Xiaomi's self-developed 3nm chip has begun taping out, marking the first 3nm mobile SoC launched by a Chinese company, with TSMC anticipated as the manufacturer. However, neither Xiaomi nor TSMC has confirmed this information, and shortly after the news broke, related video reports were removed.
According to Beijing Radio & Television Station, Jianguo Tang, chief economist at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, stated that Xiaomi has successfully commenced production of China's first 3nm mobile SoC, nearly seven years after the launch of Xiaomi's previous product, the Pinecore Surge S1.
Tang made this announcement during an event but did not provide further details about the chip. Xiaomi has remained low-key and has not commented following the announcement, although various media outlets shared reports, only to see related videos subsequently taken down.
Given the recent US sanctions against China, developing in-house advanced chips has become a highly sensitive topic. Even Huawei avoids discussing processor specifications and performance during the launch of new smartphones. However, considering Tang's recent public speech regarding Beijing's economy and IT industry, along with his role as an important spokesperson for the municipality, his statements carry a degree of credibility and assurance.
With Xiaomi having been removed from the US Entity List and now utilizing 3nm technology to fabricate its chip, there is a strong likelihood that TSMC has been selected as its foundry partner, as SMIC lacks 3nm capabilities and the capacity it has is fully committed to supporting Huawei's smartphone SoC mass production. For Xiaomi, which has aggressively pursued high-end smartphones, partnering with a technically mature and production-capable manufacturer like TSMC may prove more advantageous than working with SMIC.
Since announcing the arrival of the Pinecore Surge S1 in 2017, Xiaomi has focused on developing in-house chips for applications such as image processing, signal enhancement, and battery management. This includes products like the C1 imaging chip and the P1 and G1 power management chips rather than true SoCs.
Now, Xiaomi is making a leap from the previously used 28nm process directly into cutting-edge 3nm technology. Reports suggest that Xiaomi's next-generation 3nm chip could potentially achieve performance levels comparable to Snapdragon 8 Gen3 and Dimensity 9300.
As the launch event for the Xiaomi 15 approaches, the authenticity of this news awaits confirmation from Xiaomi founder Jun Lei. Recently, several Android smartphone manufacturers announced price increases for their flagship models in 2024, primarily due to upgrades to the latest 3nm processors, significantly raising manufacturing costs. A senior executive at Xiaomi highlighted that, aside from SoCs, memory prices have also reached peak levels after a year of continuous increases.
In addition to smartphones, Xiaomi is actively applying its self-developed chip technology across other smart devices. For instance, the Xiaomi TV S Pro Mini LED 2025 model features its MT9655 chip, while the Xiaomi Mouse X1 utilizes the BS25 Star Flash chip from HiSilicon. These initiatives demonstrate Xiaomi's ongoing efforts to diversify its business operations.
