10 Best Huawei's Kirin Chipsets in 2023

Huawei operates a subsidiary known as HiSilicon, which specializes in manufacturing chipsets. Established in 1991, HiSilicon is a notable semiconductor enterprise possessing a license to design ARM Cortex CPUs. The chipsets developed by HiSilicon are globally recognized under the Kirin brand.

Currently, Kirin chipsets are exclusively integrated into Huawei's range of mobile devices. But it should be noted that Honor, when it was a part of Huawei, utilized Kirin chipsets in their products as well.

Although the latest Huawei smartphones predominantly feature Kirin chipsets, it is not uncommon to find some models powered by Snapdragon or MediaTek chips.

Huawei regards the Kirin chipset series as a critical innovation, significantly enhancing the prowess of their mobile device lineup. According to various sources I read, Huawei has no imminent plans to permit other smartphone manufacturers to incorporate Kirin chipsets in their products. From Huawei's perspective, Kirin operates more as a strategic asset than a commercial venture.

Initially, Kirin chipsets didn't enjoy widespread popularity. However, their reputation escalated with the launch of several high-end Huawei devices showcasing impressive performance, which brought Kirin chipsets into the limelight.

Unfortunately, the growth trajectory of Kirin has been impeded since 2019, owing to the restrictions imposed by the US government that prevent Huawei from procuring advanced chips and software from American firms.

As of 2023, Huawei has initiated efforts to forge collaborations with different corporations to further the development and innovation of their chipset technology.

Types of Kirin Chipsets

The Kirin series encompasses a diverse range of chipsets. Though there isn't a formal classification for Kirin chipset devices, one can discern a pattern based on the numerical designation that typically comprises three digits. The categorization can primarily be deduced from the first digit of this number. Here are further insights into the various types of Kirin chipsets.

1. Kirin Flagship Class Series 9

The Kirin chipsets earmarked as high-end bear the initial digit "9". These chipsets are crafted specifically for the premium smartphone models from Huawei and Honor.

This category of Kirin chipsets is predominantly featured in high-end Huawei and Honor smartphones, including but not limited to models like the Huawei P30 Pro, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Honor 10, Honor 20, and Huawei Mate 60 Pro, all of which are powered by variants of the Kirin 9 chipset series.

Initially, the Kirin 9 chipset series featured a three-digit nomenclature, with the number "9" being followed by two other digits. Some notable chipset versions falling under this naming convention are the Kirin 930, Kirin 935, Kirin 950, Kirin 980, Kirin 990, and so forth. Subsequently, Kirin transitioned to a naming system where the number "9" is followed by three additional digits, as seen with the Kirin 9000.

Given their deployment in high-end smartphones, it's no surprise that these chipsets boast plenty of advanced features. Among these features are integrated Neural Processing Units (NPU) and functionalities that enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI) optimization.

2. Kirin 7xx Series

The Kirin 710 represents a mid-range offering within the Kirin chipset portfolio, incorporating elements inspired by its high-end counterparts. Notable features such as GPU Turbo and AI functionalities are integral components of this Kirin 710 chipset. Looking ahead, it's anticipated that this series will expand to include other variants, potentially designated as Kirin 712, Kirin 720, or other numerical combinations.

3. Kirin 6xx Series

Chipsets in the Kirin range that begin with the digit "6" are predominantly found in entry-level smartphones. Some of the devices equipped with these chipsets include the Huawei Nova 2i, Honor 9 Lite, and Honor 4C, among others.

Within this category, there are two distinct types of chipsets based on their manufacturing processes. The first group encompasses chipsets created using a 28 nm fabrication process, currently represented by the Kirin 620. The second group features a more advanced 16 nm fabrication process, including chipsets such as the Kirin 650, Kirin 655, Kirin 658, and Kirin 659.

4. K3V2 and K3V2E

The K3V2 and K3V2E represent the first generation of chipsets developed by HiSilicon. The K3V2 chipset, founded on the ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore architecture, utilizes a 40 nm fabrication process. This particular chipset has been integrated into devices such as the Huawei Ascend D Quad XL smartphone and the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD7 tablet.

The K3V2E chipset stands as an evolution or a refined version of the K3V2, offering support for Intel baseband communications. Notably, this chipset was exclusively employed in the Huawei Honor 3 smartphone, during a period when Honor was yet to become an independent brand.

Given the evolution and prominence of the Kirin brand, further advancements of these two initial chipsets have been discontinued. Besides the K3V2 and K3V2E, HiSilicon is also actively involved in developing AI-centric chipsets named Ascend 310 and Ascend 910.

