From Cupertino to Shenzhen, two flagship launches reveal how innovation, geopolitics, and supply chain strategies are redrawing the boundaries of the smartphone industry.
In the last week, the world witnessed two marquee product launch events presented by the global tech giants Apple and Huawei. The juxtaposition of these events just five days apart leaves a clear space for comparison, which we intend to take advantage of!Yole Group, with its deep expertise in reverse engineering, cost & technology analyses, and supply chain mapping, is ideally placed to dissect these announcements. In today’s article, Yole Group’s analysts evaluate how Apple and Huawei are making technical choices under constraints, and what that means for global component trends. As the device landscape frays between premium materials, fabrication limits, and geopolitical pressures, Yole’s insights help to translate headline features into underlying industry shifts.
This article is related to the following reports: Status of the Processor Industry 2025 – Processor Market Monitor – Smartphone APU SoC Comparison 2025 – Google APU Tensor G4 in Google Pixel 9 Pro – Status of the MEMS Industry 2025 – Microphones, Microspeakers and Audio Processing 2025…
The September 4th Huawei event demonstrated the resurgence of the Chinese tech behemoth, which was previously on life support following the series of trade sanctions levied in 2018 and 2019, preventing its access to most semiconductors built outside of China. While still not up to the most leading-edge semiconductor technology, Huawei has come back with luxury products like the Mate XT, rivaling the marquee smartphones of its competitors.
The September 9th Apple event was less steeped in geopolitical consequence and mainly represented an evolutionary step on their long arcing roadmap. However, as with Huawei, there was a nod to a different form of self-reliance: further vertical integration, like we witnessed in the move to CX1 and N1 communications chips.
Looking closer at the technical details, Yole Group’s analysts see interesting distinctions on a few different fronts: computing, display, sensing, and communications.
APU distinctions demonstrate different foundry capabilities
In terms of computing, there still exists a sizable gap between the Kirin 9020 processor (of the Huawei Mate XTs) and the A19 (of the iPhone 17). The A19 Pro is the third Pro-series processor to leverage TSMC’s 3 nm process node, this year moving to its third generation with the N3P process. According to TSMC, the N3P node represents a +4% increase in chip density compared to the N3E node, used in the A18 and A18 Pro processors. The Kirin 9020 is built on SMIC’s 7nm-class technology, which, while being two nodes behind TSMC, is the most advanced logic node available in China. The difference is the direct result of the entity list sanctions that have prevented SMIC’s access to EUV lithography. The differences in process node mean that the A19 would have a higher logic transistor density and is designed with a higher CPU core frequency. Speaking of cores, however, the Kirin 9020 runs with eight CPU cores, while the A19 runs with just six. Core counts alone cannot tell us much about the user experience, however.Something to note on the Kirin 9020: this is the first APU from Huawei to bear the company’s package markings since 2020, when the final access to TSMC was cut off.
This year, for the first time, Apple chose not to disclose the performance of its Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which remains central to Apple Intelligence and continues to feature sixteen cores. Meanwhile, each GPU core is now equipped with a Neural Accelerator, enhancing overall AI performance. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are the first iPhones to feature a vapor chamber cooling system, a technology already used by Samsung and Huawei.
From Qualcomm to Broadcom: Apple cuts deeper into its RF supply chain
In early February 2025, Apple introduced its first 5G modem, the C1 chip, replacing Qualcomm’s solution: it was an expected step in line with its strategy to internalize key technologies. With the iPhone 17, Apple has extended its in-house 5G modem to the new iPhone Air with C1X: an improved version of C1 claimed to be twice as fast, while the rest of the lineup continues to rely on Qualcomm’s modem. While attention before this announcement focused on which iPhone models would adopt the in-house modem, the bigger news came elsewhere: Apple made a major change by internalizing the wireless connectivity combo SoC “N1” across the entire iPhone 17 lineup, marking a move away from Broadcom. Apple’s first in-house connectivity SoC combines Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Band support is nearly identical to that of the iPhone 16, with the N76 band identified as the only addition, providing a supplementary downlink for carrier aggregation.Huawei, on the other hand, is expected to continue leveraging China’s domestic RF innovation capabilities for the XT, reinforcing its position as the country’s leading OEM in this field.
The new devices integrate Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, satellite calling, and NearLink technologies, all supported by in-house design expertise. While Huawei has relied on local RF suppliers for several years, we observe a growing share of its own in-house–designed modules. This trend in the new XTs highlights the results of the company’s significant R&D investments.
Decoding Apple and Huawei’s camera innovations beyond the marketing
Regarding cameras, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max improved their telephoto performance, introducing what Apple describes as an x8 optical zoom via a new 48MP telephoto lens, a significant jump from the x5 optical zoom of the previous generation.Another interesting element to check is the sensor supplier, with the rumors of the participation of Samsung as a CIS supplier to replace Sony, which, if confirmed, would mark a major shift in Apple’s imaging supply chain strategy.
