商业头条No.74 | “超纲”任务：小米造芯幕后故事

Core Insights - Xiaomi has successfully developed its first self-researched 3nm chip, named "玄戒O1," becoming the fourth smartphone manufacturer globally to achieve this capability after Apple, Samsung, and Huawei [1][2][3] - The development of the chip is part of Xiaomi's long-term strategy to enter the high-end flagship market and establish itself as a hardcore technology company [2][3] - The company has invested over 135 billion yuan in chip development so far, with plans to invest an additional 200 billion yuan in the next five years [21][22] Development Timeline - Xiaomi's chip development journey began in 2014 with the establishment of the Pinecone company, followed by the launch of the 澎湃S1 chip in 2017 [2] - After facing setbacks, Xiaomi paused its chip development but resumed in 2021 with a focus on high-end SoC chips [2][7] - The "新业务部" (New Business Department) was established to integrate chip development within the company, ensuring better collaboration and communication [7][8] Team Building and Challenges - Initially, the team was small, with only a few hundred members, but it grew to nearly 2,500 by 2023, primarily through internal transfers and external recruitment [9][10] - The company faced challenges in attracting talent due to its previous failures in chip development, but the cooling of the chip startup market in 2022 allowed Xiaomi to recruit experienced professionals [8][9] Technical Achievements - The "玄戒O1" chip features a 10-core architecture and has undergone extensive design and optimization processes, achieving a high clock speed of 3.9GHz [12][14] - The chip's performance has been validated through testing, showing competitive results against other leading chips in the market [15][17] - Xiaomi aims to increase its proprietary IP usage over time, similar to the paths taken by other successful chip manufacturers [12][14] Market Position and Future Outlook - The launch of the "玄戒O1" chip is seen as a critical step for Xiaomi to validate its technology in the market, with the first device featuring the chip, the 小米15S Pro, set to be tested by consumers [17][22] - The company acknowledges the pressure of ensuring sufficient sales volume to cover the high development costs associated with the chip [19][21] - Xiaomi's leadership remains committed to the chip development strategy, emphasizing a long-term vision despite the challenges faced in the industry [21][22]