Mobile powerhouse: How Xiaomi and Qualcomm Technologies teamed up to offer superior connectivity

Key Takeaways:

• Even a global leader in cutting-edge technology needs to collaborate with strong partners.
• Qualcomm Technologies and Xiaomi’s deepening collaboration allowed it to be the first to launch a device with the Snapdragon 8 Elite and the advanced capabilities of the Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System.
• Snapdragon X80 brought a new level of connectivity to Xiaomi’s flagship phone, which boosted its throughput and coverage even with weaker signals.

Immediately after Qualcomm Technologies unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform in October, Xiaomi announced that the latest mobile platform would power the upcoming Xiaomi 15 series. But being first wasn’t just about bragging rights — the integrated Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF in Snapdragon 8 Elite was key to making sure Xiaomi’s flagship phone would see a major boost in connectivity. 

The unique 6-antenna architecture supported by Snapdragon X80 would allow the Xiaomi 15 Pro to maintain high cellular speeds even if the phone was in a weaker signal environment like a high-speed rail or subway station, a capability that can help further reinforce the flagship device’s premium status. 

That Xiaomi was able to share the stage with Qualcomm Technologies at Snapdragon Summit 2024 to tout the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon X80 power was a testament to the close collaboration between the two companies. It also marked the culmination of Xiaomi’s rise as the world’s third-largest smartphone maker, putting it in the position to be the first to utilize our latest platform. 

We talked to Zhang Guoquan, General Manager of Software Development for Xiaomi, about that collaborative spirit and how the Snapdragon 8 Elite and Snapdragon X80 unlock the power of the Xiaomi 15 series. 

Xiaomi’s Rise

Xiaomi got its start in 2010 with a customized version of the Android operating system before launching its first phone, the Mi 1, a year later, in the Chinese market. The company built a reputation for offering phones that brought significant value relative to the price, garnering a loyal following in its home market.

Xiaomi gradually expanded into several new products and today sells everything from power banks to electric vehicles. The Xiaomi SU7 is the top mid-size/large sedan in the Chinese market and the top EV priced over 200,000 yuan. 

Xiaomi says it’s the world’s largest “AIoT” platform, with 822 million connected devices, and 16.1 million users who own 5 or more of its products.

Looking ahead, the company says it will pursue its “Human x Car x Home” strategy through continued innovation, with the smartphone playing a key role in this vision.

Xiaomi 15 series sees connectivity boost

The week after Snapdragon Summit, Xiaomi held its own event and officially announced the Xiaomi 15 series, which included the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro, both powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform and its Snapdragon X80 modem.

Guoquan touted some key benefits from the new platform, including significantly improved connectivity and performance. Integrated into the Snapdragon 8 Elite is the Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System, which offers a unique 6-antenna design for better 5G performance specifically for the Xiaomi 15 Pro. This is a leap forward from the conventional 4-antenna architecture in other smartphones.

The comprehensive modem-to-RF front end co-design is the key to the Xiaomi 15 Pro’s advanced mobile-radio frequency (RF) technologies and why it boasts superior connectivity capabilities.

Additionally, Xiaomi 15 Pro takes advantage of the Qualcomm Smart Network Selection capabilities of the Snapdragon X80 for various scenarios such as high-speed trains, subways, elevators and more. The design led to 90% better throughput in mid-band spectrum in weak signal areas, 40% improvement in high bands and 19% in low bands compared to premium non-Snapdragon smartphones tested by Xiaomi.

The result: a smoother video streaming experience when travelling on a quick-moving train or metro line and 83% improvement in video buffering when entering or exiting a home or building. Online gamers get a more responsive experience with a 53% reduction in latency. 

“The powerful hardware performance and software tuning based on the Snapdragon modem, as well as the professional technical support provided to Xiaomi, give the Xiaomi 15 series an advantage in communication performance,” Guoquan said.

In China, which still represents a large chunk of Xiaomi’s smartphone business, the Xiaomi 15 Pro’s 5G performance in five out of the seven Beijing metro lines bested its premium competitors running on non-Snapdragon platforms in tests conducted by Xiaomi. It also saw a fraction of data buffering time compared to the Huawei Mate60PRO and iPhone 16 Pro.

The value of collaboration

At Snapdragon Summit, Xiaomi stressed the importance of working with global partners like Qualcomm Technologies.

Guoquan agreed, saying the achievements made with the Xiaomi 15 series “are inseparable from Qualcomm Technologies’ strong support.” In particular, Guoquan cited Qualcomm Technologies’ help implementing new functions and features, providing professional and comprehensive support during R&D, testing and handling any problems during the development process.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with an innovator like Xiaomi that is committed to bring the best user experience to its customers by taking advantage of the latest modem-RF advances such as 6 Rx and smart network selection,” said Sunil Patil, Vice President, Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies.

The collaboration included everything from technical training to onsite support and joint testing and resulted in a product with superior connectivity capabilities.

Guoquan lauded the “efficient and smooth” process and added that he looks forward to “creating more excellent products together.”