Prime Highlights
- MediaTek launches the Dimensity 9600 Pro, its first mobile chip built on TSMC’s 2-nanometre process.
- The company also unveils the Dimensity 9600M on TSMC’s 3-nanometre process for the broader flagship segment.
Key Facts
- The 9600 Pro’s neural processing unit delivers a 51% gain in prompt processing speed.
- MediaTek raised $3.9 billion in a convertible bond sale backed by Nvidia and Alphabet.
Background
MediaTek has unveiled a new smartphone chip built on TSMC’s most advanced manufacturing technology, targeting the premium handset market with processors capable of running more AI features directly on the device.
The Taiwanese company said the Dimensity 9600 Pro marks its first mobile processor built using TSMC’s cutting edge 2-nanometre process, while a companion chip, the Dimensity 9600M, uses TSMC’s 3-nanometre process and targets a broader segment of the flagship smartphone market.
The launch forms part of a wider push to gain ground on U.S. rival Qualcomm in premium phones, where higher prices and AI features offer chipmakers stronger margins. Smartphones powered by both chips will launch soon, and MediaTek has previously supplied chips to Chinese handset makers including Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.
The 9600 Pro carries a dedicated neural processing unit that handles more complex generative AI applications on the phone itself, delivering a 51% improvement over the prior generation in processing prompts before an AI model begins responding.
JC Hsu, corporate senior vice president at MediaTek, said the company is working closely with handset makers to help keep costs manageable for consumers as strong AI-driven demand drives momentum across the supply chain, while pointing to continued room to grow the company’s share of the flagship segment as industry-wide pricing rises.
MediaTek has also been expanding into data-centre and custom-chip products, with its first AI accelerator for a major U.S. cloud provider expected to enter mass production soon. The company recently raised $3.9 billion through a convertible bond sale that drew investment from Nvidia and Alphabet.