Xiaomi has an impressive software update policy for its devices, but even that has to come to an end sometime. It hurts more when popular devices reach the end of life (EOL), as that impacts a large group of people. Sadly, that time has arrived for the popular Xiaomi 12 series, which is now officially retiring from all kinds of software updates, including HyperOS updates and security patches.
As mentioned on the official security center page (via Xiaomi Time), the update cycle for the Xiaomi 12 series has finally concluded. That means it won’t receive HyperOS updates, security patches, or feature drops. Here’s a list of affected devices and their final HyperOS/Android OS versions.
Xiaomi 12: HyperOS 3.0 / Android 15
Xiaomi 12 Pro: HyperOS 3.0 / Android 15
Xiaomi 12 Lite: HyperOS 1.0 / Android 14
All three Xiaomi 12 models were launched with Android 12, but didn’t receive the same software support. Being premium models, the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro promised an extra OS upgrade over the Xiaomi 12 Lite. As a result, both are retiring with Android 15, while the Xiaomi 12 Lite will spend its life running Android 14.
Alongside the Xiaomi 12 series, the Redmi Note 12 5G has also been added to the EOL list. This smartphone launched with Android 12 and, after two OS upgrades, it now runs Android 14 with HyperOS 2.0 on top.
If your Xiaomi phone is on the list, it’s best to upgrade to go for a new hardware. That will receive the latest HyperOS updates with plenty of new features and enhancements, and security patches will ensure protection against the latest vulnerabilities.
You can still use your current device, though. It would work just fine, but without the latest security patches, you’re exposing it to new vulnerabilities. If you’re considering a smartphone upgrade, do check out our curated list of Xiaomi phones with the best software support.
To ensure you don’t miss out on the latest HyperOS stories, remember to visit the Xiaomi section on this website regularly. Alternatively, you can join us on Telegram to get instant notifications about the latest HyperOS updates and the biggest tech headlines.
OnePlus has wrapped up its OxygenOS 16 rollout and may already be developing the next major upgrade, OxygenOS 17, which would be based on Android 17. We can expect to see some major upgrades and a host of refinements across the UI, along with upgrades to security and privacy.
Unfortunately, many OnePlus devices will miss out on the OxygenOS 17 update, as they have already received the promised number of OS updates. We’ve prepared a list of such devices below. Review it to find out if you’re on the safe side or if you’ll need a newer device to receive this major upgrade.
List of OnePlus devices not eligible for OxygenOS 17 (Android 17) upgrade
OnePlus flagship series
OnePlus 11R
OnePlus 10R
OnePlus 10T
OnePlus 10 Pro
Older OnePlus flagship phones
OnePlus Nord series
OnePlus Nord 3
Older Nord phones
OnePlus Nord CE series
OnePlus Nord CE 4
OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite
Older Nord CE phones
OnePlus Pad series
OnePlus Pad
OnePlus Pad Go
Keep in mind that this is an unofficial list. However, since it’s based on the official update policy, we would hardly expect any difference. So, if your device is on the above list, it’s unlikely to be upgraded to OxygenOS 17. In that case, you may want to upgrade to a newer device that can stay relevant for years to come. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of OnePlus devices that promise six years of software updates.
As of writing this post, OnePlus hasn’t revealed anything about OxygenOS 17. However, Google has already released two public betas of Android 17, which is available to eligible Pixels and select Motorola devices. OnePlus should also join the beta party soon, likely with the OnePlus 15. The stable Android 17 could be released in Q3 2026 for Google Pixels, and will eventually start rolling out to OnePlus devices a few weeks later.
We’ll keep you updated with the latest OxygenOS updates in our OnePlus section. Visit it once in a while to get the fresh details. Alternatively, you can join our Telegram channel to get instant updates about software updates and breaking tech news.
Samsung has just released the Exynos 2600 with the Galaxy S26 series, and it feels like a real upgrade rather than just an annual refresh. The CPU now features all big cores, the GPU’s performance has improved dramatically, and the connectivity speed is just unmatched.
