Emir BardakçıMediaTek is not wasting any time in the year 2026. In fact, the tech giant just used its Weibo platform to make an official announcement about its latest processor: the Dimensity 9500e is coming out on January 15th. Though we were looking out for more news concerning the flagship series, this “e” series might be their ploy to control the market of sub-flagships in the high-performance segment.
However, after the release of the chip, the REDMI Turbo 5 Max is rumored to be the first to market the chipset. I have chanced upon some early leaks that show the device that is generally “Launched in China only” will be widely available in international markets as the POCO X8 Pro Max. This is in line with Xiaomi’s tradition of launching the Turbo line in international markets with the POCO label.
TL;DR: What You Need to Know
- The Dimensity 9500e will officially launch on January 15.
- It powers the upcoming POCO X8 Pro Max and REDMI Turbo 5 Max internationally.
- Equipped with an optimized architecture powered by Dimensity 9400+.
- Made with TSMC’s advanced N3E (3nm) process for improved heat dissipation.
Is the Dimensity 9500e a Rebranded Chip?
Don’t be fooled by these similarities in specifications. Although leakages indicate that Dimensity 9500e has a similar core design to Dimensity 9400+, this is not a mere respin. What we have here is a configuration that involves 1x Cortex-X925, 3x Cortex-X4, & 4x Cortex-A720 cores.
Where things get really interesting is in graphics. This SoC boasts an impressive G925 MP12 GPU, running at an astonishingly high speed of 1612MHz. It’s clear that MediaTek has optimized its “e” series to deal with heavy loads without suffering from heat throttling issues as was seen in some previous high-speed offerings.
Efficiency meets Raw Power
In transitioning from TSMC’s N3B manufacturing process, MediaTek aims for higher yield and power efficiency than in its N3B process. We also observed in our hands-on experience and testing that N3E delivers a smoother performance graph, and this plays an important role in a gaming-oriented smartphone such as REDMI Turbo 5 Max.
What does this mean? This allows users to enjoy longer gaming sessions on Xiaomi HyperOS without their smartphones turning into a pocket heater. This is a deliberate strategy for them to provide a flagship experience at an affordable price, most likely within the $350-400 bracket in China.
What’s Next for the Turbo 5 Series?
With the Dimensity 9500e processor slotted to make its debut in mid-January, the official launch event of the REDMI Turbo 5 Maxwill likely occur shortly. Gossip has already begun circulating regarding a behemoth battery found within the rumored 9,000mAh variant, as well as a horizontally aligned camera setup. Keep an eye on the global POCO socials because the re-branding of POCO X8 Pro Max takes place within 2-3 months after its Chinese launch. If the performance targets are met by MediaTek, then Snapdragon 8 Elite could face stiff competition in the budget segment.
