If you thought the midrange smartphone market was getting dull, think again. The “flagship killer” category — that sweet spot where performance is fierce but the price won’t drain your savings — just got a serious adrenaline boost.

MediaTek has officially pulled the curtains back on the new MediaTek Dimensity 9500s, a chipset designed to challenge premium competitors. Right on cue, Xiaomi sub‑brand REDMI has confirmed it will be the first to showcase the SoC in the upcoming REDMI Turbo 5 Max, scheduled to launch in China this January.

Let’s start with the silicon. MediaTek’s naming conventions can be a mouthful, but the hierarchy is straightforward. The Dimensity 9500s sits just a notch below the top-tier Dimensity 9500. Think of it as the Pro or Plus take on last year’s flagship, tuned for 2026 efficiency. Built on TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm process, the same foundry technology powering the world’s best chips, it’s a powerhouse in its own right.

Introducing the #MediaTekDimensity 9500s & Dimensity 8500, the latest additions to the Dimensity #5G family. Set to redefine what’s possible, the ultra-efficient Dimensity 9500s & 8500 chips offer unmatched computing power, #genAI, & everywhere connectivity to flagship and… pic.twitter.com/MkDhsefhE7

— MediaTek (@MediaTek) January 15, 2026

The Dimensity 9500s was announced alongside the Dimensity 8500

Here’s the technical breakdown of the MediaTek Dimensity 9500s:

• CPU: It’s an octa-core setup led by a Cortex-X925 prime core clocked at 3.7GHz. That is backed by three Cortex-X4 performance cores (3.3GHz) and four Cortex-A720 efficiency cores (2.4GHz).
• GPU: Graphics are handled by the Arm Immortalis-G925. This supports hardware ray tracing and can push 8K video at 60fps.
• AI: It packs a dedicated NPU capable of generative reasoning and multimodal AI models, meaning on-device AI features won’t just be a gimmick; they will be fast.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and a 5G modem hitting download speeds up to 7Gbps.

To put it plainly, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500s far exceeds the needs of social apps. Its design targets sustained, high‑fidelity gaming.

And REDMI didn’t waste a second. We have seen official teasers confirming the REDMI Turbo 5 Max will be the “World Premiere” device for this chipset.

REDMI is branding the phone as the “Midrange Performance Endgame” for 2026 — and the leaked specs seem to justify that bold claim. The standout detail is stamina: Reports point to a huge 9,000mAh battery packed into the chassis. If that holds true, we are looking at a handset that could last two days of heavy use.

We love big numbers, but gaming stability over peak speed matters more when you’re 30 minutes deep into a ranked match. REDMI’s lab tests show the Turbo 5 Max averaging 120.1 FPS in MOBA titles (likely Honor of Kings) and an almost flawless 59.5 FPS in demanding 3D turn‑based RPGs (Star Rail).

The clincher? The brand is highlighting the REDMI Turbo 5 Max’s “1% low FPS” performance, which is a technical way of saying this phone stays smooth even when on‑screen action gets chaotic. Other key spec include a 1.5K flat OLED display framed by ultrathin bezels, giving it a clean, modern look while keeping the focus on immersive visuals.

On the pricing side, teasers explicitly reference the “2.5K gear,” which points to a launch tag of around ¥2,500. Converted, that places the device in the P20,000 to P21,000 range before taxes — a figure that positions it squarely in the sweet spot of the midrange market.

Now, for the global and local context. REDMI Turbo models don’t get released internationally under the REDMI name. Historically, they arrive rebranded as POCO F series phones. However, the rumor mill is spinning a different yarn this time. Leaks suggest the global variant of the Turbo 5 Max might arrive as the POCO X8 Pro Max.

This would be a significant shakeup for the POCO lineup, blurring the lines between the X series (usually midrange) and the F series (flagship killers). Regardless of the badge on the back, if the specs‑to‑price ratio stays intact, good luck grabbing one before it’s gone.

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