Lei Jun, the founder and CEO of Xiaomi Tech, responded on Weibo when being asked whether the development of “Xiaomi’s Pengpai Chip” will continue, “We started developing the chip Pengpai in 2014, and launched its first generation in 2017. Later, we did meet great difficulties. Nevertheless, our fans can rest assured that the program is still going on. Once there is new progress, I will tell you.”
On February 28, 2017, Xiaomi formally launched the self-developed chip Pinecone “Pengpai S1” aimed at the mid- to high-end market, which was regarded as a milestone for Chinese chips in the industry. Since then, Xiaomi has also become the fourth terminal manufacturer, after Apple, Samsung and Huawei, which can make both chips and cellphones in the world.
However, news about Xiaomi’s self-developed chip was hardly heard thereafter. As known to all familiar with the semiconductor industry, huge investments of over 1 billion are usually needed for the development of chips. Moreover, it requires not only funds but also experienced technical staff and long accumulation of technology. Therefore, it is even harder for a cellphone manufacturer to develop chips independently.