 70 lineup—including the Mate 70, Mate 70 Pro, and Mate 70 Extraordinary Master—seems to be looking for competition with Apple and Qualcomm. While the above details are all based on leaks, an official announcement is expected soon.