Xiaomi’s First Flagship Chip: XRing01 Performance Review, OpenAI x Jony Ive IO, Google Desktop Mode, and More Tech News

Xiaomi’s First Flagship Chip, OpenAI’s Mysterious Device, and Android’s Desktop Revolution – This Week in Tech

This week has been packed with major news in the tech world. From Xiaomi unveiling their first-ever flagship chip to OpenAI and Jony Ive teasing a mysterious AI device, plus Google getting serious about Android’s desktop mode—let’s break it all down.

Xiaomi’s Groundbreaking Flagship Chip – The X-Ring 01

Kicking things off, Xiaomi has officially launched the Xiaomi 15S Pro, powered by their very first self-developed flagship chip—the XRing 01. This is a major milestone for the company, as they’ve designed the chip in-house, while TSMC handled the manufacturing using their advanced 3nm process.

What makes the XRing 01 truly impressive is how it holds its own against the top dogs like Snapdragon and MediaTek. According to early benchmark results, its CPU performance is right up there with the competition. The GPU isn’t the absolute best, but it sits comfortably between the current and previous generations—still outperforming Apple’s A18 chip, which is no small feat.

For the tech enthusiasts, the chip packs a unique 10-core setup (2+4+2+2) and uses the same ARM Immortalis G925 GPU as MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9400—just with a different core layout. Xiaomi also developed their own fourth-gen image signal processor (ISP) and neural processing unit (NPU) in-house.

The only catch? Xiaomi had to rely on a MediaTek external modem, which slightly impacts power efficiency, resulting in a bit less battery life compared to Snapdragon-powered phones. However, Xiaomi is already working on their own modems, with the X-Ring T1 modem launching in their latest smartwatch—though it’s only 4G for now. Developing a 5G modem remains a tough challenge for many.

Still, for a first attempt, Xiaomi’s achievement is remarkable—especially when you consider that Google has struggled for years to match this level of performance with its Tensor chips.

OpenAI x Jony Ive – The Mysterious “IO” Device

Now for something completely different: OpenAI and legendary designer Jony Ive have teamed up to create a new AI-powered hardware device, codenamed IO. And yes, this is a real product, not a joke.

OpenAI is reportedly investing a staggering $6.5 billion into this project, having already acquired 23% of Jony Ive’s company, LoveFrom, late last year. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, claims that the device will be unlike anything the consumer tech world has seen before—bold words indeed.

Altman described the prototype as “the coolest piece of technology the world will have ever seen,” but details are still scarce. What we do know is that the device will be larger than a Humane AI Pin, potentially connect to smartphones and PCs for processing power, and may be worn around the neck. Some reports suggest it will be aware of the user’s environment and life, and function as a “third core device” alongside your smartphone and laptop.

Interestingly, Jony Ive’s team will also take over design across OpenAI’s entire product lineup, including software. This announcement even impacted Apple’s stock, which dipped by 2.3% after the news broke.

Still, it’s hard not to wonder—can OpenAI really challenge giants like Apple, Google, and Meta, who already control the devices we use daily? Time will tell.

Android’s Desktop Mode – Google Steps Up

Switching gears to Google, this week saw a quiet but significant announcement: Android 16 will feature a desktop mode—and it’s built directly on Samsung’s DeX platform. This is a smart move, as DeX has already proven itself as a solid desktop experience for Android devices.

By adopting DeX rather than reinventing the wheel, Google can deliver a more unified solution across the Android ecosystem. We’ve already seen Google and Samsung team up on features like Quick Share, so this collaboration makes a lot of sense.

Google’s push for desktop mode aligns with a broader strategy: getting apps to work better on large screens. This includes not just foldables and tablets, but also Android Automotive and the upcoming Android XR. In fact, Google says there are already 500 million large-screen Android devices out there—far more than most people realize.

For foldable users, this is exciting news—more optimized apps, a true desktop experience, and better large-screen support are all on the way.

Quick Hits: Huawei, Dyson, and Razer

In other news, Huawei has launched the MateBook Fold, a foldable laptop-tablet hybrid that runs HarmonyOS Next, Huawei’s Android-free operating system. It looks slick, supports a full desktop mode, and even offers a detachable keyboard option. For now, it’s only available in China and costs a hefty $3,300—definitely a niche product for early adopters.

Dyson introduced the Pencil Vac, a super slim, battery-powered vacuum that’s basically a stick with a motor, swappable battery packs, and “fluffy cones” designed to prevent hair tangles—clever design as always from Dyson.

Finally, Razer announced the Blade 14, a compact AMD-powered gaming laptop with NVIDIA 50-series GPUs and an OLED display. Gamers, take note!

Stay tuned for more updates next week, and have a fantastic weekend!