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One of the oft-repeated rumors we’ve heard about the OnePlus Z is that it’s supposedly equipped with a MediaTek 5G chipset. Now, a new leak has just contradicted those claims.
Frequent leaker Max J has tweeted an image purportedly showing the OnePlus Z with a Snapdragon 765 series 5G processor. The tipster has previously tweeted a similar image regarding the phone’s supposed launch date. Check out the latest image below.
— Max J. (@MaxJmb) May 1, 2020
This would be a major departure from previous claims by fellow leaker Ishan Agarwal, who claimed that the phone would arrive with a MediaTek 5G chipset (unlike the OnePlus 8 phones). The Taiwanese chipmaker currently has three 5G chips, namely the upper mid-range Dimensity 800, and the flagship-level Dimensity 1000 and Dimensity 1000L.
This wouldn’t be the first time we hear about OEMs potentially jumping from MediaTek 5G silicon to Qualcomm though. Earlier this year, respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Qualcomm had cut the price of its Snapdragon 765 series, undercutting the Dimensity 1000 range. The report mentions that several OEMs were expected to shift millions of orders from MediaTek to Qualcomm as a result of the price cut.
It’s possible OnePlus decided to make the switch too, or that they always planned to use Qualcomm silicon and the initial rumors weren’t correct. Either way, we’ll likely need to wait until the official reveal for proper confirmation.
In saying so, it’s worth noting the Dimensity chips look stronger on paper in terms of CPU performance than the Snapdragon 765 series. The Dimensity 1000/1000L sport newer Cortex-A77 cores, while the Dimensity 800 offers more heavy-lifting CPU cores than the Snapdragon 765 series. Qualcomm is generally strong when it comes to GPU performance though, and it’s seen as the more developer-friendly silicon brand. Furthermore, the Snapdragon 765 series offers mmWave support which MediaTek lacks right now.
The OnePlus Z is clearly shaping up to be one of the more anticipated phones we’ve seen in 2020, but it’s not the only high-profile device slated for arrival later this year. Check out our articles below.