Huawei is preparing a new processor for phones – Kirin 2026, which should power the next generation of Mate flagship models, which will be released this fall. The latest data indicate significant progress without switching to a more advanced production process.
According to a published paper on the Tau Scaling Law approach, presented by He Tingbo, president of the Huawei Scientist Committee and head of the semiconductor division, the new chip uses LogicFolding architecture to change the layout of the logic circuits and shorten the path the signal travels through the chip. Huawei describes this approach as a replacement for the classic reliance solely on reducing the physical dimensions of transistors. The Kirin 2026 reportedly brings a 55 percent higher transistor density compared to last year’s Kirin 9030 Pro, although both chips use the same manufacturing process. Huawei claims that such a leap would previously have required approximately three years of classical geometric scaling.
The gains were not achieved by new lithography, but by reorganization of the spatial layout of the logic. The two-layer LogicFolding architecture shortens the length of lines by about 30 percent, reduces the number of clock-buffer elements by more than 50 percent and clock skew by 25 percent.
Huawei Kirin 2026 oslanja se na Tau Scaling Law in LogicFolding architecture
At a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a voltage of 0.9 V, the Kirin 2026 reportedly consumes 41 percent less energy for the same level of performance compared to the Kirin 9030 Pro.
The Tau Scaling Law is based on the idea that the progress of chips is measured not only by the size of transistors, but also by the time it takes for data to pass through the system. The goal is to reduce signal delay, resistive and capacitive load, which results in better performance and better energy efficiency.
Huawei claims that by 2031, with this approach, it could reach a transistor packing density equivalent to the 1.4 nm class, without the advanced EUV machines that are unavailable to Chinese companies due to US sanctions.
However, the paper was published on the ChinaXiv platform and has not yet undergone independent peer review. Analysts warn that commercial deployment depends on solving cooling problems, production yields, design tools and a complex supply chain.
He Tingbo states that in the coming years, LogicFolding could evolve from local shortening of critical paths to multi-layer packaging with three, four or more active levels. According to Huawei’s plan, Kirin chips could reach 3.1 GHz this year and 4 GHz by 2029.
If these claims are confirmed in the work of real, real phones, Huawei Kirin 2026 could show that the company is trying to compensate for the technological lag through architecture, and not through the classic reduction of the production process, writes SCMP.