Xiaomi has taken a step that could redefine its future by officially announcing its first proprietary mobile processor: the XRING 01After years of relying on manufacturers like Qualcomm and MediaTek, the Chinese company is now joining the trend of other industry giants, such as Apple, Huawei, and Samsung, which have long been committed to developing in-house designed chips. The announcement came via Lei Jun, Xiaomi's CEO, in a direct post on Weibo, making it clear that the company is seeking greater technological independence in a complex and highly competitive environment.
The XRING 01 marks a milestone in Xiaomi's strategy to reduce its dependence on third-party suppliers and address the geopolitical and commercial uncertainties affecting the technology sector. Although Xiaomi had already experimented with its own processors in the past, such as the Surge S1 in 2017, those attempts fell short in both ambition and scope. Now, with the XRING 01, the commitment is much more serious and aimed at strengthening control over the hardware and software of its products.
What do we know about the XRING 01?
This new chip represents the culmination of a project that Xiaomi started in 2014, just a few years after its founding. The XRING 01 was developed and designed entirely within the company, with no third parties involved in its design and manufacturing, which sets it apart from other brands like Google, which once relied on Samsung to manufacture its Tensor G.
Regarding the technical characteristics, Xiaomi has given few official details, but several leaks and sources close to the company have revealed that the XRING 01 would be manufactured under the process of 4 nanometers from TSMC, the same one used by the industry's current high-end chips. The design of the XRING 01 appears to feature an 8-core architecture under the 1+3+4 scheme (Cortex-X925 at 3,2 GHz for maximum performance, three Cortex-A725 at 2,6 GHz and four Cortex-A520 at 2,0 GHz), although other sources point to a 10-core configuration with different frequencies to balance power and efficiency.
In the graphic section, it is speculated that it will integrate a Imagination Technologies IMG DXT72 GPU at 1,3GHz, which according to preliminary tests could put its performance above the Adreno 740 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2), although slightly below the graphics of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Early performance tests on Geekbench suggest that the XRING 01 can even surpass the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in single-core and multi-core scores, getting close to the elite of the sector.
A processor designed beyond smartphones
One of the highlights of the XRING 01 is that Xiaomi will not limit it to mobile phonesLu Weibing, the company's president, has commented that this SoC and its future evolutions could be integrated into other devices in the Xiaomi ecosystem, such as wearables, smart home appliances, or even electric vehicles, expanding its reach and usefulness.
To achieve this level of development, Xiaomi has mobilized more than 1.000 engineers, consolidating its XRING project as one of the brand's most ambitious ventures. This move not only reduces costs and differentiates Xiaomi products from the competition, but also represents a strategy to minimize the impact of potential sanctions or international regulatory changes.
The future of XRING 01 and Xiaomi
The new processor will debut in the coming months, with the Xiaomi 15S Pro and experimental models likely leading the first wave of launches, though initial availability will be exclusive to China. Following evaluations and improvements, the XRING 01 is expected to expand to other ranges and international markets, always paired with chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek depending on the model and range.
The arrival of the XRING 01 is not only a technological bet, but also a statement of intent that could mark a before and after in Xiaomi's value proposition. Like Apple with its A and M series processors, total control over hardware and software This can translate into tighter integration, better optimized devices, and a stronger market position in the face of potential global changes.
With this move, Xiaomi demonstrates that it is serious about technological independence, opening the door to a future where the brand could increasingly control its value chain and offer more differentiated products compared to its rivals.