A new chip from MediaTek has arrived at the edge of what phones can do: the Dimensity 9600 Pro, the first of the company's processors built on a 2nm process, carrying Arm's newly designed graphics unit and a pair of dedicated AI engines. It is a quiet reminder that each generation of mobile hardware carries forward the same bargain of more capability in less space, and that the bargain is only realized when makers choose to build their phones around it. Two manufacturers, Oppo and Vivo, have already committed their next flagships to the chip, while a companion model aimed at cheaper devices su
MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro Debuts as Its First 2nm Phone Chip, Headed to Oppo and Vivo Flagships
MediaTek's first 2nm phone chip has its first two flagship phones
Mark
Why does the 2nm detail matter so much here?
Mimi
Because it's the first time MediaTek has built a phone chip on that process. It's the milestone the whole announcement hangs on.
Luke
Worth noting that the reporting says it's 2nm, but gives no numbers on what that buys. No speed gain, no power saving.
Mark
And the two NPUs? What are they for?
Mimi
AI processing. The claim is more of it, and more efficiently, than before.
Luke
That's MediaTek's claim. There are no benchmarks in the reporting, so "more efficient" is unverified for now.
Mark
What about the cheaper 9600M?
Mimi
It's meant for lower-priced phones, so this generation's technology isn't limited to flagships.
Luke
We don't know its specs or which phones will carry it. Only that it exists and where it's aimed.
Mark
And the phones?
Mimi
Oppo's Find X10 Pro Max and Vivo's X500 Pro. Both companies have confirmed they'll use the 9600 Pro.
Luke
Confirmed chips, yes. Prices and release dates, no. That's the gap until the launches.
The Pulse
- MediaTek has stepped onto 2nm manufacturing for the first time with its phone silicon, raising the stakes in a race where every process jump is watched closely.
- Two NPUs are pitched as a leap in on-device AI, yet no benchmark or power figure has been published to confirm the claim.
- Oppo's Find X10 Pro Max and Vivo's X500 Pro are lined up as the first proving grounds, and their launches will test the chip's real-world strength.
- A companion 9600M aims to spread the same generation downward into cheaper phones, widening the field of play beyond flagships.
- Release dates, pricing, and independent performance results remain unannounced, leaving the chip's true standing still unsettled.
A new chip from MediaTek has arrived at the edge of what phones can do: the Dimensity 9600 Pro, the first of the company's processors built on a 2nm process, carrying Arm's newly designed graphics unit and a pair of dedicated AI engines. It is a quiet reminder that each generation of mobile hardware carries forward the same bargain of more capability in less space, and that the bargain is only realized when makers choose to build their phones around it. Two manufacturers, Oppo and Vivo, have already committed their next flagships to the chip, while a companion model aimed at cheaper devices suggests the technology will eventually reach far more hands than the premium few. Whether its promises of speed and efficiency hold up will be decided not in the announcement but in the devices people actually carry.
MediaTek has introduced the Dimensity 9600 Pro, and its headline is the manufacturing process: it is the company's first phone chip built on 2nm technology. It becomes the new top of the MediaTek mobile lineup, and the first phones to carry it have already been named.
The graphics come from Arm's new G2-Ultra NX GPU, paired with the processor. The chip also handles 4K video at 240 frames per second, aimed at high-resolution slow-motion recording.
The other key feature is a pair of NPUs, the blocks dedicated to AI workloads. MediaTek says two of them deliver more AI power and do so more efficiently. The source offers no figures on speed, power savings, or benchmarks, so these remain the company's own framing.
A companion chip, the 9600M, is intended for cheaper models, following the familiar pattern of letting a generation of technology reach more handsets. Its specifications were not detailed.
Oppo has said its Find X10 Pro Max will run the chip, and Vivo has confirmed the same for its X500 Pro. Those confirmations came as an update after the debut.
Still unknown are release dates, pricing, and how the chip performs in real devices. The first answers will likely come when those two phones launch and can be tested.
MediaTek has introduced the Dimensity 9600 Pro, and the headline detail is the manufacturing process: it is the company's first smartphone chip built on 2nm technology. That makes it the new top of MediaTek's mobile lineup, and the first phones to use it have already been named.
The graphics side of the chip is Arm's new G2-Ultra NX GPU, which MediaTek has paired with the processor. The chip also supports 4K video at 240 frames per second, a spec aimed at slow-motion recording at very high resolution.
The other notable piece of hardware is a pair of NPUs, the processing blocks dedicated to AI workloads. MediaTek's pitch is that having two of them delivers more AI processing power and does so more efficiently than before. The source does not say how much faster the chip is, how much power it saves, or what benchmarks it posts, so those claims remain MediaTek's framing rather than anything measured.
The Dimensity 9600 Pro does not arrive alone. It is joined by a companion chip, the 9600M, which is intended for cheaper models. That follows a familiar pattern of pairing a flagship part with a lower-priced sibling so the same generation of technology can reach more handsets. The details of the 9600M's specifications were not given in the material available.
Two phone makers have confirmed they will use the flagship chip. Oppo has said its Find X10 Pro Max will run on the Dimensity 9600 Pro, and Vivo has said the same about its X500 Pro. Those confirmations were added to the original report as an update after the chip's debut, which suggests the hardware commitments came out alongside or just after the announcement.
What remains open is the practical picture: release dates, pricing, and how the chip performs in real devices have not been stated. The first answers will likely come when Oppo's Find X10 Pro Max and Vivo's X500 Pro are formally launched and can be tested.
Notable Quotes
Oppo has said its Find X10 Pro Max will use the Dimensity 9600 Pro, as will Vivo's X500 Pro.— Oppo and Vivo, as reported by The Verge
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