While the Exynos 2600 brings serious upgrades over the Exynos 2500, the real question is: how does it perform against its biggest rivals, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500? We’ll look at the spec sheet, benchmark numbers, and important differences to figure it out.
Here’s the spec sheet to begin with:
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Dimensity 9500
Exynos 2600
Announced
September 2025
September 2025
December 2025
Process node
3nm (TSMC)
3nm (TSMC)
2nm (Samsung)
CPU cores
8-core
8-core
10-core
CPU configuration
2 x 4.6 GHz (Oryon Gen 3 – Prime) 6 x 3.62 GHz (Oryon Gen 3 – Performance)
1 x 4.21 GHz (C1-Ultra) 3 x 3.5 GHz (C1-Premium) 4 x 2.7 GHz (C1-Pro)
1 x 3.8 GHz (C1-Ultra) 3 x 3.25 GHz (C1-Pro) 6 x 2.75 GHz (C1-Pro)
GPU
Adreno 840 ray tracing support Snapdragon Elite Gaming features
Immortalis Mali-G1 Ultra MP12 ray tracing support MediaTek HyperEngine Gaming Technology
Exynos Xclipse 960 GPU ray tracing support Exynos Neural Super Sampling Heat Path Block (HPB)
NPU
Qualcomm Hexagon NPU
MediaTek NPU 990
AI engine with 32K MAC NPU
Memory
LPDDR5X, up to 5.3 GHz
LPDDR5X, up to 5.3 GHz
LPDDR5X
Storage
UFS 4.1
UFS 4.1
UFS 4.1
Camera
Qualcomm Spectra Triple ISP (20-bit) up to 320MP single camera up to 108MP single camera (MFNR, ZSL, 30fps) up to 48MP triple cameras (MFNR, ZSL, 30fps) up to 4K/120fps video recording real-time semantic segmentation support
MediaTek Imagiq 1190 ISP up to 320MP single camera up to 8K video recording real-time semantic segmentation support
up to 320MP single camera up to 108MP single camera (30fps) up to 64MP+32MP dual cameras (30fps) up to 8K video recording real-time semantic segmentation support
Connectivity
Snapdragon X85 5G modem download speed: up to 12.5 Gbps upload speed: up to 3.7 Gbps Wi-Fi 7 (peak speed: 5.8 Gbps) Bluetooth 6.0
integrated 5G modem (3GPP R17) download speed: up to 7.4 Gbps Wi-Fi 7 (peak speed: 7.3 Gbps) Bluetooth 6.0
Exynos 5410 modem download speed: up to 14.79 Gbps upload speed: up to 4.9 Gbps Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 6.0
Quick verdict:
Choose Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 if you want the best overall performance, stronger gaming power, and the most complete flagship experience. Choose Dimensity 9500 if you care more about better gaming stability under heavy load and strong Wi-Fi 7 performance. Choose Exynos 2600 if you want a more balanced chip with solid everyday performance, strong memory results, and promising efficiency and connectivity upgrades.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Dimensity 9500 vs Exynos 2600: Benchmark numbers
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers the best result in the Geekbench CPU test. It scored 3725 points in the single-core test, which is about 7% higher than the Dimensity 9500 (3452 points) and about 22% higher than the Exynos 2600 (3040 points).
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Dimensity 9500
Exynos 2600
Single core
3,725
3,452
3,040
Multi core
11,318
10,128
10,290
In multi-core performance, however, the Exynos 2600 delivers a noticeably better score than the Dimensity 9500, scoring 10,290 points (vs. 10,128). The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is miles ahead of them with a total score of 11,318 points.
AnTuTu score
On the AnTuTu platform, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has scored close to 3.9 million points, putting it well ahead of the other two. The Dimensity 9500 scored 3.5 million, and the Exynos 2600 scored 3.2 million.
More important is the breakdown of the total score, which offers clearer insights. It shows a stronger CPU for the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which scored 1.16 million points, followed by the Exynos 2600 (1.06 million points) and the Dimensity 9500 (1.03 million points).
