Xiaomi has taken a bold step in mobile technology with the announcement of the Xiaomi 18 Fold, which is set to be powered by the new Xring O3 chip, a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the Xring O1. Interestingly, Xiaomi opted to skip the O2 generation entirely due to the remarkable advancements in the O3, which boasts a two-generation leap in energy efficiency, as examined by Geekerwan.
The Xring O3 presents an intriguing blend of old and new technologies. Despite using some established techniques, it stands strong against upcoming challengers like the Dimensity 9600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. Fabricated by TSMC on a 3nm node dubbed N3P, which is an enhancement over the N3E used for the O1, the O3 represents a powerful evolution in mobile chip design, even as competitors plan to deploy next-generation 2nm technology.
Xiaomi incorporated Arm’s C1 series CPU cores, similar to those in the Dimensity 9500 and Exynos 2600. Meanwhile, competitors like the Dimensity 9600 are switching to the newer C2 series of cores. Despite these trends, the initial results reveal that the Xring O3 outperforms the Dimensity 9500 in both computation and energy savings while approaching the capabilities of Apple’s A19 CPU cores.
In full performance mode, the Xring O3 peaks at around 15,000 points in multi-core Geekbench tests, nearly rivaling the Apple M5. However, in regular operation, the chip achieves about 12,000 points, aligning with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5's performance at merely half its power consumption.
It’s essential to note that the Xiaomi 18 Fold has yet to be officially unveiled, with the Xring O3 chip currently being tested on developer boards. Geekerwan plans to update its findings when a commercial phone version is released, assessing potential changes in performance due to compact designs.
The GPU included in the Xring O3 marks a significant advancement, with the introduction of the Arm G2-Ultra NX MC16. This 16-core GPU includes two types of cores—traditional and NX-extended—enhanced for AI-driven image upscaling and gaming frame generation.
The GPU showcases extraordinary capability; should it transition to laptops, it could surpass Intel Lunar Lake systems and approach M5 MacBook performance levels. For mobile applications, the Xring O3 GPU maintains a commendable equilibrium of performance and power efficiency, outpacing the Apple A19 Pro and Dimensity 9500 GPUs.
This impressive performance was achieved on a development platform equipped with LPDDR6 RAM, offering a 96-bit data bus running at 10,667MT, yielding an aggregated memory speed of 113.8GB/s. The feasibility of such memory configurations in a consumer device remains a topic of speculation, especially considering the higher costs associated with LPDDR6 vs. LPDDR5X.
Additionally, the chip includes a proprietary NPU, delivering up to 200 TOPS performance with INT4 operations, featuring 8MB of L2 cache and an overall configuration of 16MB of SLC cache.
Despite its impressive design, the Xring O3 measures 138.3mm², making it larger than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (126.2mm²) while lacking an integrated modem. Its size is comparable to that of the Dimensity 9500 (140.6mm²), which does integrate a modem. While Xiaomi effectively packed in robust hardware, the manufacturing costs are likely substantial.
One area for potential enhancement is the chip's packaging; currently, the O3 employs a Package-on-Package design that stacks RAM over the chipset. This design minimizes connection distances but poses thermal management challenges. A more modern design could enable improved heat dissipation by positioning the chip and RAM side-by-side.
We eagerly anticipate how the Xring O3 will compete against the next generation of chips from MediaTek, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Apple. While these competitors may hold a node manufacturing advantage, Xiaomi's sophisticated design could see the O3 maintain competitive relevance in the ever-evolving chipset market.
Lastly, it is noteworthy that Xiaomi has reportedly faced bans preventing their access to 2nm TSMC nodes, a factor that may have influenced the development of the N3P node for the O3, though this remains officially unconfirmed.
In addition to smartphone chips, Xiaomi has also ventured into automotive technology with the development of the Xring D100, intended for its vehicle lineup.
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