MediaTek has unveiled the Dimensity 7450 and Dimensity 7450X, direct successors to last year's Dimensity 7400 lineup. These aren't generational upgrades though — they're refreshes, as the naming itself suggests. The company is positioning these chips for mid-range devices launching in the coming months.

The processing architecture remains unchanged from the previous generation. Both chipsets use the same octa-core setup: four Cortex-A78 cores running at 2.6 GHz paired with four Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0 GHz, alongside the Mali-G615 MC2 GPU. The only meaningful spec improvement is a 7% boost in AI performance, which MediaTek says shows particular gains in photography-related tasks.

Connectivity represents the main upgrade here. The new chips ditch the 5G R16 modem for a newer 5G R17 solution, delivering better power efficiency and improved performance through 3CC carrier aggregation. The R17 modem also handles network recovery faster when exiting dead zones, with a 20% performance boost when users are in transit. The Dimensity 7450X differentiates itself by supporting dual-display setups, making it suitable for budget foldable smartphones.