MediaTek Dimensity 9400++ leak reveals flagship specs for a sub-flagship chip
The high-end smartphone processor market is bracing for its next battle as both MediaTek and Qualcomm prepare their upcoming silicon MediaTek Dimensity 9400++. While Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is expected later this year, its rival’s strategy has been less clear. Now, a new leak suggests MediaTek is preparing a “sub-flagship” chip that, paradoxically, appears to feature flagship-grade specifications.
According to prominent leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the mysterious upcoming processor—which the tipster refers to as the “Dimensity 9400++”—is based directly on this year’s premium Dimensity 9400+ chip.
The leak claims a prototype of the new System-on-a-Chip (SoC) is built on TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm (N3E) process. It reportedly features a formidable CPU configuration identical to its flagship sibling: one high-performance Cortex-X925 core, three Cortex-X4 cores, and four Cortex-A720 efficiency cores, with a peak clock speed of 3.73GHz.
Furthermore, the leak asserts that the GPU (a G925 MP12 clocked at 1612MHz) and cache also remain unchanged from the top-tier Dimensity 9400+.
This strategy is highly unusual. “Sub-flagship” chips typically utilize scaled-back components—such as lower clock speeds, fewer GPU cores, or an older manufacturing node—to differentiate them from their premium counterparts and achieve a lower price point. MediaTek’s apparent decision to reuse a full-power flagship configuration for a new category suggests a new market approach, potentially aiming to power “flagship-killer” devices that compromise very little on performance.
Earlier reports had speculated this chip might be named the “Dimensity 9500e,” though this has not been confirmed.
Digital Chat Station also notes that the first wave of smartphones utilizing this processor will not be cutting corners elsewhere. The devices are expected to feature large batteries, premium-quality displays, and superior build quality, reinforcing their position in the high-end market.
Regarding the timeline, this new MediaTek chip is expected to debut in the first quarter of 2026, positioning it as a direct competitor to devices launching with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5.
