Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Custom mobile processor development was once reserved for the few who could absorb the huge engineering costs that accompany such an endeavor. In recent years, however, Arm’s expansive IP portfolio has lowered the barrier for consumer tech companies to design bespoke processors.
Google’s Tensor series is perhaps the most well-known example, built in collaboration with Samsung using a healthy dose of Arm, Samsung, and Google parts. Now, it’s the turn of China’s giant Xiaomi, which has just announced its XRING O1 processor for its Xiaomi 15s Pro — essentially a Xiaomi 15 without Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite that’s destined for mainland China.