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The Redmi K series has been following a predictable rhythm for years – launching in China in October and rebranding for the global market under the POCO brand shortly after. The K100 series seems to follow the same pattern, with two separate devices appearing in numerous leaks. The standard K100 and Pro Max models are not the same phone in different sizes. They are targeting different chipsets and price points.
Two models have been confirmed: Redmi K100 (codenamed “Athens”, model Q11) and Redmi K100 Pro Max (codenamed “Songyuan”, model Q11X) with separate chipsets for each. The K100 is based on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: the standard model continues the K-series approach of using the top chip of the previous generation at a more affordable price.
K100 Pro Max is based on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro (SM8975): The 2-nanometer chip with support for LPDDR6 RAM is a higher-level variant rather than the standard Gen 6. 200MP camera for Pro Max: A Digital Chat Station insider reported a 200MP 1/1.28-inch primary sensor along with a 50MP periscope telephoto lens. It is expected to launch in China in October 2026, with global versions expected to be released as POCO F9 Pro (K100) and POCO F9 Ultra (K100 Pro Max) in the first quarter of 2027.
The Redmi K100, internally codenamed “Athens,” is rumored to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same processor found in the current Redmi K90 Pro Max and a growing number of 2026 Chinese flagships. This is not a disadvantage. The K-series has always positioned the standard model as a high-performance phone with a favorable price, not as a pursuit of extreme performance. Differences from the K90 generation are likely to include improvements to the display and battery, although there are no specific leaks about this model yet. The company hasn’t confirmed anything about the standard K100, except for its codename and model number.
The Pro Max is a headset device. A Digital Chat Station insider posted a leak on Weibo confirming that the device, identified by several sources as the K100 Pro Max, is currently being tested with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro (SM8975). The difference from the standard Gen 6 is significant: the Pro version is the only top-end Qualcomm 2026 chip to be confirmed to support LPDDR6 RAM, which roughly doubles peak memory bandwidth compared to LPDDR5X. Combined with a UFS 5.0 drive with a capacity of up to 1TB, the memory subsystem alone represents a step between generations.
DCS has noted that camera tweaks won’t be a major feature – the focus is described as “core performance and an updated display experience” rather than shooting. That said, a separate early leak from the same source pointed to a three-camera system, led by a 200MP 1/1.28-inch primary sensor, as well as a 50MP ultra-wide-angle and 50MP periscope telephoto lens. These two leaks from DCS are not necessarily contradictory: “no significant camera upgrade” relative to the leaders in the mobile photography market does not mean no 200MP sensor.
A price leak from the same Chinese source indicates that the K100 Pro Max will start at around $725 at current exchange rates. This is considerably more expensive than the K90 Pro Max and reflects the premium nature of the processor inside. Globally, the rebranding scheme of the previous generations of the K series indicates that the K100 will become the POCO F9 Pro and the K100 Pro Max will become the POCO F9 Ultra, with an international launch window in the first quarter of 2027.
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