Xiaomi is “breaking up” with popular processor provider, Qualcomm. The Chinese manufacturer apparently wants to build and use its own smartphone chipset #hardwaremagic
According to the Wall Street Journal, Xiaomi is joining the ranks of Apple, Samsung and Huawei, all of which have decided to part ways with Qualcomm. Moreover, Apple is currently in the middle of a lawsuit with the processor provider as the former claims it was charged “at least five times more in payments than all the other cellular patent licensors we have agreements with combined.” In Asia, Qualcomm is also seen in a bad light after it was accused of “unfair business practices in patent licensing and modem chip sales.”
On top of all that, now Xiaomi is ditching Qualcomm to build its own processor. Called Pinecone, the SoC is set to be in development at Beijing Pinecone Electronics and could hit the market in March. In the same month, the company is expected to release the Mi 6 (not in US, although), so it’s not going to be a shock if the device comes with Pinecone from the get-go.
If this industry move is set to become a trend, the increased competition might have a positive effect; processors could get cheaper and more performant. On the other hand, OEMs will shift their focus and transform their business model, becoming a supplier too.
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