The success of the XRING 01 and how Xiaomi’s first in-house 3nm chipset stood up to the competition always meant that a successor was in the works. However, as TSMC reportedly begins the mass production of 2nm wafers in the fourth quarter of 2025, a lot of the Chinese firm’s competitors will gravitate to this technology, meaning that to maintain pace with its rivals, the XRING 02 would need to follow the same steps. Unfortunately, a new rumor claims that Xiaomi will stick with TSMC’s 3nm process, making the XRING 02 an entire generation behind the competition.
Increased 2nm wafer prices could be a major reason why Xiaomi’s XRING 02 sticks with the 3nm process, with the lack of specialized equipment being another factor
The ‘XRING 02’ trademark was filed earlier this year, meaning that Xiaomi intended to launch the XRING 01’s successor down the road. According to MyDrivers, the Xiaomi 16S Pro is expected to feature the new silicon, but the latest details state that it will be mass produced on TSMC’s 3nm instead of the cutting-edge 2nm node. Given that the XRING 01 was fabricated on the second-generation 3nm ‘N3E’ technology, the Taiwanese semiconductor giant’s third-generation 3nm ‘N3P’ will likely be leveraged.
Though this step will mean that the XRING 02 will not share the same technological echelon as its competitors launching in Q4 2026, there is obviously a cost consideration that Xiaomi needs to calculate before giving the green light. It is estimated that each of TSMC’s 2nm wafers costs $30,000 apiece, and that is before the millions that companies have to spend during the tape-out phase to see if their test silicon performs as expected.
While the XRING 02 will give the company more reason to reduce dependency on the likes of Qualcomm and MediaTek, various factors might have forced Xiaomi to stick with the 3nm process, with one of them mentioned above. As the majority of you know, the U.S. export controls have limited the supply of advanced EDA tools for Chinese companies, and without this specialized equipment, Xiaomi has little chance to pursue the development of a 2nm chip.
Additionally, the XRING 02 is not just reported to be found in smartphones and tablets, but the company is also evaluating it to power cars and other applications. The intricate backend process required to incorporate the XRING 02 in a variety of products will not just take a toll on Xiaomi’s finances but will also increase the development time, potentially resulting in the chipset arriving later than previously anticipated. It is important to remember that the company’s decision might change in the future, and if that happens, we will update our readers accordingly.
News Source: MyDrivers
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