Arm Holdings Unveils Lumex AI Chip Designs for On-Device AI Processing

Arm Holdings announced on September 10, 2025, the launch of its next-generation Lumex chip designs, a significant advancement aimed at bringing robust artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities directly onto mobile devices. The Lumex architecture, part of Arm’s Compute Subsystems (CSS) business, is engineered to support a wide range of devices—from energy-efficient smartwatches to high-performance smartphones—enabling AI-driven applications to run locally without the need for internet access.

The Lumex series comprises four distinct chip designs, each tailored to different performance and power requirements. Lower-power variants are optimized for wearables, while the high-performance models are designed to execute large AI models natively on premium smartphones. This approach allows for real-time AI functionalities such as translation and interactive assistants, addressing the growing demand for seamless, offline AI experiences among mobile users.

Chris Bergey, senior vice president and general manager at Arm, emphasized that AI is now an “expectation” for mobile users, noting, “AI is becoming pretty fundamental to kind of what’s happening, whether it’s kind of real-time interactions or some killer use cases like AI translation.” The Lumex chips are built using advanced 3-nanometer manufacturing processes, similar to those used in the latest iPhone chips by TSMC, ensuring both high performance and energy efficiency.

Arm’s strategy with Lumex extends beyond mobile phones. The company is investing in more comprehensive chip design solutions for data centers and other verticals, aiming to diversify its revenue streams and accelerate growth. The CSS business unit provides ready-to-use technology blueprints, enabling handset manufacturers and chip designers to integrate new AI capabilities more rapidly and efficiently.

The launch event for Lumex was strategically held in China, reflecting the importance of the Chinese smartphone market, which is home to many leading handset brands outside of Apple and Samsung. This move underscores Arm’s intent to solidify its position in a region that is central to the global mobile device supply chain.

Industry analysts note that Arm’s entry into the AI-optimized chip market comes at a time of intense competition, with established players like NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel vying for dominance. The global AI chip market is projected to grow rapidly, and Arm’s Lumex platform positions the company to capture a significant share by offering turnkey solutions that address both performance and efficiency demands.

The Lumex launch signals a broader industry shift toward on-device AI processing, reducing reliance on cloud infrastructure and enhancing privacy, responsiveness, and user experience. As AI becomes increasingly integral to mobile technology, Arm’s new platform is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of smart devices.