MediaTek and Xiaomi Group have deepened their collaboration. On July 2, Xiaomi China’s Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of the Redmi brand, Wang Teng, announced on Weibo that the joint laboratory between Xiaomi and MediaTek has officially opened at Xiaomi’s Shenzhen R&D Center, with the new “Redmi K70 Supreme Edition” being the first product from the joint lab.

According to a report by etnet, the joint laboratory between Xiaomi and MediaTek covers five core capabilities, focusing on three major technological parts: performance, communication, and AI.

MediaTek, a global leader in smartphone chip shipment, maintains close cooperation with its brand clients.

Wang noted that following the Post-Performance Era Launch event last year, the cooperation between Xiaomi and MediaTek has reached another notch with a  goal of creating the strongest product performance experience and realizing the pre-research and implementation of the latest technologies.

A report from ithome revealed that Xiaomi and MediaTek have already entered into several collaborative agreements in the past, in which Xiaomi was often the first to launch new Dimensity processors. The two companies have also co-developed several Ultra versions of Dimensity processors.

Wang described the K70 Supreme Edition as the “performance demon” and the most sincere value-for-money product, offering a more comprehensive flagship experience. It is a gold standard for Dimensity performance jointly created by Redmi and MediaTek, aiming for three number ones: highest performance scores, best game frame rate/energy efficiency, and longest concurrent operation of super frame rate and super resolution.

Wang also mentioned that especially for the third goal, MediaTek, based on Dimensity 9300+ chip, has equipped the K70 Supreme Edition with the new-generation gaming discrete GPU and its self-developed dual-chip scheduling technology. “Not only to achieve super frame rate and super resolution in original/iron mode but also to realize the longest concurrent operation time, allowing users to enjoy games for longer periods.”

MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ is part of the Dimensity 9300 series of chips, launched in May this year. It is built using TSMC’s 4nm process and features an eight-core CPU with four Cortex-X4 super cores, reaching a maximum frequency of 3.4GHz, surpassing the level of Dimensity 9300.

Read more

• [News] China’s Xiaomi and Unisoc Claim Domestic 4nm Mobile Processors Coming Soon
  

(Photo credit: MediaTek)

As China keeps reducing its reliance on the global semiconductor supply chain with strong support from the authority, two major smartphone manufacturers reportedly claim to have already taped out their own 4nm mobile processors. According to the reports by Liberty Times and Commercial Times, Xiaomi and Unisoc, by using foreign IP cores from ARM and IMG, have successfully taped out domestic 4nm chips.

According to the latest data from TrendForce, Xiaomi (including Xiaomi, Redmi, and Poco) has moved past last year’s high inventory issues, achieving a total production of 41.1 million units in the first quarter and ranking third globally in market share, only after Samsung and Apple. Oppo, Transsion and Vivo are the other three Chinese smartphone brands having made it to the top six regarding global shipments.

Shanghai-based fabless chip firm Unisoc, on the other hand, is specialized in areas including 2G/3G/4G/5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, TV FM, satellite communications and other related technologies, according to its website.

Citing comments from Chinese tech blogger “Oneline Technology,” the reports point out that Xiaomi’s self-developed chip has made a significant leap forward, while the performance of its 4nm chip is similar to that of Huawei’s Kirin 9000s, and is expected to be seen this year. Huawei’s Kirin 9000s is reportedly manufactured by SMIC’s 7nm.

Citing another Chinese blogger, “Fixed Focus Digital,” the reports mention that Unisoc’s 4nm chip has already taped out, achieving performance levels comparable to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888.

Regarding the timeline for Chinese domestically produced smartphone SoCs to reach 4nm, the reports, citing industry insiders, state that it is more likely to happen in 2026. For now, MediaTek and Qualcomm still dominate Chinese’s smartphone chip market.

Read more

• Q1 Smartphone Production Increases Due to Low Base Last Year, Expected to Decline 5–10% in Q2, Says TrendForce

(Photo credit: Unisoc)

On March 28th, Xiaomi officially launched the electric vehicle Xiaomi SU7, featuring three configurations: the standard version priced at CNY 215,900, the Pro version at CNY 245,900, and the Max version at CNY 299,900.

According to Xiaomi Automotive’s Weibo account, within less than 30 minutes of the launch, the SU7 secured 50,000 orders.

In March 2021, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun officially announced Xiaomi’s venture into the automotive industry. Nearly three years later, with the release of the Xiaomi SU7, its associated suppliers have emerged. These include global giants like Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and Bosch, alongside Chinese suppliers such as BYD, CATL, Yangjie Electronic Technology, TCL, and BOE.

Regarding chip supply, NVIDIA provides autonomous driving chips for Xiaomi cars. The Xiaomi SU7 is equipped with two NVIDIA DRIVE Orin chips, delivering a combined computing power of 508 TOPS.

In the smart cockpit, the SU7 utilizes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8295 chip, built on 5nm technology. Compared to the Snapdragon 8155, the Snapdragon 8295 offers double the GPU performance and triple the 3D rendering capability. It supports integrated features like electronic side mirrors, surround-view cameras, and passenger monitoring.

Additionally, powered by the Pangolin OS smart car system, SU7 features a central control eco-screen, a flip-up instrument screen, HUD, and two rear-seat expansion screens.

