XRING O2 will be a double shock for Xiaomi fans

The next Xiaomi proprietary chipset will arrive in 2026 — the date is still missing — and we can expect big things, at least according to rumors so far. The long-term project is clear: to aim for near-complete independence, which will bring cost improvements and a stronger ecosystem (as everything is developed in-house). XRING O2 will be a key piece of this strategy: here’s what we can expect according to the latest rumors.

XRING O2 will arrive in 2026 and it will be shocking: let’s try to explain what the possible reason could be

At the moment, Xiaomi has not yet officially weighed in and what we know comes from rumors. The latest addition is that from insider @That_Kartikey, a long-time expert and enthusiast of the Chinese company’s ecosystem.

According to a recent post, the development of the new XRING O2 proprietary chipset appears to be progressing well. Then it hints with a couple of sentences that bodes well: according to the leaker, Mi Fans can expect a a double shock, both regarding the SoC and the device that will have it on board.

The identity of the smartphone is still a mystery: last year the company announced XRING O1 and Xiaomi 15S Pro, both exclusive to the Chinese market. Although it is the brand’s first smartphone equipped with the 3 nm chip, a cautious approach was chosen — no radical changes compared to the 15 series, neither in terms of appearance nor specifications.

What will the first smartphone with XRING O2 be like?

The phone with XRING O2 chipset could arrive as Xiaomi 17S Pro, but the name has not yet been confirmed – neither by the company nor by leaks. There are actually two strong contenders for the role of Xiaomi’s revolutionary smartphone for 2026:

• the device could mount a camera with modular magnetic elements, similar to the concept shown at MWC 2025 concept;
• alternatively there would be a less Wow from a technical standpoint but characterized by a fully in-house developed approach, with chipset, AI and even a proprietary operating system.

Both hypotheses could match the profile traced by the insider: both a modular phone and one completely built by Xiaomi could leave enthusiasts (indeed industry insiders as well) stunned.

XRING O2, what to expect

Putting aside the phone and looking only at the new chipset, XRING O2 will likely arrive with a 2 nm manufacturing process, a very important step forward compared to the predecessor. Currently the only SoC with this technology is Samsung’s Exynos 2600, while the launch of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is expected in September.

Among the other Xiaomi chipset news we also expect a new ISP to improve image capture (likely there will again be a Leica collaboration). Finally, the SoC should find application also in the automotive field — clearly with Xiaomi Auto.

Anyway, there is also another leak stream, according to which the chipset will have the same 3 nm N3E process from TSMC used for XRING O1.