An in-house chipset was being developed by Xiaomi, but the company was previously reported to have abandoned work on it, as it is a costly venture. Fortunately, a new rumor is doing the rounds, claiming that the company is said to unveil the custom solution in the first half of 2025, with the chip said to deliver performance equivalent to Qualcomm’s older-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while leveraging TSMC’s previous-generation 4nm process.
The increased cost of smartphone chipsets is forcing companies like Xiaomi, Google, and others to pursue custom solutions
The official name of the custom chipset was not provided by @heyitsyogesh, but he mentioned a few details of Xiaomi’s in-house SoC. For instance, employing TSMC’s 4nm ‘N4P’ process means that the silicon will be a whole generation behind the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Dimensity 9400. However, the Chinese smartphone maker is likely pursuing the development of a chipset on an older manufacturing process to save on costs. Also, since Xiaomi would probably be mass-producing this unnamed chipset at a lower quantity, it makes little sense to utilize a cutting-edge node.
Also, remember that TSMC’s 4nm N4P can hardly be termed as ancient, as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Dimensity 9300 were fabricated using this technology, meaning that the future SoC would still display impressive performance and efficiency attributes. Speaking of performance, the latest rumor claims that the unnamed Xiaomi chip is equal to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and it will have a 5G modem belonging to Unisoc, another Chinese firm. At this stage, it is downright obvious why companies have chosen to develop their solutions rather than solely rely on Qualcomm and MediaTek.
Xiaomi's SoC project is going strong
Based on TSMC's N4P
Performance numbers similar to Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
5G modem by Unisoc
Reveal will happen H1 2025
2025 is a big year for Xiaomi with many revolutionary products in pipeline..
— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) August 26, 2024
For Xiaomi specifically, it would have to do with the rising chipset costs. The upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 was previously hinted by a Qualcomm executive to be more expensive than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Additionally, we previously reported that the company could charge a premium from its partners to use its next-generation 5G modem, which Qualcomm has done in the past. With these business practices in place, Xiaomi would have accumulated the much-needed motivation to reduce its dependency on the San Diego company.
The custom solution was never intended to surpass the ‘off-the-shelf parts,’ but it represents a dire need to look towards self-sufficiency. It is unlikely that Xiaomi will completely rid itself of Qualcomm and MediaTek with the unveiling of its custom chipset in the first half of 2025, but just like Apple who intends to launch its in-house 5G modem, a strong foundation needs to be created in order to reach a new milestone.
News Source: @heyitsyogesh
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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