List of Best Kirin Chipsets

Considering the categorization and variety, there aren't an overwhelming number of Kirin chipsets available. This limited range is understandable given that these chipsets are exclusively designed for use in two smartphone brands, Huawei and Honor. Nonetheless, it's certainly intriguing to explore which Kirin chipset stands out as the best among the available options. Let's check the list of the best Kirin chipsets below.

1. Kirin 9000S

Since facing a technology embargo from the United States, Huawei has encountered obstacles in crafting its proprietary chipsets. Consequently, the company resorted to utilizing chipsets produced by Qualcomm on several occasions, despite losing support for 5G capabilities. Notable instances of this are the Huawei P50 Pro equipped with the Snapdragon 888, and the Huawei nova 9 featuring the Snapdragon 778G.

Nevertheless, a resurgence was seen in September 2023 when Huawei unveiled four new phones powered by the Kirin 9000S chipset: the Huawei Mate 60, Huawei Mate 60 Pro, Huawei Mate 60 Pro+, and Huawei Mate X5.

Due to legal constraints, Huawei is prohibited from utilizing manufacturing facilities at industry giants like TSMC and Samsung Semiconductor for chipset production. This hurdle was overcome through a collaboration with the Chinese semiconductor firm, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), facilitating the creation of the Kirin 9000S.

From the information I gathered across various platforms, SMIC has demonstrated the capability to produce the Kirin 9000S employing a 7 nm manufacturing process. However, the nuances and debates surrounding SMIC's ability to develop 7 nm chipsets will not be the focal point of this discussion.

Here, the spotlight is on the characteristics and capabilities of the Kirin 9000S chipset. At first glance, one might presume that this chipset is a derivative of the Kirin 9000 series, but this conjecture is markedly incorrect.

In reality, the Kirin 9000S represents a wholly independent and novel chipset. Details regarding this System on Chip (SoC) are limited, with even Huawei's official site offering no insights. Yet, Chinese YouTuber Geekerwan ventured to unravel the intricacies of the Kirin 9000S, conducting a comprehensive series of tests on the Huawei Mate 60 Pro.

According to these evaluations, the Kirin 9000S comprises almost entirely in-house developed components, encompassing the CPU, GPU, AI processor, ISP, and the 5G modem.

In terms of CPU configuration, this chipset employs a 1+3+4 setup. It houses a single super core operating at a frequency of 2.62 GHz, and three intermediate cores clocking at 2.15 GHz, which are built using a proprietary microarchitecture named "Taishan". Additionally, there are four efficient cores powered by ARM's Cortex A510, each functioning at a speed of 1.5 GHz.

On the graphics front, it boasts a Maleoon 910 GPU, also known as the graphics processing unit. This component encompasses four cores, with clock speeds reaching up to 750 MHz. Details concerning the ISP and AI processor remain somewhat limited. Nevertheless, it is known that Huawei persists in utilizing the Da Vinci architecture for the AI processor, albeit with recent updates.

As per the analysis presented by the YouTube channel Geekerwan, the performance of the Taishan core lies somewhere between that of the Cortex X1 and the Cortex A710. Moreover, the Maleoon 910 GPU showcases capabilities slightly trailing those of the Snapdragon 888's Adreno 660.

Interestingly, despite being fabricated using a 7 nm process, this SoC exhibits superior power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon 888, which employs Samsung's 5 nm process technology. However, when pitted against newer variants such as the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Kirin 9000S appears to fall a bit behind.

Interestingly, the Kirin 9000S marks its presence as the world's first SoC to integrate hyper-threading technology, featuring eight cores and a total of 12 threads. It should be noted, though, that Android applications do not inherently demand hyper-threading capabilities at this juncture.

It seems plausible that Huawei is gearing this SoC for a broader spectrum of products. As a result, we might witness the Kirin 9000S, or its successor, being incorporated into Windows laptops in the foreseeable future.

In the performance arena, the Kirin 9000S managed to secure a commendable score, particularly for a newcomer in the SoC landscape. On Geekbench 5, it garnered a single-core score of 1005 and a multi-core tally of 4019, demonstrating its substantial capabilities. Moreover, it adeptly handles the demands of intensive gaming environments, facilitating smooth gameplay experiences.

During a performance test with the popular game Genshin Impact, the Huawei Mate 60 Pro, powered by this chipset, operated seamlessly at "high 60 fps" settings. The game maintained an average frame rate of 52 fps, and impressively, the device's temperature remained below 46 degrees Celsius throughout the testing phase.

2. Kirin 9000

The Kirin 9000 is a pioneering chipset within the ARM architecture that utilizes a 5 nm fabrication process. Developed by Huawei, it is fabricated by TSMC, constituting one of the limited productions carried out by TSMC due to the imposition of technology use restrictions on Huawei by the United States government.

Huawei faces considerable challenges given that various chipset manufacturing technologies either involve licenses or are proprietary assets of US-based firms.

