Qualcomm’s and MediaTek’s chipsets will continue to pick up in price because both companies are shifting to more advanced lithography, forcing phone partners like Xiaomi to pay the premium. If there was any time that the Chinese superstar had to put its in-house chip development into overdrive mode to reduce dependency on the aforementioned firms, it would be now. According to the latest report, a team dedicated to making custom silicon has been formed, and unsurprisingly, this division will be spearheaded by a former Qualcomm senior director.
Efforts have been made to mass produce various components, but Xiaomi’s primary focus would be to develop a capable ‘system on a chip’
Prior to the latest report published on ITHome, Xiaomi has been mentioned to have successfully completed the tape-out of its custom 3nm SoC, and while the estimated launch timeline stated that an unveiling will happen this year, we are already about to conclude the first half of 2025, and there is no in-house solution in sight. Regardless, the formation of a dedicated team, and that too, led by a former Qualcomm executive, Qin Muyun, suggests that Xiaomi has the right idea when it comes to developing a capable chipset from scratch.
Additionally, the ex-Qualcomm employee will report directly to CEO Lei Jun, meaning the progress can be closely monitored. The last time the company introduced one of these was back in 2017 when the Surge S1 was announced, leveraging TSMC’s 28nm technology. There have been whispers stating that we might bear witness to a 4nm SoC in the first half of 2025, with its performance equivalent to Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but will rely on ARM’s current designs instead of sporting any in-house cores.
Given that the entire process of developing a custom chip from scratch will require Xiaomi to open up its deep pockets due to the investment required, launching a 4nm silicon appears to be the right move. In this way, the company’s team will have the much-needed practice to perfect its future designs, resulting in a lower cost when it finally decides to put its 3nm solution into mass production.
News Source: ITHome
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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