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| The Redmi K90 Pro Max. |
Remember the powerhouse Redmi K90 series that dropped just last year? If you thought that was impressive, buckle up. The rumor mill is already churning out some tantalizing details about its successor, the Redmi K100 series, and it looks like Xiaomi is gearing up for another flagship-killer showdown.
While the K90 and K90 Pro Max made waves in October 2025, our attention is now firmly fixed on the future. Thanks to an exclusive report from the trusted tipsters at XiaomiTime, we now have our first concrete clues about the next generation.
Meet "Athens" and "Songyuan": The K100's First Identities
According to the detailed report, the standard Redmi K100 is internally codenamed "Athens" and bears the model number Q11. Its more potent sibling, the Redmi K100 Pro Max, goes by the codename "Songyuan" with the model number Q11X.
These codenames offer our first glimpse into Xiaomi's development labs, though what inspired "Athens" and "Songyuan" remains a mystery for now. For a deeper dive into this initial leak, you can check out the full exclusive report over at XiaomiTime.
The Heart of the Matter: Snapdragon Power Inside
As expected, the report confirms both devices will be fueled by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. The Redmi K series has a well-established pattern: the base model often harnesses a slightly older (but still incredibly powerful) flagship chip, while the Pro Max variant gets the absolute latest and greatest.
To jog your memory, the Redmi K90 ran on the Snapdragon 8 Elite, while the K90 Pro Max boasted the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. If history holds—and it almost always does with Redmi—we can expect the Redmi K100 to potentially use a Gen 5 chip, with the K100 Pro Max jumping to a next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 or similar. This strategy allows Xiaomi to offer blistering performance at multiple price points.
Global Launch Plans: Hello, Poco F9 Series!
Here's where things get interesting for international fans. The Redmi K series typically sees a China debut in the final quarter of the year (think October-November 2026 for the K100). Shortly after, these devices almost always make their global debut under Xiaomi's aggressive sub-brand, Poco.
This rebranding pattern is almost a certainty. Therefore, we can confidently expect:
- The Redmi K100 to launch globally as the Poco F9 Pro.
- The Redmi K100 Pro Max to arrive as the Poco F9 Ultra.
This mirrors the path of the K90 series, which became the stellar Poco F8 Pro and F8 Ultra in markets outside China.
The Bottom Line: The 2026 Flagship Killer Contender is Taking Shape
While it's still early days, and official specs, camera details, and design are under wraps, this leak gives us a solid foundation. The confirmation of development codenames and model numbers signals that the Redmi K100 series is firmly in the pipeline.
If Xiaomi continues its tradition of packing top-tier specs into a value-focused package, the K100 lineup—and its global Poco counterparts—could once again redefine the "flagship-killer" category in late 2026. We'll be keeping our ears to the ground for more leaks, so stay tuned!
Source: XiaomiTime