Xiaomi Launches In-House Chip Development Division for Enhanced Self-Sufficiency Led by Ex-Qualcomm Director

As Qualcomm and MediaTek continue to advance their chipset technology, the prices for their products are expected to rise. This shift towards cutting-edge lithography techniques is prompting smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, to bear increased costs. In light of this trend, Xiaomi is ramping up its in-house chip development efforts to minimize dependence on these external suppliers. Reports indicate that the company has established a dedicated team for custom silicon development, led by Qin Muyun, a former senior director at Qualcomm.

Xiaomi’s Aspiration for Advanced System-on-Chip Development

According to a recent report from ITHome, Xiaomi has made significant strides in its efforts to mass-produce critical components. The spotlight of its ambition, however, is firmly set on creating a robust System-on-a-Chip (SoC).Xiaomi is said to have completed the tape-out phase for its custom 3nm SoC. While initial expectations suggested a launch by the end of 2023, we are already nearing mid-2025 and still awaiting the unveiling of this in-house solution. Nevertheless, the establishment of this dedicated team suggests that Xiaomi is on the right path to developing a viable chipset from the ground up.

Qin Muyun, heading this initiative, will report directly to CEO Lei Jun, ensuring that progress remains closely monitored. The last time Xiaomi introduced a custom chip was in 2017, with the Surge S1, built using TSMC’s 28nm technology. There are rumors that we may soon see a 4nm SoC come to fruition within the first half of 2025, which could offer performance comparable to Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. Notably, this upcoming SoC is expected to utilize ARM’s latest designs, forgoing any proprietary core architecture for the time being.

Developing a custom chip from scratch necessitates significant financial investment, and a transition to a 4nm silicon manufacturing process seems to be a strategically sound move for Xiaomi. This stage will provide invaluable experience for the team, allowing them to refine their designs before eventually launching a more advanced 3nm solution widely.

For further information, visit ITHome.

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