Xiaomi has been talk of developing its own smartphone processor for some time now. Recent reports indicate that the company has hit a significant milestone in this journey.
Major Milestone Achieved
According to a report from Chinese outlet MyDrivers, Xiaomi has successfully completed the “tape-out” of the first 3nm smartphone system-on-chip (SoC) in the country. This announcement was made by the Chief Economist of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology during a segment on BRTV, which is a state-run television station in China. A video of the announcement was shared on X, showcasing the news in Chinese.
What We Know About the Chip
The report lacks specifics regarding the CPU and GPU, simply stating that it is a 3nm chip. There is no information on whether Xiaomi is partnering with TSMC, Samsung, or another foundry for the chip’s production. The term “tape-out” in silicon design indicates that the chip has reached its final design stage, which means it’s now ready to move onto the manufacturing phase.
Nevertheless, this does not imply that the SoC is fully prepared for mass production or for use in smartphones. Xiaomi will need to conduct testing on the chip once it is produced by a manufacturer like TSMC or Samsung. If the initial yield—essentially the number of functional chips produced—is low, adjustments may be required in the manufacturing process or the chip's design to enhance performance.
Previous Experience in Chip Development
It's worth noting that Xiaomi has previously released a smartphone featuring its own SoC. The Mi 5C, released in 2017, was equipped with the Pengpai (or Pinecone) S1 chip, which is a 28nm, 8-core processor boasting a big-little architecture and a maximum clock speed of 2.2GHz.
Since then, while Xiaomi has not launched another smartphone SoC, it has been actively developing chips for various functions such as charging, battery management, and image signal processing in its Surge G, P, and C series. For example, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra integrates the Surge P2 and G1 chips to enhance charging performance and prolong battery life.
In conclusion, Xiaomi is not new to chip production. It will be interesting to observe if the company can successfully create and launch its own smartphone SoC once again, and how it will perform compared to its competitors.