The Xiaomi SU7 features a front central eco-screen measuring 16.1 inches, reportedly a Mini LED display supplied solely by TCL CSOT, as per Cailianpress. In the driver’s position, the SU7 is equipped with a 7.1-inch flip-up LCD instrument panel supplied by BOE, showcasing essential driving information. The 56-inch HUD head-up display is provided by New Vision Automotive Electronics.

Moreover, the SU7 features Xiaomi’s self-developed Super 800V Silicon Carbide high-voltage platform, with a peak voltage of up to 871V. Notably, besides the SU7, several models like the Zeekr 007, AITO M9, NIO, and Xiaopeng X9 also incorporate 800V Silicon Carbide.

Read more

• [News] Xiaomi’s Internal Discussions Reportedly Revealed – Potential Goals for the Automotive Division to Rival Porsche and Tesla
• [News] Lei Jun States Xiaomi’s First Car Involves 3,400 Engineers with R&D Investment Exceeding RMB 10 Billion

(Photo credit: Xiaomi)

During CES 2024, NVIDIA announced that four Chinese electric vehicle brands will adopt its autonomous driving chip platform. According to a report from IJIWEI, this move has showed NVIDIA’s potential intention to expand in China, despite facing stricter export controls from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The four automakers include Li Auto, Great Wall Motor (GWM), ZEEKR, and Xiaomi, all set to utilize NVIDIA’s DRIVE technology solution to support autonomous driving capabilities.

The NVIDIA DRIVE platform encompasses automotive sensors, computing platforms, hardware and software for autonomous driving development, as well as DGX servers for artificial intelligence (AI) training.

NVIDIA has stated in the release that Li Auto selected the NVIDIA DRIVE Thor in-vehicle computer, featuring two DRIVE Orin processors with a computing power of 508 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This setup enables real-time fusion of information from various sensors, driving advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and a comprehensive autonomous driving system for all scenarios.

Furthermore, GWM, ZEEKR, and Xiaomi have adopted the NVIDIA DRIVE Orin platform to power their intelligent autonomous driving systems.

GWM mentioned that its autonomously developed high-end intelligent driving system, Coffee Pilot, based on the DRIVE Orin platform, supports intelligent navigation and assisted driving functions across all scenarios without the need for high-precision maps.

Xiaomi’s first car, SU7, will be built on a dual DRIVE Orin configuration, with the assisted driving system incorporating Xiaomi’s in-house large-language perception and decision-making model, adaptable to various roads nationwide.

Read more

• [News] NVIDIA Expands Autonomous Driving Team in China, Actively Recruiting Talent

(Photo credit: NVIDIA)

Recently, the information cited by Sina Technology indicates that during a recent internal event at Xiaomi, executives from Xiaomi’s automotive division disclosed that the team currently comprises 3700 members. Reportedly, their ambitious goal is to create a Dream Car that can compete with renowned brands like Porsche and Tesla.

According to sources, Xiaomi’s Automotive Vice President and Political Commissar of the Beijing headquarters, Yu Liguo, shared in a recent internal event at Xiaomi, saying, “Mr. Lei (Lei Jun, Xiaomi CEO) often tells us that only those who understand and love cars can make good cars. I believe that among the 3,000-plus people in the automotive department, we have indeed found a group of people who truly understand and love cars.”

Yu further stated that the Xiaomi Automotive Division, established nearly three years ago, currently consists of 3,700 individuals from diverse backgrounds, all sharing a common dream – to create a Dream Car that can rival Porsche and Tesla.

Reportedly, Yu also mentioned that in certain scenarios while driving, Xiaomi’s autonomous driving tests have achieved success, surpassing the current capabilities of Tesla. Although these conditions may not be typical for autonomous driving, they reflect the capabilities of autonomous driving.

On the other hand, Lei Jun further emphasized the importance of corporate culture in the internal event. He stated that Xiaomi has clarified its goals for the new decade this year – to become the leader in the new generation of global hardcore technology. If Xiaomi is to succeed in the next decade, it must have a team capable of fighting tough battles.

He gave an example that in recent years, Xiaomi has rapidly assembled large teams, whether in the chip department or the automotive department, reaching scales of two to three thousand people in a very short time.

To quickly unite everyone as one force, is not only on strategy and motivation but also on corporate culture, which may not be visible in ordinary times, and it is only when facing difficulties, dangers, or situations that require responsibility that it can fully manifest itself.

Previously, Lei Jun announced that Xiaomi would hold a technology launch event for its car on December 28. Lei Jun revealed that the development of Xiaomi’s first car involved a total of 3,400 engineers, with the entire R&D investment exceeding CNY 10 billion. It is noteworthy that he emphasized this event would focus on technology and not product launches.

Looking at his recent teasers on Weibo, the autonomous driving technology mentioned by Yu Liguo is expected to be featured in the technology release. Additionally, there is anticipation for the debut of Xiaomi’s self-developed operating system, HyperOS, in the automotive context.

Read more

• [News] Lei Jun States Xiaomi’s First Car Involves 3,400 Engineers with R&D Investment Exceeding RMB 10 Billion

(Photo credit: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology)