Xiaomi Xring O3: A Deep Dive Into the Chip With Next-Gen Power Efficiency

Xiaomi is gearing up for the launch of the Xiaomi 18 Fold, which will be powered by the proprietary Xring O3 processor. The outlet Geekerwan has conducted independent testing of the new hardware, claiming that the chip delivers a jump in energy efficiency comparable to two generations of technological advancement compared to its predecessor, the Xring O1.

What Is the Xiaomi Xring O3 and What Is Its Secret

Despite utilizing proven solutions, the Xring O3 looks like a worthy competitor for the upcoming Dimensity 9600 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 processors. Xiaomi has employed the TSMC N3P process (an improved version of N3E), which is also used in the current Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 chips.

The processor architecture utilizes Arm C1 series cores. Although competitors are already preparing to move to newer C2 series cores, the result of Xiaomi’s optimization is impressive: the Xring O3 outperforms the Dimensity 9500 in both performance and energy efficiency, approaching the capabilities of Apple A19 processor cores.

Performance Specifications

Tests show the following results for the Xring O3:

• In Geekbench multi-threaded mode, the chip reaches 15,000 points, nearing the level of the Apple M5 (at power consumption exceeding 20W).
• In a more balanced performance mode, it scores 12,000 points—this is the level of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but at half the power consumption.

It is important to remember that this data was obtained on a test board, not in a final smartphone.

New Graphics Accelerator

The GPU within the Xring O3 is the new Arm G2-Ultra NX MC16. It is a 16-core graphics processor with support for NX technology for hardware-accelerated image scaling and frame generation. In gaming scenarios and tasks, GPU performance exceeds that of the Apple A19 Pro and Dimensity 9500.

Memory Configuration and NPU Features

On the test bench, the Xring O3 worked in tandem with LPDDR6 memory. The memory bus, with a four-module configuration, provided a bandwidth of up to 113.8 GB/s. The chip also includes a powerful NPU (neural processing unit) delivering up to 200 TOPS in INT4 operations, supplemented by 8MB of L2 cache and a 16MB system-level cache (SLC).

Technical Nuances and Design

The die size is 138.3 mm². While it does not have an integrated modem, it is larger than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (126.2 mm²), which does feature an integrated modem. The chip uses the classic Package-on-Package assembly method, where the RAM is placed on top of the chipset itself. This reduces the data path but limits efficient cooling options.

At the moment, the Xring O3 demonstrates high competitiveness. Whether the company can maintain this standard after the release of solutions from Qualcomm and MediaTek using the 2nm process remains the main question for the future of the mobile market.