Huawei doubles Ascend AI chip output plan, HarmonyOS 6 push

TL;DR:

Bloomberg says Huawei will double Ascend 910C output in 2026.
Official release highlights new industry AI systems and “supernode” plans.
Reports point to up to 600,000 flagship AI chips in 2026.
HarmonyOS 6 developer build is rolling out with upgrades.
Huawei also pilots HarmonyOS in retail hardware at scale

On September 29, 2025, Bloomberg reported that Huawei will double production of its Ascend AI chips in 2026, aiming to meet rising domestic demand as Nvidia’s access to China stays limited. The plan centers on the Ascend 910C and wider Ascend lineup.

On September 30, 2025, Huawei issued an official update from Kuala Lumpur, promoting a top level architecture for the steel sector, built on “One Network, One Cloud, Three Platforms.” The message fits a broader push to sell full AI systems, not only chips.

Multiple outlets today echoed the production ramp, citing targets of about 600,000 flagship 910C units in 2026 and up to 1.6 million Ascend dies across the lineup. These reports stress that Chinese cloud firms need homegrown compute.

Huawei has also continued its software march. On September 27, 2025, Huawei Central noted a new HarmonyOS 6.0.0 (20) developer version with internal upgrades now reaching more devices.

Four days ago, TechRadar Pro reported a HarmonyOS smart cash register rollout across tens of thousands of Meiyijia stores in China, done with Alipay. The device uses tap interactions and auto applies coupons. It is a small but telling step to place HarmonyOS in daily commerce.

Why this is news now

Huawei broke years of chip silence at Huawei Connect in mid September, laying out a multi year Ascend roadmap and large Atlas systems meant to rival Nvidia style racks. The latest production reports, plus today’s industry solution push, show the plan moving from slides to orders.

The core facts, by date

Sep 18, 2025. Reuters detailed Huawei’s chip and computing plan, including future Ascend 950 and beyond, and new Atlas systems with a supernode design.
Sep 27, 2025. HarmonyOS 6 developer build 6.0.0 (20) began rolling to developers with stability and capability upgrades.
Sep 29, 2025. Bloomberg reported Huawei will double Ascend 910C output in 2026 to address demand and reduce reliance on Nvidia.
Sep 30, 2025. Huawei announced “One Network, One Cloud, Three Platforms” for ASEAN steel, packaging connectivity, cloud, and AI platforms into one stack

What it means for readers

If you build AI systems in China

More Ascend supply in 2026 could ease GPU shortages and lower queue times for training and inference. Large state and private buyers may prioritize domestic racks using Atlas and Ascend.

If you are a global developer

Ascend clusters are still a China first story. Code portability, framework support, and operator maturity decide real world gains. Analysts say the CUDA and NVLink stack remains a moat outside China.

If you watch phones and consumer OS news

HarmonyOS 6 keeps shipping to developers, and Huawei is seeding retail terminals that run HarmonyOS. This widens the app surface and incentives for vendors to build native apps.

Background you need to follow the story

Huawei’s Mate 70 line in late 2024 marked its flagship comeback with Kirin chips made by SMIC and HarmonyOS Next. Since then, Huawei has pushed deeper into its own compute stack and first party software. The company now sells the idea that China can meet much of its own AI demand with Ascend hardware and Atlas systems.

At Huawei Connect 2025, executives set a multi year chip plan and touted supernode racks that, on paper, can rival Nvidia scale. Independent coverage cautions that hardware scale needs a full software path to match real performance.

What happens next

Chip supply. Watch for concrete 2026 wafer starts, HBM availability, and board yields. If Huawei and SMIC hit volume, cloud firms can plan larger Ascend fleets.
Software stack. Track MindSpore, compilers, and interconnect libraries. Without a mature stack, raw FLOPs will not translate to throughput.
HarmonyOS apps. Developer uptake of the AI agent framework in HarmonyOS 6 will signal whether native apps can grow beyond China.
Enterprise wins. Look for named projects using the “One Network, One Cloud, Three Platforms” pattern in steel and other heavy sectors.

Quick guide: where Huawei’s AI push stands

Area	What changed in Sep 2025	Why it matters
Ascend chips	Planned doubling of 910C output in 2026	More domestic compute, shorter queues.
Atlas systems	Public supernode roadmap and specs	Competes with Nvidia scale in China.
HarmonyOS 6	New developer release, agent features maturing	More native apps and services.
Retail hardware	HarmonyOS cash registers roll out with Alipay	OS enters daily transactions at scale.

Common questions

Will this cut model training costs in China in 2026?
If supply doubles, unit prices and job wait times should ease. The real cut depends on software efficiency and memory bandwidth.

Can Huawei match Nvidia performance soon?
Some metrics may look close in cluster scale. The CUDA toolchain remains a hurdle for full parity in many global workloads.

Does HarmonyOS matter outside China?
Not yet in a big way. But retail terminals and long term developer tools could expand reach in select regions.

Why it matters

Chip supply shapes who can build AI services. A 2026 Ascend ramp, if it lands, gives China an in house path for training and inference at scale. HarmonyOS progress, plus real retail deployments, shows Huawei is building both compute and an app surface. That dual track can reduce reliance on foreign stacks and shift pricing power in parts of the market.

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