Qualcomm CEO Christiano Amon’s recent LinkedIn post highlighted a renewed multi-year partnership with Xiaomi, confirming Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8-series chips will power Xiaomi’s flagship phones for years to come. The Xiaomi 16 series, launching later this year, will feature the upcoming Snapdragon Elite 2 chip, and Xiaomi is also expanding into categories like automotive and AR/VR, hinting at Android XR-based hardware similar to Samsung’s efforts.
But here’s the twist: just two days after signing this major Qualcomm deal, Xiaomi launched two new devices — the Xiaomi 15S Pro smartphone and Xiaomi Pad 7 Ultra tablet — powered by Xiaomi’s own first truly flagship-grade chip, the Xring O1. This chip is a milestone. While it’s based on ARM’s blueprints and TSMC manufacturing (like many other chips), building an in-house flagship SoC is an enormous feat, joining the ranks of Apple, Google, and Samsung. Xiaomi’s earlier chip, Surge S1 (2017), was mid-tier; the Xring O1 is a full-fledged contender aiming to rival the fastest Snapdragon and MediaTek chips on the market.
The benchmarks Xiaomi shared are impressive: over 3 million points on AnTuTu, outpacing Snapdragon 8 Elite; Geekbench 6 scores with a multi-core result higher than Apple’s A18 Pro. Take these numbers cautiously (lab scores are often optimized), but the real message is clear: Xiaomi is boldly saying it can compete at the highest level in chip design.
More than beating Qualcomm or Apple, Xiaomi’s push reflects a deeper drive for technological self-reliance amid a turbulent geopolitical landscape. Chinese firms, notably Huawei, have shown how quickly they can adapt when cut off from US tech. Xiaomi’s $7 billion investment into chip development signals a long-term strategy to reduce dependency on external suppliers.
With AI as the next frontier, Xiaomi’s chips will support its growing ambitions — including its own large language model, MiMo — and expand its footprint across hardware and XR. The Xring O1 is more than just silicon; it’s Xiaomi staking its claim as an innovator and independent force in global tech.
