Xiaomi is stepping up its silicon ambitions with the debut of a brand-new processor, the Xring O3. The company has premiered the chipset at the start of the week, marking a significant move away from third-party processors such as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and MediaTek’s Dimensity, which Xiaomi has relied upon for most of its existence.
A chipset acts as a phone’s brain, and being able to design one in-house is a capability few manufacturers possess. By developing its own silicon, Xiaomi gains greater control over the integration of hardware and software across its upcoming devices.
What the Xring O3 brings
The Xring O3 is built on a 3nm process. While advanced, it is not quite on the same level as the newer 2nm chipsets, such as Samsung’s Exynos 2600. The chip is expected to arrive in the near future, with an initial production run reportedly ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 units.
This is Xiaomi’s second attempt at proprietary silicon. Last year the company launched the Xring O1, which can be found in roughly 150,000 smartphones. Counting tablets and watches also equipped with the Xring O1, the number of Xiaomi devices sold surpasses one million. The Xring O3 is expected to account for similar figures, though a forecast contraction of around 15% in the 2027 smartphone market could alter the outlook.
A return to foldables
In-house chipsets are not the only focus for Xiaomi at present. After skipping 2025, the company is rumoured to be rejoining the foldables race with a rival to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and to Apple’s anticipated foldable iPhone. The upcoming Xiaomi foldable, or foldables, will most likely feature the Xring O3 as well.
Dominating the foldable segment in its home market will prove challenging. Huawei, also the global leader, holds a 68% share there, followed by Honor with around 14% and Oppo with under 10%.
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Image: phonearena.com
