What you need to know
- A report states Xiaomi's recent flagship phones utilize a unique co-processor that supports a snappier, more responsive Fast Pair.
- Xiaomi's 14T Pro features CHRE (Context Hub Runtime Environment) support alongside other devices like the 14T and the 14 series.
- The report states Xiaomi can do more with CHRE support, like potentially adding crash detection.
A discovery inside one of Xiaomi's recent flagship phones shows that a special chip is being put to work to make device pairing easy.
Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority) discovered "CHRE" support while examining the Xiaomi 14T Pro code. The support was confirmed after an "android.hardware.context_hub" flag was found. According to Rahman, all of this refers to Google's Context Hub Runtime Environment, a specific Android API that "offloads" certain OS tasks, like Fast Pairing, to an ultra low-power co-processor.
More digging shows the 14T Pro contains a preloaded "nanoapp" called Google Nearby. The app enables Fast Pair discovery to run on CHRE.
In short, support for the context hub and the Google Nearby app makes Fast Pair snappier and more responsive when called. Additionally, Rahman states Xiaomi could take things further with its CHRE support, like adding crash detection and more.
CHRE support and the nanoapp were also discovered on the Xiaomi 14 series, 14T, and the POCO F6 series.
Rahman adds that the preloaded Nearby app is a "connectivity library" for Fast Pair and Quick Share. Supposedly Google stated CHRE was intended to "improve the responsiveness" of Quick Share, though it's unclear if support for such advancements has arrived.
Google's Fast Pair technology already made it easier for consumers to link Bluetooth-supported accessories with their phones. CHRE takes things further by making that "within range" necessity more responsive. Aside from devices like earbuds, Google debuted Fast Pair for Matter-supported devices through Google Home.
A consumer's Home, Home Mini, or even Nest Hub Max would serve as the Matter hub. Fast Pair technology makes the onboarding process much faster when weaving new devices into your smart home ecosystem.
On Xiaomi's side, it seems likely that the company will continue CHRE support once its next phone, the 15 series, debuts. The company was in Hawaii yesterday (Oct 21) at Qualcomm's Summit 2024 to discuss what consumers can expect. Xiaomi's SVP Adam Zeng announced that the 15 series will be the first phone to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC globally. The device will be paired with the company's HyperCore technology to reduce internal core temperatures and power consumption.
Moreover, the Xiaomi 15 series is slated to debut "at the end of October."
