A couple of days remain before the Dimensity 9400 is officially announced, making it the first time that MediaTek will unveil a 3nm chipset. There are whispers doing the rounds earlier, claiming that the SoC’s unit price had increased by 20 percent, which would likely force phone manufacturers to adjust what they typically charge for their flagships. Fortunately, we might be in for a pleasant surprise because the first lineup’s starting price for the base model is revealed to be just $570, making it highly competitive. Then again, this is the lowest bracket, and when you attempt to get a more capable configuration, that total will rise exponentially.
The top-end variant of the upcoming Vivo X200 Pro sporting the Dimensity 9400 is said to retail for $883
A price sheet of the Vivo X200, X200 Pro mini, and the X200 Pro was shown by @JohnnyManuel_89 on X, with the list likely originating from China thanks to the watermark we noticed on the lower right corner. The base model featuring 12GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage is mentioned in the image below to retail for 3,999 yuan, which converts into roughly $570, making it quite affordable, especially considering that one of its internals includes a 3nm SoC. Of course, customers transitioning to the base model will have to deal with various compromises, so let us move to the higher-tier options.
The Vivo X200 Pro, which is probably the company’s most decked-out flagship, has the 16GB RAM and 1TB storage variant listed for 6,199 yuan, or approximately $883. If we perform a direct price comparison, the X200 Pro is still slightly cheaper than the iPhone 16 Pro, and you are not just getting upgraded RAM but also additional storage in return for more money. Now, these figures can have various reasons behind them, starting with MediaTek possibly giving Vivo an attractive discount on the Dimensity 9400 as it was reported to be one of the company’s first customers.
Alternatively, Vivo can charge consumers less in China, reducing its margins for higher volume. Given how unrelentlessly competitive this region is when it comes to smartphone sales, it is not surprising to see companies attempting to uncut one another to gain a market share edge. Even Apple, which dominates its rivals in other countries, was previously said to have introduced healthy discounts on various iPhone 15 models in China to increase its shipment tally. We would not be surprised to learn that MediaTek is charging less than Qualcomm to increase its grip in the global chipset market, but let us wait post-launch and see if we can learn about the pricing details.
News Source: @JohnnyManuel_89