Xiaomi's Xring O3 Beats Google, Apple on GPU Tests
Benchmarks of the in-house chip in the Pad 9 Pro Max show a lead on graphics and multi-core work, while Apple's M5 keeps the CPU crown.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Semiconductors
Xiaomi's in-house Xring O3 chip, in a Pad 9 Pro Max tablet, posted higher GPU and multi-core scores than Google's Tensor G5 and Apple's iPad Pro 11 in a set of benchmark tests. The results are benchmark measurements of a shipping device, but Apple's M5 chip remains ahead of the Xring O3 on CPU performance.
Why it matters
The results suggest that a non-Apple, non-Qualcomm, non-Google silicon design can compete with flagship chips on graphics and multi-core workloads. Those are the workloads that matter most for tablets and high-end phones, where in-house chip design is becoming a differentiator.
Benchmark results compare the Xring O3 against Tensor G5 and Apple chips using Geekbench 6, GFXBench, and 3DMark. The Pad 9 Pro Max leads Tensor G5 by more than 50 percent in Geekbench 6 multi-core and by more than 70 percent in GFXBench 4K, while Apple's M5 stays ahead on CPU performance.
The players
Xiaomi
Chinese consumer electronics maker that designs its own Xring system-on-chip for devices such as the Pad 9 Pro Max.
Maker of the Tensor G5 chip used in the Pixel 10 Pro and the Android platform.
Apple
Designer of the M4 and M5 chips and the iPad Pro line, which set the benchmark comparison points for the Xring O3.
The details
The Xring O3 is Xiaomi's own system-on-chip, which combines CPU cores and a graphics processor on one die. In the tests, its GPU is built on an ARM Mali G2-Ultra NX MP16 graphics design, which holds up well against Apple's M5 in GPU tests. Benchmarks such as GFXBench and 3DMark run standardized graphics workloads, so the scores reflect how fast the chip renders frames under identical test conditions.
Timeline
Benchmark results were reported in an article dated November 1, 2026.
The Tech Race
Xiaomi joins Google and Apple in designing its own consumer silicon, extending the in-house chip trend that Apple's M-series began in laptops and tablets. Apple's M5 still leads on CPU performance, so the Xring O3 competes most directly on graphics and multi-core workloads.
Benchmark results do not by themselves mean the Xring O3 is available in phones or tablets outside the tested device, and the stub gives no availability or pricing information for the Pad 9 Pro Max. The gains described apply to graphics-heavy tasks such as gaming and video rendering, not to every everyday workload.
The takeaway
Watch whether Xiaomi publishes sustained-performance and power-efficiency results for the Xring O3, since peak benchmark scores alone do not show how the chip behaves over long sessions. Apple's M5 CPU lead will be the comparison to track in future chip reviews.
Further reading
For background on the chip designs behind these results, explore Semiconductors.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Notebookcheck.
