Huawei considering 5G mobile chips from Samsung, MediaTek

Newsfeeds around the world may be occupied by COVID-19 stories, but the difficult situation between Huawei and the US government hasn't miraculously resolved in the meantime. The trade ban affects both parties, with many US tech companies reporting a drop in expected revenues and Huawei shifting focus toward local alternatives. The big transition to 5G is emphasizing the issue, as 5G mobile modems are manufactured mainly by four companies worldwide - Qualcomm, Samsung, MediaTek, and Huawei.

With the current restrictions in place, Huawei can't use Qualcomm's 5G chips in its smartphones, and the Chinese company is exploring other options, GizmoChina reports. Huawei manufactures its own 5G Kirin HiSilicon chips, but apparently, the expected demand will be high enough for Huawei to seek alternatives. According to Qualcomm's Vice President, Hou Mingjuan, the 5G market is relatively unaffected by the COVID-19 situation, and it will continue to grow in 2020.

There are two main options for Huawei, it seems. The company may opt for a Samsung-made Exynos 5G modem or use MediaTek's new Dimensity 5G lineup. It's not clear which Huawei devices will make use of the third-party 5G modems if the alleged plans turn into solid contracts. Huawei will probably continue to ship upper-tier devices with Kirin 5G modems, while the manufacture of 5G hardware for mid- and low-tier models will be outsourced to Samsung or MediaTek.