MediaTek has unveiled its new flagship smartphone processor, the Dimensity 9600 Pro, marking a major step forward in mobile chip technology. The new chipset is built using TSMC's advanced 2nm manufacturing process and is designed to deliver improved performance and more powerful on-device artificial intelligence capabilities.

The company has also introduced the Dimensity 9600M, which uses a 3nm process and is aimed at a broader range of premium smartphones.

First MediaTek Chip Built on 2nm Technology

The Dimensity 9600 Pro is MediaTek's first smartphone processor manufactured using TSMC's 2nm process. Smaller chip manufacturing processes can allow manufacturers to pack more transistors into a chip while improving efficiency and performance.

MediaTek is positioning the new processor as a direct competitor in the premium smartphone segment, where chipmakers are increasingly focusing on AI performance alongside traditional CPU and GPU capabilities.

AI Performance Gets a Major Upgrade

One of the biggest highlights of the Dimensity 9600 Pro is its focus on generative AI running directly on smartphones.

According to MediaTek, the processor's neural processing unit delivers a 51% improvement in on-device generative AI performance compared with its predecessor. This could benefit AI-powered features such as image processing, content generation and other applications that can run directly on the phone rather than relying entirely on cloud servers.

Dimensity 9600M Also Announced

Alongside the flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro, MediaTek has introduced the Dimensity 9600M.

Unlike the Pro model, the 9600M is manufactured using TSMC's 3nm process and is intended for a wider range of high-end smartphones. This gives smartphone manufacturers another option for devices positioned below the most premium flagship tier.

Which Phones Will Get These Chips?

MediaTek says smartphones powered by the new processors will launch soon.

The company has previously supplied flagship chipsets to major smartphone manufacturers including Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo, and the new chips are expected to appear in upcoming premium devices from smartphone brands.

However, specific smartphone models using the Dimensity 9600 Pro and Dimensity 9600M have not all been confirmed yet.

Why 2nm Chips Matter for Smartphones

The move to 2nm manufacturing is significant because smartphone manufacturers are trying to deliver more powerful AI features without dramatically increasing power consumption.

As AI becomes a bigger part of smartphone cameras, assistants, editing tools and everyday applications, processors need to handle increasingly demanding workloads efficiently.

The Dimensity 9600 Pro shows how the smartphone industry is moving beyond simply improving processor speed. Future flagship phones are increasingly being designed around a combination of performance, power efficiency and dedicated AI processing.