Huawei may be on the verge of outperforming Apple in adopting High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) DRAM for smartphones, potentially gaining a significant lead in AI performance. Despite the constraints imposed by U.S. 
trade sanctions, Huawei has shown resilience by accelerating technological advancements, especially in areas like AI and smartphone hardware. The Mate XT, for example, was the world’s first tri-fold smartphone, highlighting Huawei’s ability to innovate under pressure.
Now, rumors suggest Huawei will bring HBM DRAM to smartphones ahead of Apple. This cutting-edge memory, based on 3D stacking technology, promises increased bandwidth, improved efficiency, and smaller chip size-all crucial for boosting AI performance in mobile devices
. Currently, smartphones and tablets rely on LPDDR5X memory, but as memory technologies evolve, LPDDR6 is expected to enter mass production by Samsung in late 2026. However, Huawei’s rumored adoption of HBM DRAM could give it a significant competitive edge, especially in AI tasks.
Although Huawei faces limitations with advanced manufacturing, due to its reliance on the 7nm node from SMIC, its strength lies in innovation in areas like HBM DRAM, where Apple has yet to catch up. Apple is reportedly planning to adopt HBM DRAM in 2027, coinciding with its 20th-anniversary iPhone, but Huawei could beat them to market with a similar device, positioning itself as a leader in AI-enhanced smartphones. While the specific Huawei smartphone model to feature HBM DRAM is still unknown, this development marks a potential turning point for the company, signaling its increasing relevance in the generative AI space.