MediaTek has unveiled its latest flagship smartphone processor, the Dimensity 9600 Pro, joining Apple and Samsung in using a 2nm manufacturing process for high-end mobile chips. The company is positioning the new processor as a major step forward for on-device artificial intelligence, gaming, photography and power efficiency.
The Dimensity 9600 Pro is designed for flagship smartphones that increasingly need to handle demanding AI features directly on the device. MediaTek says the processor can support complex, multi-step AI workloads without relying as heavily on cloud-based processing, potentially improving responsiveness while also helping protect user data.
A new Dimensity flagship is taking off soon. Pro Chip. Pro Experience. 🚀 ✅ Pro Efficiency Advanced process | DTCO co-optimization | Redesigned architecture ✅ Pro Gaming AI-enhanced graphics | Upgraded HyperEngine | Immersive ray tracing ✅ Pro Imaging 4K 240fps ultra slow motion | Pro-grade creative capabilities More Pro-level innovations arrive September 15. #2026DimensityFlagship
— MediaTek (@MediaTek) September 8, 2026
A major focus on power efficiency and performance
One of the most significant claims about the Dimensity 9600 Pro is its reduced power consumption. MediaTek says the new chip can deliver a 61% reduction in multi-core power draw compared with its previous-generation flagship processor. If realised in consumer devices, the improvement could help smartphones achieve longer battery life without requiring significantly larger batteries.
The processor uses an eight-core CPU design consisting of two high-performance cores running at up to 4.55GHz, supported by six additional performance-focused cores. This combination is intended to balance processing speed and energy efficiency, particularly when smartphones handle sustained workloads.
Performance has also received an upgrade. MediaTek says the Dimensity 9600 Pro offers 17% faster single-core performance and 15% faster multi-core performance than the previous generation. Those gains could translate into faster application launches, smoother multitasking and improved responsiveness during demanding tasks.
The company has also introduced LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage support to its smartphone platform for the first time. Both technologies are intended to increase the speed at which data can be transferred between storage, memory and the processor. This is particularly important as more sophisticated AI models are processed locally rather than sent to remote servers.
On-device AI takes centre stage
Artificial intelligence is central to MediaTek’s strategy for the Dimensity 9600 Pro. The processor includes the company’s new NPU 1090, which MediaTek says can run AI models containing up to 30 billion parameters directly on a smartphone.
The capability aims to enable more advanced AI assistants and personalised features that can operate locally. MediaTek has described the concept as “digital twin”-style assistants, suggesting future phones could use on-device AI to understand users and respond to their needs without relying on cloud services.
The processor also includes a second NPU designed specifically for efficiency. MediaTek claims this component can cut power consumption from always-on AI processing by 40%. Such improvements could become increasingly important as smartphone manufacturers add AI features that operate continuously in the background.
The emphasis on local processing also reflects a wider shift in the smartphone industry. As AI becomes more deeply integrated into mobile operating systems and applications, processors need to handle larger models while keeping energy consumption under control. The Dimensity 9600 Pro is designed around that balance rather than focusing solely on traditional CPU performance.
Gaming and camera capabilities get an upgrade
Gaming is another area where MediaTek is promising substantial improvements. The Dimensity 9600 Pro features a new GPU that the company says can deliver console-grade graphics at frame rates of up to 185 frames per second. Peak GPU performance is claimed to be 27% higher than the previous generation, while peak power consumption is reportedly 24% lower.
Those figures could let manufacturers offer higher graphical quality without putting as much strain on smartphone batteries. Sustained gaming performance will ultimately depend on individual phone designs, including cooling systems and software optimisation, but the more efficient architecture could provide manufacturers with additional headroom for demanding games.
Photography and video recording are also receiving new capabilities through MediaTek’s Imagiq 1290 image signal processor. The ISP supports 4K video recording at up to 240 frames per second, enabling extremely slow-motion footage on compatible smartphones.
MediaTek is also claiming support for up to 17 stops of dynamic range. A wider dynamic range can help preserve detail in scenes containing both very bright and very dark areas, potentially giving smartphone cameras greater flexibility in challenging lighting conditions.
The Dimensity 9600 Pro will not be the only member of the new family. MediaTek has also announced a more affordable Dimensity 9600M variant, expanding the platform beyond the highest-end flagship segment. The company expects smartphones using the new processors to arrive this quarter.
Several upcoming devices are rumoured to use the new chipset, including the Vivo X500 Pro Max and Oppo Find X10 Pro Max. However, smartphone manufacturers have not necessarily confirmed all of those reports, meaning final device specifications and launch details may differ.
With the Dimensity 9600 Pro, MediaTek becomes the latest major chipmaker to bring 2nm manufacturing to flagship smartphones, following Samsung’s Exynos 2600 and Apple’s A20 Pro. The combination of higher performance, substantially lower claimed power consumption, and stronger on-device AI capabilities could make the new processor an important platform for the next generation of premium Android phones.
