Xiaomi has officially unveiled its first high-end, self-developed mobile processor, ‘Xring O1’. It is a flagship system-on-chip (SoC) built on TSMC’s advanced second-generation 3-nanometer process. This development is part of Xiaomi’s broader strategy to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers like Qualcomm and MediaTek.
The Xring O1 features a 10-core CPU architecture, including two high-performance Arm Cortex-X925 cores clocked at 3.9GHz, four cores at 3.4GHz, two at 1.9GHz, and another two at 1.8GHz. On the GPU side, it uses a powerful 16-core Immortalis-G925. It is one of ARM’s best GPUs, made for high-end gaming with features like ray tracing, HDR, and smooth graphics.
The configuration delivers top-tier performance, with Xiaomi claiming an AnTuTu benchmark score exceeding 3 million, which indicates strong processing capabilities and power efficiency. Notably, the efficiency matters a lot now because AI workloads, high-refresh displays, and 5G drain phone batteries fast.
According to the Chinese electronics gaint, its newly introduced chip is made to compete with the top chips on the market, including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Elite, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400, and Apple’s A18 Pro.
Importantly, Xiaomi has updated its 15 Pro smartphone with a new version called the 15S Pro. While the design remains mostly the same, the Snapdragon 8 Elite that previously powered the phone has been replaced with the Xring O1. The move is significant as last year (2024), the company shipped around 168.6 million smartphones, securing its place as the world’s third-largest smartphone manufacturer with a 13.6% global market share.
The Xring O1 also debuts in the Pad 7 Ultra tablet. Along with the Xring O1 chip, the company has also revealed the Xring T1, a new chipset developed specifically for wearables. Though the company has not shared detailed specifications yet, it confirmed the T1 includes an integrated 4G modem and is the core of the new eSIM-enabled Watch S4.
However, the new chips arrive after Xiaomi recently signed a multi-year agreement with Qualcomm to continue using Snapdragon 8-series chips in some models. Last week, the company announced a significant investment of 50 billion yuan (~ $7 billion) in core technology research and development over the next decade.
This is not the first time Xiaomi has ventured into chip development. The company first introduced the Surge S1 in 2017 but scaled back its efforts due to high costs. But development picked up again in 2021, to create proprietary chips for high-end consumer electronics. Even Xiaomi is not alone in moving into custom chip development. Companies like Apple (with its A-series and M-series chips) and Huawei have taken similar steps to strengthen their product ecosystems with their own proprietary silicon.
This is all happening when Beijing places semiconductors at the center of its ‘Made in China 2025’ strategy, aiming to cut reliance on foreign chip technology to under 30% by 2025. At the same time, ongoing US-China tensions have led the US to enforce strict export controls and restrictions on semiconductor technology, making it harder for China to access advanced chips. And these challenges have also fueled China’s urgent push to develop its own semiconductor industry.