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Dimensity 9500
Exynos 2600
AnTuTu score
3,893,781
3,548,426
3,210,573
CPU
1,162,784
1,028,694
1,065,772
GPU
1,568,941
1,413,659
1,212,568
Memory
411,037
385,723
413,700
UX
751,019
720,349
518,533
The Snapdragon chip also scores the highest in the GPU test among the three chips, with a total of 1.56 million. The Dimensity 9500 is just behind it with 1.41 million score, while the gap widens with Exynos 2600, which has scored just 1.21 million points. Memory performance, however, favors the Exynos chip over the other two.
3DMark score
Wild Life Extreme performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 takes the top spot here as well with the best score of 7786. The Dimensity 9500 sits below it with 7,163 points, and then comes the Exynos 2600 with 7,061 points. However, the order changes in the low score.
The Dimensity 9500 surprises with the best low score of 4,092 points. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600 achieve a low score of 3,753 and 3,280, respectively. This results in better stability on Dimensity 9500.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Dimensity 9500
Exynos 2600
Best loop score
7,786
7,163
7,061
Lowest loop score
3,753
4,092
3,280
Stability
48.2%
57%
46.4%
According to benchmark results we’ve seen so far, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers much more promising CPU and GPU performance than the other two, while the competition between the Dimensity 9500 and Exynos 2600 is closer.
The benchmarks alone do not tell the full story; therefore, we’ve included a section below that discusses the camera, connectivity, and other important aspects.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Dimensity 9500 vs Exynos 2600: The differences you should know
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 were announced in September 2025, built using TSMC’s advanced 3nm process node. Three months later, the Exynos 2600 arrived as the world’s first mobile chipset to use the 2nm GAA process, offering enhanced efficiency and thermals.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers an 8-core CPU, featuring third-generation Oryon cores, while the Dimensity’s 8-core CPU includes ARM’s C1-Ultra, C1-Premium, and C1-Pro cores. Unlike them, the Exynos 2600 features a 10-core CPU comprising C1-Ultra and C1-Pro cores.
The Snapdragon chip offers the highest peak clocked speed of 4.6 GHz, while the Dimensity 9500 peaks at 4.21 GHz and the Exynos 2600 peaks at 3.8 GHz. This helps the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 achieve better performance during demanding tasks.
For graphics-intensive workloads, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 relies on the Adreno 840 GPU, which delivers excellent gaming performance and ray tracing capabilities. Plus, it comes with a full suite of Snapdragon Elite Gaming features to further enhance the gaming performance, stability, and battery efficiency.
The other two chips, the Dimensity 9500 and Exynos 2600, also deliver smooth gaming performance and support ray tracing. Plus, they integrate a range of features to improve the frame rate and the overall performance. Notably, the Exynos 2600 features Heat Path Block (HPB) for the first time on a mobile chipset, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 rely on phone-level passing cooling solutions, such as vapor chambers and graphite sheets.
AI and NPU
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 features a hexagon NPU with agentic AI capabilities, enabling a proactive, on-device AI assistant for a personalised experience. The Dimensity 9500 with MediaTek NPU 990 NPU also supports agentic AI, but it isn’t explicitly mentioned on the Exynos 2600 official page. However, the latter, with 32K MAC NPU, offers on-device inference, Visual Perception System for proactive camera AI, and Nota AI integration for enhanced offline processing.
Camera and connectivity
All three chips feature advanced triple ISPs with support for up to 320MP single camera, real-time semantic segmentation, and 8K video recording. The Snapdragon and Exynos chips also offer Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for lossless pro-level video capture and editing on smartphones.
On the connectivity side, there are several crucial differences. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Exynos 2600 have integrated 5G modems, while the Exynos 2600 uses an external modem for better manufacturing yields and improved power efficiency. Furthermore, the Exynos chip excels at peak upload and download speeds over a 5G connection, while the Dimensity 9500 offers the highest Wi-Fi 7 speeds. The Snapdragon chip benefits from a mature modem with superior carrier integration.
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