OPPO's next ultimate camera phone may give MediaTek a shot at the top

OPPO could be planning a big change for its next flagship camera.The upcoming Find X10 Ultra is reportedly being tested with MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro, a move that would take the Ultra series away from Qualcomm’s top-tier Snapdragon chips. But don’t write off Qualcomm just yet. Another configuration with Snapdragon silicon is said to be in development as well, and it may still be the one that hits the market.The latest news comes from Weibo tipster Smart Pikachu, who says that OPPO is testing the Dimensity 9600 Pro alongside custom imaging algorithms. The algorithms are said to be designed to work with OPPO’s Lumo True Image Engine, which is an indication that the company wants to hold onto its camera-processing abilities no matter what chip it ultimately settles on.The potential switch makes sense on paper. The Dimensity 9600 Pro is built on TSMC’s 2nm process and consists of two C2-Ultra cores running at up to 4.55GHz and six performance cores. OPPO has already confirmed this processor for the Find X10 Pro Max, so it’s a natural fit for the Ultra.But Smart Pikachu says the version running on Snapdragon, which is going to be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, is now more likely to come.But there’s more to this phone than just its processor. Leaks in the past suggest an ambitious camera setup, including a 200MP main camera with a 1/1.12-inch sensor and LOFIC technology, a second 200MP periscope telephoto camera, and a 50MP periscope lens that offers 10x optical zoom. There are also said to be plans for a front camera with 100MP.If OPPO opts for MediaTek, the Find X10 Ultra and Find X10 Pro Max could share the same flagship SoC. That would put the pressure on OPPO to differentiate its more expensive Ultra model based on its camera hardware and imaging capabilities, rather than raw chipset specs.Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of AndroidThe Find X10 Ultra is expected to be released in China in the first half of 2027. OPPO has not confirmed the handset or its final hardware configuration yet, so there is still plenty of time for plans to change. Qualcomm has the edge for now, but MediaTek has earned a seat at the table.