Chinese technology company Xiaomi announced it will launch a new mobile chip called the XringO1 later this month. Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun, shared this news on his Weibo account, but did not provide many details.
The XringO1 chip uses ARM architecture and will be made using TSMC’s advanced 3-nanometer manufacturing process. This shows Xiaomi’s plan to power more of its high-end devices with chips it designs itself.
This move comes as competition grows in China’s smartphone market, with companies like Huawei and Apple using their own chips to improve device performance.
Xiaomi started designing chips in 2014 and released its first mobile processor, the Pengpai S1, in 2017. But in 2019, it paused development of mobile processors due to high costs and focused on simpler chips instead. The company restarted mobile chip work in 2021 and now plans to use the XringO1 in premium smartphones and tablets.
Currently, Xiaomi’s top phones, such as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. Even with its new chip, Qualcomm remains Xiaomi’s main chip supplier.
The launch of the XringO1 chip marks Xiaomi’s effort to have more control over its device hardware and compete better in the smartphone market. Custom chips are becoming very important for offering better performance and features.
