Phones Canada Update: SK Hynix Denies Business with Huawei, Investigates Chip Usage in Huawei Mate 60 Pro
Last week, there were concerns about Huawei Mate 60 Pro’s use of LPDDR5 12GB RAM and 512GB NAND Flash memory chips, which potentially violated U.S. export rules. To clarify the situation, SK Hynix, a South Korean chipmaker, has stated that it has not conducted any business with Huawei since the chip-related sanctions were implemented in 2020.
SK Hynix is currently investigating the matter to understand the circumstances better. Company Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho has emphasized that they have had absolutely no business with Huawei. He added, “We are investigating the circumstances. Huawei’s new smartphone is a well-made product… and we need to check more closely what kind of DRAM is being used in that phone.”
Furthermore, SK Hynix clarified that it strictly adheres to the U.S. government’s export restrictions. Prior to the chip sanctions, Huawei accounted for 10% of SK Hynix’s sales.
TechInsights, reported by Bloomberg, conducted a deep dive into the matter and found that the SK Hynix RAM and Flash memory chips used in the Mate 60 Pro were from Huawei’s inventory before the sanctions came into effect. This discovery raises questions about the current inventory of these chips that Huawei still possesses.
In a video teardown of the Mate 60 Pro, it was revealed that the SK Hynix NAND Flash memory chip had 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage and was labeled as model number UD310. This component was announced by SK Hynix in 2020 before the U.S. export rules were expanded to restrict cutting-edge chips from reaching Huawei. As for the 12GB LPDDR5 RAM chip manufactured by SK Hynix, it appears that Huawei had a significant inventory of these chips available.
The introduction of the Mate 60 Pro has sparked a wave of nationalism in China, with analysts speculating that the demand for this new smartphone could negatively impact sales of the iPhone 15 line in China, which is the world’s largest smartphone market.
We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Source: PhoneArena.com