Apple has also retained its 48-MP main sensors and upgraded the imaging system’s computational backend (e.g., improved noise handling, HDR fusion, framing via AI) to take advantage of these higher resolution sensors and longer focal lengths. The front camera also sees a boost to 18 MP, enhancing selfies and video calls in low-light conditions. These updates are reinforced by Apple Intelligence directly embedded in the imaging pipeline, which improves HDR fusion, noise handling, and portrait rendering.
Huawei, for its part, continues to invest strongly in large optical sensors, periscope telephotography, and optics innovation. The Huawei Mate XT Ultimate design features a 50-MP main camera with a 1/1.56-inch sensor, an ultrawide 12MP lens, and a 12MP periscope telephoto with x5.5 optical zoom and optical image stabilization; it also includes a variable aperture mechanism (≈ f/1.4-4.0) on the main lens.
With this, Apple keeps trying to improve its camera performance even amid the complex geopolitical situation, while Huawei seeks to regain competitiveness with larger sensors, variable optics, and domestic supply chain resilience. Both open opportunities in the CIS, optics, and camera module markets, which Yole Group tracks in detail across its reports.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Apple Watch: Expanding the health monitoring ecosystem
Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 mark a significant step forward in the integration of health sensors, with the introduction of a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor for the first time. This allows the earbuds to measure and monitor users’ heart rates, complementing Apple’s established health monitoring functions on the Apple Watch. When combined with the accelerometer, the PPG sensor is expected to deliver more accurate heart-rate measurements, as the ear provides a favorable position for this type of monitoring. The challenge remains, however, that earbuds are worn more sporadically than watches, raising the question of whether this feature will appeal to consumers who already rely on smartwatches for continuous monitoring.In terms of audio performances, Apple announced a twofold improvement in active noise cancellation (ANC) compared to the previous generation.
At the Apple Watch level, recent updates focus on new health functions, such as blood pressure and sleep quality tracking, delivered through software enhancements rather than new hardware. This illustrates Apple’s strategy of building value through algorithm-driven insights while maintaining regulatory compliance.
Meanwhile, Huawei is pursuing a different path. Its Watch 4 introduces blood sugar monitoring capabilities without regulatory certification, in stark contrast to Apple’s FDA- and CE-cleared ecosystem. This signals the start of an intense race toward non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, where regulatory rigor competes with speed-to-market innovation.
About the authors
John Lorenz is Director, Memory & Computing at Yole Group. John leads the growth of the team’s technical expertise and market intelligence, while managing key business relationships with industry leaders. He also drives the development of Yole Group’s market research and strategy consulting activities focused on memory and computing technologies and markets.John holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA), where he specialized in MEMS devices.
Hugo Antoine is a Technology & Market Analyst, Computing and Software at Yole Group. Hugo develops technology & market analyses covering computing hardware, software, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He holds a master’s degree in microelectronics and computing from École des Mines de Saint-Etienne, an AI specialization from École Polytechnique de Montréal, and a dual degree in innovation management from emlyon business school, combining strong technical expertise with business acumen.
Anas Chalak is Technology & Market analyst, Imaging at Yole Group. He is a member of the Imaging & Display team within the More than Moore activities. He follows and researches imaging technology activity to provide market and technology analyses, as well as contributing to the production of relevant reports and projects. Anas obtained a MS in Nanoscale Engineering from École Centrale de Lyon, France.
Ihor Pershukov, PhD, is a Technology & Cost Analyst, Radio Frequency at Yole Group. With a deep expertise in semiconductor manufacturing, materials, and radio frequency (RF) devices, Ihor oversees reverse engineering and costing analyses. Collaborating closely with the laboratory team, he defines analysis objectives and establishes methodologies to unveil the structure of RF devices. Ihor holds a master’s degree in nanoscale engineering from École Centrale de Lyon (France) and a master’s degree in applied physics and nanomaterials from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine). He also has a PhD in Materials Science from École Centrale de Lyon.
Hassan Saleh, PhD, is a Senior Technology and Market Analyst, Radio Frequency at Yole Group. Hassan produces technology and market analyses covering the consumer market. Hassan holds a master’s degree in micro-technologies and communication systems from INSA Rennes (France) and a PhD in Physics from Aix-Marseille University (France).
Clyde Midelet, PhD, is Senior Technology & Market Analyst, Sensing at Yole Group. Working within the Sensing team, Clyde contributes daily to technology and market analyses and to the development of relevant products. He is also involved in custom consulting projects at Yole Group. His expertise encompasses microfluidics, sensing, MedTech, and combinations thereof. After completing his master’s degree in solid-state chemistry at Rennes University in France, Clyde pursued a PhD at the École Normale Supérieure de Rennes in collaboration with the SATIE laboratory in France.
Meziane Saidani is a Technology & Cost Analyst in the Imaging team at Yole Group. Meziane closely follows emerging technologies in the field of imaging and develops in-depth technology and cost analyses as well as custom projects, collaborating closely with laboratory analysts. He holds a master’s degree in electronics, electrical energy, and automation from the University of Montpellier (France), focusing on electronic sensors and IoT.