Emir BardakçıIn a stirring address to Xiaomi workers during the Xiaomi Values Competition, CEO Lei Jun announced a historic decision that is set to transform the company’s future. Long-awaited XRING O1, the long-developed-in-house mobile phone SoC chip, is coming out by the end of this month, a milestone in Xiaomi’s 15-year quest for technological independence. This news is the result of a decade of investment in the production of chips and a new platform for pursuing Xiaomi’s ambitions of becoming a hard-core technology leader in the world’s market. For fans of the company, this news is long-awaited and solidifies the company’s dedication to shattering technological barriers by never stopping to innovate.
A Decade of Chip Development Achieved
The XRING O1 chip is a milestone in the evolution of technology for the company, says Lei Jun
- It is the outcome of 10 focused years of research and development
- It is a new milestone for Xiaomi in terms of penetrating hard-core technology.
- The progress is in line with what the public and fans of the company have anticipated
- It is a critical milestone in positioning Xiaomi as a technology-driven company
The in-house developed chip is expected to give Xiaomi more control over hardware and software integration, possibly delivering better performance, efficiency, and innovative features in coming Xiaomi releases.
Massive investments in R&D drive innovation
During his speech, Lei Jun emphasized Xiaomi’s unprecedented dedication to research and development that has enabled the XRING O1:
- R&D investments of around 105 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) have been made in the last five years
- More than 30 billion yuan ($4.1 billion) in expected R&D spend this year alone
- Emphasis on creating core technology that distinguishes the products of Xiaomi
The sizeable investment reflects Xiaomi’s commitment to shift from being a value-for-money brand to that of a technology giant that can rival the likes of the industry in innovation.
Lei Jun looks back on the experience.
In his speech, Lei Jun also spoke of recent challenges and looked back on the company’s 15-year timeline, highlighting the resilience of Xiaomi:
“The tough wind betrays the tough grass, and the long path betrays the power of the horse,” said Lei Jun, illustrating how Xiaomi has demonstrated its capacity for overcoming adversity along its path. He realized that Xiaomi has evolved beyond being considered a new entrant in the industry and should now adopt the duties of a world-leading technology player with greater aspirations and ambitions.
Source: IT Home
