On May 19, 2025, Xiaomi Chairman and CEO Lei Jun announced that the company's first self-developed 3nm smartphone processor, the Xiaomi Surge O1, will debut at its upcoming product launch event. With this breakthrough, Xiaomi becomes the fourth company globally—following Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek—to independently design a 3nm mobile SoC, marking a significant milestone for both the company and China's semiconductor sector.

The Surge O1's development is the culmination of a decade-long journey in chip R&D, which Xiaomi first began in 2014. After initial setbacks with its first SoC, the Surge S1, Xiaomi shifted focus to smaller chips such as ISP, fast-charging, and battery management chips. In 2021, alongside the company's entry into the EV market, Xiaomi quietly restarted its SoC development, committing to a long-term strategy of investing RMB 50 billion over ten years. According to Lei Jun, R&D spending on Surge O1 has already surpassed RMB 13.5 billion, with a team of over 2,500 chip engineers contributing to the effort.

The Surge O1, built on a second-generation 3nm process, is designed with flagship-class transistor counts and aims to deliver first-tier performance and power efficiency. It is expected to debut in the upcoming Xiaomi 15S Pro smartphone, scheduled to be unveiled at the May 22 "New Beginnings" launch event. Other anticipated releases include the Xiaomi Pad 7 Ultra and the company's first electric SUV, Xiaomi SU7.

Lei emphasized that the chip's release is not only a technical achievement but also a symbol of Xiaomi's broader ambition to lead in core technologies such as semiconductors, AI, and operating systems. Over the past five years, Xiaomi has invested RMB 105 billion in R&D, with RMB 30 billion planned for this year alone.

“This is not our dark past—it's the road we've walked,” Lei wrote, reflecting on the company's early setbacks and its renewed determination. “To become a true hardcore tech leader, we must climb the chip mountain—and we are fully committed to that climb.”

Xiaomi's entry into the elite group of 3nm SoC developers comes amid a broader surge in China's semiconductor industry. In 2024, the nation's IC exports exceeded RMB 1 trillion for the first time, reflecting advances across the entire value chain—from design to manufacturing and packaging. Xiaomi's latest breakthrough adds fresh momentum to that progress.