Nonetheless, the Kirin 9000 stands as a potent chipset, delivering remarkable performance as demonstrated by various benchmark scores. This chipset comprises eight cores, segregated into three clusters for optimized performance and energy efficiency.

The first cluster accommodates three ARM Cortex-A77 cores operating at 2.54 GHz, facilitating swift performance. Following this is the second cluster, which hosts a single Cortex-A77 core with a 3.13 GHz frequency, aimed at rendering even faster processing speeds. Lastly, the third cluster incorporates four Cortex-A55 cores running at 2.04 GHz, designed to economize power consumption.

In terms of graphics, the chipset is equipped with the Mali-G78 MP24 GPU, providing a robust graphical performance. This chipset is prominently featured in the Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ smartphones. According to Antutu benchmarking, particularly version 9, the chipset scores approximately 750,000 points.

Additionally, there exists a variant of the Kirin 9000, termed the Kirin 9000E. Although this variant houses a processor identical to that of the Kirin 9000, it employs the Mali-G78 MP22 GPU, slightly less powerful than its counterpart in the Kirin 9000.

In my opinion, the performance is not much different. The Kirin 9000E finds its place in the standard edition of the Huawei Mate 40. Importantly, both the Kirin 9000 and 9000E are fully compatible with 5G networks.

3. Kirin 990

The Kirin 990 is crafted using a sophisticated 7nm+ EUV3 fabrication process, housing cutting-edge technology and superior intelligence, a heritage of the Kirin series, coupled with Huawei's AI powerhouse, Balong.

Benefiting from the 7nm+ EUV technology, this chipset accommodates over 10 billion transistors within its compact structure. The Kirin 990 is available in two versions: a 5G model and a 4G model.

The Kirin 990 showcases a processor that is segmented into three clusters for optimal performance. The first cluster consists of four 1.95 GHz Cortex-A55 cores, engineered for energy-efficient operations. Following this are two 2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 cores designed for swift performance, supplemented by an additional pair of 2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 cores for even quicker processing speeds. On the graphics front, it incorporates the Mali-G76 MP16 GPU to ensure a vibrant visual experience.

This chipset is a popular choice in Huawei and Honor's premium smartphone range, prominently featured in the Huawei Mate 30 series, Huawei P40 series, and the Honor V30.

Additionally, the Kirin 990 extends into three distinct variants catering to different connectivity needs. Firstly, the Kirin 990 5G is at the heart of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G. Secondly, the Kirin 990 4G powers the Huawei Mate 30 Pro 4G. Lastly, the Kirin 990E 5G, found in the Huawei Mate 30E Pro 5G, albeit offering slightly diminished performance compared to the Kirin 990 5G.

4. Kirin 985

The Kirin 985 stands out as a remarkable 5G chipset, particularly notable for its impressive internet speed capabilities during its era. Testing showcases that this chipset can boast a 40% swifter downlink capacity and a staggering 75% accelerated uplink rate compared to its counterpart, the Snapdragon 865.

Constructed using a 7nm fabrication process, much like its sibling, the Kirin 990, the 985 has been engineered to prevent rapid overheating, all the while delivering substantial performance speed, ensuring a seamless user experience.

This attribute is clearly demonstrated in devices such as the Huawei Nova 7, which incorporates this chipset. According to evaluations conducted by the JagatReview YouTube channel, this smartphone managed to secure an AnTuTu 8 benchmark score of 323,430 in regular mode, which remarkably escalates to 422,626 when switched to Performance Mode.

Furthermore, the Kirin 985 is fortified with potent AI (Artificial Intelligence) capabilities. This ingenious technology is adept at intelligently monitoring gaming loads, dynamically allocating resources from the CPU, GPU, and EMUI to enhance aspects like image clarity, color details, and frame rate stability.

5. Kirin 980

Launched in 2019, the Kirin 980 was claimed by Huawei as "The Most Powerful and Intelligent, Ever". This chipset marked its debut as the inaugural generation constructed using a 7nm fabrication process. It houses the Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 processors, supplemented by DynamiQ technology, an evolution of the big.LITTLE architecture. As for the graphics, this chipset uses Mali-G76 MP10.

The Kirin 980 is equipped with the HiAi feature, a specialized technology designed to augment artificial intelligence operations. Moreover, it boasts a remarkable 20% enhancement in performance and a 40% increment in power efficiency compared to chipsets crafted with a 10nm fabrication process. This chipset has the distinction of being the first to extend support for the advanced LTE Cat.21 technology.

The Kirin 980 was recognized for achieving a lofty Antutu benchmark score of around 309,000 establishing it as a powerhouse in its segment. This chipset finds its home in several mobile devices, including the Huawei Mate 20, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Huawei P30, Huawei P30 Pro, along with the Honor Magic 2, Honor 20, and Honor View 20.

