A breakthrough could happen later this year as Xiaomi has been reported to introduce its first in-house 3nm chipset that will take on Qualcomm’s and MediaTek’s solutions. The Chinese smartphone maker introduced its first custom silicon, the Surge S1, back in 2017, which utilized the 28nm process, with the SoC used in the Mi 5c. Since then, it has been assumed that the company’s ambitions for developing such solutions evaporated because of how costly and complicated they are, but it appears that a new ‘Small Surge’ will debut with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
A custom imaging processor could also be used in the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, as most Chinese smartphone makers are opting for these in-house solutions, but nothing is specified
The update of the Small Surge chip was provided by @That_Kartikey, but even he is oblivious when it comes to the specification details. Additionally, the nature of this self-developed chip is currently unknown because, for those who do not know, in-house silicon is not just the ‘system on a chip’ that we have familiarized ourselves with. A custom solution can also be made for the imaging processor, the display driver, or an NPU, giving greater control over some specific functions when working with the software.
With the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, these details are in the dark, but we can assume that no company would want its next-generation silicon to ship with the ‘Small’ moniker as it just undermines its potential capabilities. It is also possible that Xiaomi would stick to a different name when officially announcing its 3nm chipset, so we will have to wait on what Small Surge’s actual goal is. Most readers know that OPPO commenced its self-designed MariSilicon imaging chip in 2021 but had to close down shop in 2023, highlighting how difficult this path truly is.
Exclusive: Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a new Self Developed mystery Small Surge chip. Specification is unknown ~
— Kartikey Singh (@That_Kartikey) January 17, 2025
Then again, if Xiaomi has yet to unveil an in-house solution for more than seven years, it likely means that the company is hard at work developing something that will boost the capabilities of its upcoming flagship. Bear in mind that Xiaomi is also rumored to be working on a separate 4nm chipset that is said to launch in the first half of 2025 and will flaunt performance similar to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. We look forward to all these releases and have our fingers crossed for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
News Source: @That_Kartikey
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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