After unveiling the Huawei Pura X with minimal detail on its internals, the mystery surrounding the chipset has finally been solved. The device runs on the Kirin 9020, Huawei’s latest in-house chipset developed by HiSilicon, which previously debuted in the Huawei Mate 70 series in late 2024.
🔍 Under the Hood: Kirin 9020 Architecture
Although Huawei remained silent about the chipset during launch — likely due to geopolitical sensitivities — hands-on access to the device allowed hardware detection apps to reveal its configuration:
- CPU: 8-core processor (12-core shown due to hyperthreading)
- 1x 2.5GHz Taishan Big core
- 3x 2.15GHz Taishan Mid cores
- 4x 1.53GHz Cortex-A510 cores
The Taishan cores are Huawei’s proprietary architecture, while the Cortex-A510 units were legally acquired before the U.S. Entity List restrictions took effect.
🎮 Graphics: Maleoon 920 GPU
The graphics duties are handled by the Maleoon 920, another HiSilicon-developed GPU. It runs at up to 840 MHz, but Huawei has yet to disclose the number of GPU cores or its architectural layout.
While the CPU performance is said to rival Qualcomm’s top-tier Snapdragon chips, early impressions suggest the GPU performs more like a mid-range unit. This means that while the Pura X will excel at daily multitasking and system-level responsiveness, heavy gaming or high-end graphical tasks may see moderate performance.
💡 What the Kirin 9020 Means for Huawei
The use of the Kirin 9020 is a significant milestone for Huawei, representing further progress in chip independence. Despite U.S. sanctions and restricted access to cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing, Huawei continues to innovate through in-house design and localized supply chain strategies.
Final Thoughts
The Huawei Pura X Kirin 9020 combo demonstrates Huawei’s unwavering commitment to hardware sovereignty. With custom CPU cores, a functional in-house GPU, and HarmonyOS on top, the Pura X stands as a testament to the brand’s evolution amid international constraints.
While GPU performance may lag behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen series in raw graphics, the Kirin 9020’s efficient CPU cluster and tightly integrated software offer a balanced experience for most users.
Stay tuned for a full performance breakdown once detailed benchmarks and thermal data become available.
