iQoo 15 Mini: OnePlus 15T rival reportedly in testing phase with Dimensity 9500+

The iQoo 15 launched in October in China as a flagship performance-oriented smartphone. It is among the first smartphones to feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. The company is also rumored to launch additional models in the iQoo 15 lineup, including a compact smartphone and an Ultra model. The compact model, unofficially called the iQoo 15 Mini, has been the subject of multiple leaks in recent months. An earlier leak in September revealed that the company was choosing between two chipset options for the compact device: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and the Dimensity 9500 Plus.

Writing on Weibo, tipster Digital Chat Station claims that the iQoo 15 Mini has entered the testing phase. It is currently powered by the Dimensity 9500+ chipset, which is expected to be the overclocked version of the Dimensity 9500.

For reference, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 is an 8-core chipset based on a 3nm process. The chipset was launched in September and powered the Vivo X300 series. The latest AnTuTu performance chart is topped by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with the RedMagic 11 Pro+ taking the number one spot with an average score of around 4.1M. Meanwhile, the Dimensity 9500-powered Vivo X300 Pro placed sixth with an average score of around 4M. Given the small performance gap, the overclocked version of the Dimensity 9500 could offer comparable flagship performance.

Beyond performance, the iQoo 15 Mini's key highlight will be its smaller form factor. It is said to feature a 6.31-inch display with a 1.5K resolution. The rest of the specifications remain a mystery. In one of the comments, the tipster also suggests it may have a "simpler" design, though no further details were provided.

Previous leaks have revealed that the iQoo 15 Mini may be released sometime in the first half of next year. Around that time, there are more compact phones expected to be launched, including the OnePlus 15T and Oppo Find X9s. While Oppo's device may focus more on imaging, the OnePlus 15T could be the iQoo 15 Mini's closest competitor, as it is also expected to be a compact performance-focused flagship with Qualcomm's top-end processor.