Many smartphones maker go with system-on-chips built by the likes of Qualcomm and MediaTek which service the entire industry. However, some, like Apple, Samsung and Huawei, prefer to make their own chips and customize them for their devices. And Xiaomi will be joining that list at the end of this month, when the company will launch its first custom-made “Pinecone” chip.
There’s been speculation that the Chinese company had been working on its own processor for a good long while now, with Pinecone being in development for the last couple of years. But as time went by signs showed that a release would be coming in the near future, and Pinecone will be unveiled on February 28th.
Not much is known about the chip except that it will be using Leadcore cellular radio technology. The chip us rumored to be featured on the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 5c, in an eight-core incarnation.
The silicon market has a very high cost of entry and is already quite crowded, so whether Xiaomi manages to leave a mark, and help its devices along the way, remains to be seen in the years ahead.