MediaTek Takes the 2nm Fight to Qualcomm

A new competitor is entering the flagship smartphone market. MediaTek has launched the Dimensity 9600 Pro, becoming the first company to introduce a mobile processor that is based on the 2nm technology of TSMC. In addition to that, MediaTek has released the Dimensity 9600M, which is made using the 3nm process.

The new flagship processor 9600 will enable MediaTek to join the ranks of the next-generation battle. Qualcomm is ready to launch its 2nm processor, so there will be a close fight ahead for smartphones.

The move to 2nm is more than a smaller number on a specification sheet. TSMC’s N2P technology can improve performance while reducing power consumption compared with the previous generation. MediaTek previously said the process could deliver up to 18% higher performance at the same power or around 36% lower power at the same speed.

On Device AI Becomes the Real Battlefield

However, MediaTek is looking beyond simply increasing performance. The Dimensity 9600 Pro chip has a dedicated Neural Processing Unit that will allow running more complex AI models on smartphones right out of the box.

As MediaTek claims, its new NPU offers 51% higher prompt processing speed than the previous generation. This might improve performance of locally running AI services without relying on cloud resources.

For you, this could eventually mean smarter assistants, quicker image processing and more capable AI tools on your phone.

Our Take

We see MediaTek’s 2nm push as an important step for the smartphone market. Stronger competition can give manufacturers more options when designing flagship devices. It could also push both MediaTek and Qualcomm to improve performance, efficiency and AI capabilities faster.

You should not expect every 2nm phone to become dramatically faster overnight. The real impact will depend on how manufacturers use these chips and how much of the improved efficiency reaches everyday devices.

MediaTek says smartphones powered by its new chips are coming soon, with Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo among the companies using its platforms.

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