Xiaomi's Xring O3 Chip Could Use TSMC's 3nm Process, Deliver Major Efficiency Gains Over Predecessor

Xiaomi's next-generation in-house smartphone chipset has surfaced in a fresh leak ahead of its expected debut. The upcoming Xring O3 processor is reportedly in development as the successor to the Xring O1, with new information indicating changes to its manufacturing process, architecture, and performance characteristics. Although Xiaomi has not officially announced the chipset, recent leaks suggest the company could be preparing a more capable custom processor for its future smartphones and other products.

Xiaomi's Next Xring O3 Chip Tipped Ahead of Expected Launch

Tipster Fixed Focus Digital (translated from Chinese) claims in a Weibo post that Xiaomi will continue with TSMC's 3nm manufacturing process for the Xring O3. By comparison, Qualcomm and MediaTek are both expected to move their next flagship mobile chipsets to a newer 2nm process. While Qualcomm and MediaTek are expected to adopt TSMC's 2nm node for their next-generation flagship processors, the tipster claims Xiaomi's new chip could still deliver meaningful improvements over the current XRing O1.

The tipster also suggests the Xring O3 could offer better power efficiency and stronger performance than its predecessor, particularly during workloads operating at lower and mid-range clock speeds.

Previous reports suggest Xiaomi is reworking the core layout used by its custom silicon. The Xring O3 could adopt a new configuration built around Prime, Titanium, and Little cores. Leaks suggest the chip's highest-performance core could operate at up to 4.05GHz. The new processor is also expected to improve graphics performance through an updated GPU configuration.

Separately, tech blogger Kartikey Singh (@That_Kartikey) claimed in posts on X that Xiaomi could unveil the Xring O3 around the same time as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 series announcements. The chipset could reportedly debut as early as August, although Xiaomi has not confirmed a launch timeline.

The blogger also suggested that Xiaomi may deploy the Xring O3 more widely than the Xring O1. The company is reportedly considering the chipset for a broader range of smartphones and could explore its use in future electric-vehicle platforms.

Previous leaks have linked the Xring O3 to the rumoured Xiaomi Mix Fold 5, which could be among the first smartphones to use the new chipset. The foldable handset is expected to feature a 200-megapixel camera, a battery larger than 6,000mAh, and wireless charging support. Xiaomi has not confirmed any details about the Xring O3 chipset or the devices that may use it.