SHENZHEN, China: Huawei's latest flagship smartphone showcases incremental progress in China's domestic chipmaking push, with its processor built using a more advanced manufacturing process by the country's leading foundry, according to a new research report.

The Kirin 9030 chip powering Huawei Technologies' Mate 80 series handset was manufactured by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) using an improved version of its 7-nanometre technology, Canadian research firm TechInsights said this week. While the process marks a step forward for China's semiconductor capabilities, it still lags behind the most advanced nodes used by global leaders Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics.

TechInsights said the Kirin 9030 was produced using SMIC's N+3 process, which it described as a "scaled extension" of the foundry's earlier 7-nanometre N+2 node, according to the report published on December 8.

"However, in absolute terms, N+3 remains substantially less scaled than industry 5 (nanometer) processes from TSMC and Samsung," TechInsights said.

Huawei and SMIC did not immediately respond to requests for comment made outside regular business hours.

The findings highlight both the progress and the limitations of China's chip industry as it advances domestic manufacturing amid U.S.-led restrictions on access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology and equipment.

Huawei has drawn global attention in recent years for launching high-end smartphones powered by China-made chips, a move seen as emblematic of Beijing's drive for technological self-sufficiency.

In October, China added TechInsights to its unreliable entity list. The firm has published a series of reports tracking Huawei and SMIC's chip development efforts.

Despite the advances cited in the latest report, analysts note that the technological gap with leading international chipmakers remains significant, particularly in terms of manufacturing scale and efficiency.