Xiaomi Rolls Out New In-House Chip, Surge S1
Xiaomi has officially started making hardware for its own products with the unveiling of its first in-house chip, the Surge S1. The launch of this new chip reduces Xiaomi-s reliance on its partners, chipmakers MediaTek and Qualcomm.
The new chipset is an octa-core CPU that uses an ARM Cortex A53 processor. It features four 2.2 GHz cores that can handle tough tasks, as well as four 1.46 GHz cores that can handle standard workload and apps. The Surge S1 also integrates a Mali T-860 MP4 graphics chip and uses as much as 40 percent less power compared to its predecessors.
The Surge S1 is tough enough to support 4K video and Voice over LTE (VoLTE) through its 32-bit DSP. It also lets users deliver high-quality video calls and audio calls with its 16 kHz sampling.
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The first Xiaomi phone running the new chip is the Xiaomi Mi 5c, which features a 5.15-inch display, 12-megapixel camera and a 2,560 x 1, 600 resolution. The phone also supports the 9V2A fast-charging feature. Generally, its specs make the Surge S1 on par with the Snapdragon 625 processor. However, it is only currently available in the massive China market and comes with a price tag of $218.
Xiaomi tried to expand and venture into chipmaking to get its groove back. In 2015, the company rose to global prominence with its phenomenal handsets, but it wasn't long until the company saw a significant drop in sales around the world and in China. Today, the tech company is well below Huawei, Oppo and Vivo in terms of shipments and market share.
According to CNET, building its own chips for its products could help Xiaomi cut product costs in the long run as it no longer has to rely heavily on external chipmakers. However, Xiaomi will not entirely drop its reliance on Qualcomm and MediaTek chips due to supply issues.
