IHS analyst says next-gen Redmi phones will use in-house made Xiaomi chips

Last month, we covered a report by EETimes outlining Xiaomi's plans to switch to custom CPU designs for its mobile products. We got to learn that the Chinese upstart will partner up with domestic fab Leadcore to make silicon in accordance with its custom demands, setting itself free from depending on chip producers' schedules and roadmaps.

As if EETimes' report didn't sound realistic enough, we now have Mr. Kevin Wang, research director at IHT Technology China, reporting that "next generation" Redmi phones will run on Xiaomi-designed chips. Obviously, "next generation" is a rather uncertain phrase that could either refer to upcoming Redmi handsets, or whenever, you know, the next generation models are coming.

Being in the know, Mr. Wang claims that the Xiaomi chips match the performance of Qualcomm's chips found in the current Redmi handsets. They are also faster than the Leadcore LC1860 SoC that powers the Redmi 2A, a cheaper variant of the regular Redmi phone. Despite being an entry-level SoC, the LC1860 has quick charging technology baked in, which means affordable devices might catch up to flagships in even more ways than pretty screens and adequate performance.

affordable devices might catch up to flagships in even more ways than pretty screens and adequate performance.

Interestingly, Wang doesn't mention anything regarding a Xiaomi-Leadcore partnership. We attribute that to a loss in translation, more than anything, as said partnership has been made pretty clear-cut at this point.

Although Xiaomi's famously low profit margins could see a welcome climb after switching to in-house developed silicon, for the time being, we still expect the company to utilise the latest and greatest chips from the likes of Qualcomm, Samsung, and MediaTek in its high-end devices to give them that desirable premium edge.