6. Kirin 820

The Kirin 820 maintains its construction based on the 7 nm fabrication process. It comes furnished with Huawei's innovative Da Vinci NPU, which amplifies AI computing performance by up to 73%, all the while reducing power consumption compared to its predecessor.

When it comes to processing power, the Kirin 820 employs a tri-cluster architecture. This setup consists of one Cortex-A76 core clocked at 2.36GHz to facilitate rapid performance, accompanied by three Cortex-A76 cores running at 2.22GHz to manage medium-level tasks, and finally, a battery of four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.84GHz dedicated to energy-efficient operations.

Graphical demands are adeptly managed by the integrated Mali-G57 GPU, which is complemented by the Kirin Gaming + 2.0 technology. This advanced feature significantly enhances the device's operational efficiency, boosting performance by up to 38% and escalating energy efficiency by up to 39%.

As a result, users can enjoy a seamless and immersive gaming experience without worrying about draining the battery too quickly.

In addition, photography enthusiasts can leverage the sophisticated ISP 5.0 developed by Huawei, a notable feature that actively mitigates image noise, thereby yielding crisp and clear photos. The Kirin 820 is slated to be the driving force behind the upcoming Honor 30s.

7. Kirin 970

Prior to the release of the Kirin 980, the Kirin 970 stood as a prominent and swift chipset in Huawei's lineup. This powerhouse harbors Cortex-A73 and Cortex-A53 processors, paired with the graphic prowess of the Mali-G72 MP12, forming a robust core for devices equipped with this chipset.

Not only does it ensure an impressive performance, but it also facilitates exceptional photo quality, elevating the overall user experience.

A standout feature of the Kirin 970 is its superior camera software support. This becomes evident with the Huawei P20 Pro, which leverages this chipset to deliver remarkable photo quality, a feat that allowed it to hold a prestigious position at the top of the mobile camera rankings according to DxOMark tests for a significant duration.

This commitment to quality is not confined to just the P20 Pro; it extends to other devices housing this chipset, including the Huawei Mate 10, Honor 10, and Honor Note 10.

8. Kirin 810

The Kirin 810 stands as a notable chipset, manufactured using the 7 nm processing technology. With its premium capabilities, it gives stiff competition to the likes of the Snapdragon 730, positioning itself as a viable option in the high-end chipset segment, and is prominently featured in the Huawei Nova 5.

Internally, the chipset is structured with eight processor cores, which are systematically segregated into two distinct clusters. The performance-centric cluster houses 2 A76 cores operating at a frequency of 2.27 GHz, while the energy-efficient cluster accommodates 6 A55 cores running at 1.88 GHz. Complementing the central processing units is the Mali G52 graphics processor.

One of the standout features of the Kirin 810 is its integrated NPU, which is renowned for its exceptional AI energy efficiency, optimizing operations and enhancing user experience.

In addition, the chipset bolsters photography capabilities with its intricately designed ISP. This includes a detail enhancement (DE) module which facilitates the implementation of the latest automatic white balance (AWB) algorithm.

This technological synergy not only enhances ISP performance but also refines image processing. As a result, users can enjoy reduced noise and superior image detail, creating an enriched photography experience.

9. Kirin 960

The Kirin 960 stands a notch below the Kirin 970. When comparing the Antutu benchmark scores, a device equipped with the Kirin 970 registers a score of around 211,000 while one powered by the Kirin 960 typically scores around 171,000, indicating an incremental increase of 30,000 points.

This increase seems modest, especially when contrasted with the leap from the Kirin 970 to the Kirin 980, which saw a surge in the Antutu score by an impressive 100,000 points.

Despite its seemingly limited advancement, the Kirin 960 should not be dismissed as inadequate. However, during its era, the chipset struggled to rival high-end counterparts from other manufacturers. This chipset, characterized by a 16 nm fabrication process, found its home in several devices including the Huawei Mate 9 and the Honor 9.

10. Kirin 710

The Kirin 710 represents a significant step in Kirin's evolution in the mid-range market. This chipset, constructed with a 12 nm fabrication process, heralds an advancement because it exhibits enhanced performance compared to some of the other chipsets in the Kirin 9xx series.

Several devices have adopted the Kirin 710 as their central processing unit, including the Huawei Nova 3i, Honor 10 Lite, Huawei P Smart+, Huawei P Smart 2019, Huawei Mate 20 Lite, Honor 8X, and Huawei Y9. Generally, these smartphones boast Antutu benchmark scores hovering around the 138,000 mark.

This concludes an overview of the various types of Kirin chipsets, accompanied by a ranking of the best among them. It is hoped that this article will serve as supplementary information for readers who are keen on exploring the nuances of Kirin chipsets.