Google’s next Pixel needs faster silicon, now that China is building beasts like this

Custom mobile processor development was once reserved for the few who could absorb the huge engineering costs that accompany such an endeavor. In recent years, however, Arm’s expansive IP portfolio has lowered the barrier for consumer tech companies to design bespoke processors.

Google’s Tensor series is perhaps the most well-known example, built in collaboration with Samsung using a healthy dose of Arm, Samsung, and Google parts. Now, it’s the turn of China’s giant Xiaomi, which has just announced its XRING O1 processor for its Xiaomi 15s Pro — essentially a Xiaomi 15 without Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite that’s destined for mainland China.

Xiaomi probed the custom silicon waters back in 2017 with the Surge S1, but the XRING O1 is a much more ambitious effort. I’d go as far as to call it a monster: 10 high-performance Arm CPU cores and a massive 16-core Arm GPU that should blitz through today’s games — and likely tomorrow’s too.

Based on the raw specs at least, the XRING O1 puts other custom SoCs to shame. Samsung’s Exynos, Google’s Tensor, and likely even MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9400 all appear outgunned. Qualcomm’s powerhouse Snapdragon 8 Elite might even feel it nipping at its heels.

To get there, Xiaomi has taken a “cost is no issue” approach to development. Two powerhouse CPU cores flanked by four potent middle cores, all paired with large L2 caches, are a recipe for lightning-fast performance. While that might be enough CPU silicon for Apple, Xiaomi also packs in two lower-clocked middle cores and two small efficiency cores for lower-power applications, again with above-typical cache.

The GPU setup is equally overkill; 16 cores are at the upper limit of what Arm would probably suggest for mobile, it verges into light-laptop territory. XRING O1 can’t be small, and yet it’s built on TSMC’s cutting-edge second-generation 3nm process, an expensive node used by Apple and Qualcomm for their top-tier processors.

Xiaomi’s flagship processor supports plenty of familiar bells and whistles, too. The Xiaomi 15S Pro has Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, 8K 24fps video recording and 4K 30fps night capture, USB 3.2 Gen 2 data speeds, and 5G data courtesy of a MediaTek-supplied T800 modem.

That said, we’ll have to see how well this chip performs in the real world and if all this power in a small package can avoid thermal throttling. Still, if you want to see just how gargantuan this chip is, I’ve created a quick comparison table against the competition.

This is all great news for Xiaomi fans and shows that off-the-shelf SoC design doesn’t have to come with performance compromises. But that latter point has me concerned for the upcoming Google Pixel 10 series. As we know, Google’s next-gen Tensor G5 processor isn’t going to be anywhere near this powerful. But if Xiaomi can deliver such a high-end chip on its first real try, what’s Google’s excuse five generations in?

As we already know, Tensor G5 will reprise the same Cortex-X4 CPU core that Arm announced in 2023, while Xiaomi has adopted not one, but two of the latest Cortex-X925. Sure, Google plans to tweak its middle cores and move to a perhaps slightly more powerful Imagination Technologies DXT graphics chip, but that will not suddenly transform the Pixel into a gaming powerhouse.

Google seems content to focus on other areas: better image processing, smarter machine learning, and AI-powered cameras. All of that matters — particularly for the Pixel, where software smarts are core to the experience. However, if Google wants us to take real advantage of Android 16’s desktop mode, play PC games on our phones, or even just keep things running smoothly for seven years of updates, Pixel needs more horsepower to match the competition.

I’m not calling for a total rethink of the Tensor strategy. I’m perfectly happy with the performance of the Pixel 9 Pro XL for my daily tasks and it’s AI and imaging focus provides plenty of perks. It’s yet to be seen if Xiaomi’s XRING O1 can match Google’s software integration and feature depth.

Even so, raw performance still matters. I don’t want to pay $1,100 for a Pixel 10 Pro XL only to see it outperformed by a phone costing hundreds less. This is already arguably the case when we compare Google’s latest against phones like the $900 OnePlus 13, and will only become a bigger issue next year as the flagship performance divide grows again and mid-range rivals become even more powerful.

Google needs to improve Tensor’s performance profile — maybe not drastically, but noticeably — to stay in the flagship race. The XRING O1 proves it’s not about access to IP or manufacturing partners. It’s about choices. Right now, Google’s are holding it back.

Of course, we also know that costs remain a concern for Google. While it continues refining Tensor to serve both its flagship and A-series phones profitably, Xiaomi reportedly spent 13.5 billion yuan ($1.9 billion) developing the XRING O1. That colossal sum helps explain the chip’s ambitious specifications — and signals Xiaomi’s intent to reduce dependence on US-based firms like Qualcomm. It’s also a stepping stone toward scaling its custom silicon across more product tiers and furthering China’s goal of tech sovereignty.

That said, specs alone won’t guarantee success. For the XRING O1 to truly compete, Xiaomi must deliver on long-term software support, robust system and driver optimization, and meaningful features powered by AI and computational photography. These are areas where Google, despite lagging on raw power, still leads much of the Android field.

Still, the XRING O1 is a bold, promising move — and a clear message to Google, Samsung, MediaTek, and even Qualcomm that the silicon status quo is no longer safe from disruption.