Xiaomi has released its first smartphone processor, joining the ranks of device makers Apple and Samsung seeking market advantage through a proprietary chip. The Xiaomi Xring O1 delivers CPU performance on par with the newest flagship Apple and Qualcomm processors and besting MediaTek’s offering. Despite integrating a much bigger GPU than the MediaTek chip, the Xring falls short of its graphics performance but competes favorably with Apple and Qualcomm offerings.
Showing What Arm IP Can Do
The Xiaomi Xring O1 employs the same Arm-licensed CPU and GPU cores and TSMC N3E technology as the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, albeit in different configurations. However, the Xring clocks its prime Cortex-X925 core faster and delivers greater power efficiency—a remarkable accomplishment considering MediaTek’s execution prowess.
Graphics performance, however, disappoints. As alluded to above, the Xring O1 has 16 Immortalis-G925 cores to the Dimensity 9400’s 12 but cannot match its performance. Chinese TechTuber Geekerwan chalks this up to Xiaomi omitting a system-level cache (SLC) from the Xring. Sitting between DRAM interfaces and the rest of an SoC, an SLC is shared among the CPU complex, GPU, and other functions, assisting with memory coherence and coalescing DRAM transactions. However, many factors can inhibit throughput, and singling out SLC is simplistic without additional information.
Bottom Line
Logically, a company will make a chip to accomplish goals unachievable with merchant-market designs, provided it has sufficient resources. Having grown to be the third-largest smartphone company since its 2010 founding and having diversified into other consumer electronics and electric vehicles, Xiaomi had the resources to go its own way to make a top-tier smartphone chip.
Developing a processor aligns with the company having HyperOS, its in-house Android-based OS, and feature-packed flagship phones sporting excellent cameras and proprietary AI functions. The Xring O1 integrates Xiaomi’s image-signal processor (ISP) and AI accelerator (NPU), giving the company greater control over these functions than it has with merchant chips. We find this a more convincing do-it-yourself argument than achieving incrementally better processing or graphics performance.
However, a major capability the Xring O1 lacks is a 5G radio, forcing Xiaomi to rely on a discrete MediaTek modem. The company, therefore, remains beholden to a supplier, much like Apple has been. Like Apple, it will probably eventually have its own modem. Alongside the Xring O1, Xiaomi also launched the Xring T1, a smartwatch SoC integrating a 4G radio. Experience with that chip will help the company develop a smartphone-suited modem, enabling a processor design that delivers unique capabilities without compromising on baseline features.