Xiaomi will be first to use next gen Snapdragon Elite chip amid renwed partnership with Qualcomm

Xiaomi will be among the first smartphone manufacturers to adopt Qualcomm’s upcoming next-generation Snapdragon 8-series chipset, the company confirmed on Wednesday after earlier reports that hinted the same. The chipset is expected to be officially announced later this year and will feature in Xiaomi’s premium smartphones both in China and global markets.

The announcement comes as Qualcomm Technologies and Xiaomi Corporation renew their long-standing collaboration through a new multi-year agreement aimed at driving innovation in premium smartphones and connected devices.

As part of the expanded deal, Xiaomi will continue to power its flagship smartphones with Snapdragon 8-series platforms for multiple product generations, with volumes expected to increase annually.

Qualcomm President and CEO, Cristiano Amon, said the companies have consistently delivered “exceptional products that have set the pace of innovation in smartphones globally,” adding that Qualcomm is looking forward to continuing the partnership in a broader range of product categories.

The two firms also plan to deepen cooperation in areas such as automotive systems, AR/VR devices, smart home technologies, wearables, and tablets. On-device artificial intelligence (AI) is set to be a key focus across these edge device categories.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun described Qualcomm as “one of Xiaomi’s most trusted and vital partners,” and said the renewed collaboration would help the company bring more innovative, high-quality products to customers around the world.

The relationship between the two companies dates back over a decade. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips have powered millions of Xiaomi devices, including the original Xiaomi Mi 1 smartphone launched in 2011. Most recently, the Mi 15 series, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite, saw strong commercial performance.

Beyond smartphones, Qualcomm’s platforms also feature in Xiaomi’s other product lines. Its SU7 electric vehicle, introduced in 2023, uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cockpit Platform and Auto 5G Modem-RF solution. Xiaomi’s wearables and home connectivity devices, such as the Buds 5 Pro, Watch 2 Pro, and Wi-Fi 7 routers, also leverage Qualcomm’s chipset technologies.

The renewed agreement is expected to further strengthen Xiaomi’s position in the premium device segment while extending Qualcomm’s footprint across emerging technology categories.