Xiaomi resumes work on creating its own SOCs for its devices

In the not-so-distant 2017, Xiaomi had already attempted to create its own system-on-a-chip – Surge S1. However, it did not gain popularity then due to limited distribution and frankly weak functionality.

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Since then, the Chinese manufacturer has used chips from Qualcomm, sometimes supplementing them with SOCs from MediaTek. On the other hand, there was Huawei, which used chips from its subsidiary HiSilicon to produce its own Kirin SOCs.

The trade war with the US, which has recently unfolded, added fuel to the fire.

Without a doubt, Xiaomi took all these facts into account and acquired a 6% stake in the Chinese chip designer VeriSilicon Holdings Co Ltd. This means that Xiaomi will become the second-largest external investor in VeriSilicon, the largest of which is the "Big Fund," known as the China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, which is itself part of the "Made in China 2025" plan.

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Xiaomi wants to be able to develop its own chips to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and, of course, lower the cost of manufacturing finished products.

Not much is known about VeriSilicon, other than that the company is based in Shanghai and has about 700 employees working in five R&D departments in the US and China. VeriSilicon acts as a contractor for other semiconductor companies, and it is quite possible that it has accumulated enough experience and knowledge to embark on creating its own SoCs.

Source:WccfTech