Technology

Not really, if you're looking the actual performance and efficiency numbers. And you have to compare ARM mobile chips with other ARM mobile chips. 7+nm TSMC process was used to make the Snapdragon 865, the flagship processor for 2020 android smartphones. And Huawei's 7nm domestic process comes extremely close to that on efficiency. Huawei's chips are actually slightly more efficient than the Snapdragon 888 and 8 gen 1, which were made on Samsung's 5nm and 4nm process and the flagship processors for the 2021 and 2022 android smartphones (yes, these less efficient than TSMC 7+nm Snapdragon 865 from 2020). Obviously the newer TSMC process that the Snapdragon 8+ gen 1 and 8 gen 2 chips use have much better efficiency.

In terms of single core CPU performance, Huawei is right in between the Snapdragon 865 and 888. And superior to them in multi core performance, as Huawei's Kirin 9000s performance core and big cores are based off of server ARM chips and support hyperthreading. Obviously the 8+ gen 1 and 8 gen 2 are superior in performance.

For Huawei's domestic process to be only 2 to three years behind TSMCs process, the best in the world for ARM chips, is an incredible accomplishment. Especially given all the sanctions.