MediaTek has officially unveiled its latest flagship mobile platform built on a 2nm process node, the Dimensity 9600 Pro, which succeeds the Dimensity 9500. It introduces upgrades across CPU performance, AI processing, graphics, imaging, connectivity, and power efficiency.
Alongside the flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro, MediaTek has also announced the Dimensity 9600M, a secondary platform designed to bring the company’s latest architecture to a wider range of devices. Both chipsets are expected to debut in commercial smartphones later this quarter.
CPU Architecture and Memory
The Dimensity 9600 Pro adopts an “All Big Core” CPU architecture featuring an octa-core 2+3+3 configuration. The high-performance cluster includes two Arm C2-Ultra cores clocked at up to 4.55GHz, with 2MB of L2 cache per core. The mid-performance cluster comprises three Arm C2-Pro cores running at up to 4.35GHz, each with 1MB of L2 cache, while the high-efficiency cluster features three additional Arm C2-Pro cores with a maximum clock speed of 3.1GHz and 512KB of L2 cache each.
The CPU is backed by 16MB of L3 cache and 10MB of System Level Cache (SLC), bringing the total cache pool to 34.5MB. MediaTek claims the new platform offers up to 17% higher single-core performance and 15% higher multi-core performance compared with the previous generation. It also reportedly reduces multi-core power consumption by up to 61%.
For memory and storage, the Dimensity 9600 Pro supports next-generation UFS 5.0 storage along with LPDDR6 and LPDDR5X memory running at speeds of up to 10,667 MT/s.
AI Processing
AI workloads on the Dimensity 9600 Pro are handled by a dual-NPU setup combined with MediaTek’s Dimensity Agentic AI Engine.
The primary MediaTek NPU 1090 is designed to run on-device large language models with up to 30 billion parameters. MediaTek claims it delivers a 51% improvement in LLM prefill performance and up to 55% higher token generation performance per watt.
The chipset also incorporates the Super Efficient NPU 2.0, which is designed to reduce power consumption by up to 40% during always-on perception workloads.
Graphics, Display and Camera
Graphics processing is handled by the Arm Mali-G2 Ultra NX GPU, which is claimed to deliver up to 27% higher peak performance while reducing peak power consumption by 24%. Ray-tracing performance has also improved by up to 18%.
The GPU works directly with the display controller and supports screens with resolutions up to WQHD+ at 180Hz. The platform also features Tri-port MIPI support designed for devices with tri-fold displays.
For multimedia, the Dimensity 9600 Pro supports BT.2020 colour pipeline output and hardware video decoding of up to 8K at 60fps. Supported codecs include VVC/H.266, HEVC, AVC, VP9 and AV1.
Video encoding is supported at up to 8K60 in 8-bit HEVC, or 8K30 in 10-bit HEVC and AVC.
The imaging system is powered by the Imagiq 1290 ISP, which supports camera sensors with resolutions of up to 200MP and a 17EV dynamic range pipeline.
Video recording capabilities include 8K at 60fps, 4K at 60fps with 96dB HDR and content-aware semantic processing, 4K at 120fps with electronic image stabilisation (EIS), and native 4K slow-motion recording at 240fps.
Connectivity and Networking
The integrated modem supports 3GPP Release 17 standards across Sub-6GHz (FR1) 5G networks as well as legacy cellular technologies.
The chipset supports 5-carrier aggregation (5CC) on downlinks with bandwidth of up to 350MHz and 2-carrier aggregation (2CC) on uplinks with bandwidth of up to 200MHz. It also supports 5G/4G Triple SIM Triple Active (TSTA) functionality.
For wireless connectivity, the Dimensity 9600 Pro features Wi-Fi 7 with Triple Band Triple Concurrency (TBTC), offering peak speeds of up to 7.3Gbps.
Bluetooth 6.2 is supported through a dual Bluetooth engine with throughput of up to 12Mbps. The platform also supports positioning across major satellite navigation systems and dual- or multi-frequency bands, including GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and NavIC.
Hardware Specifications
| Component | MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro Specification |
|---|---|
| Process Node | 2nm |
| CPU Architecture | 8-core (2+3+3): 2x Arm C2-Ultra (4.55 GHz) + 3x Arm C2-Pro (4.35 GHz) + 3x Arm C2-Pro (3.1 GHz) |
| CPU Cache | 2x 2MB L2 + 3x 1MB L2 + 3x 512KB L2, 16MB L3 cache, 10MB SLC (34.5MB total) |
| Memory | LPDDR6 10667 / LPDDR5X 10667 |
| Storage | UFS 5.0 |
| NPU | Dual NPU: MediaTek NPU 1090 + Super Efficient NPU 2.0 |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G2 Ultra NX |
| Display Support | Up to WQHD+ at 180Hz; Tri-port MIPI for tri-fold displays; Rec. 2020 color pipeline |
| Camera (ISP) | Up to 200MP sensor; Imagiq 1290; 17EV HDR |
| Video Capture | 8K at 60fps, 4K at 60fps HDR, 4K at 120fps (EIS), 4K at 240fps slow-motion |
| Video Playback | 8K at 60fps 10-bit decode (VVC, HEVC, AVC, VP9, AV1); 8K at 60fps 8-bit encode (HEVC) |
| Cellular Modem | 3GPP Release 17 5G Sub-6GHz, 5CC DL (350MHz), 2CC UL (200MHz), Triple SIM Triple Active |
| Wireless / BT | Wi-Fi 7 (up to 7.3 Gbps, TBTC), Bluetooth 6.2 (dual-engine, up to 12 Mbps) |
| GNSS | Multi-band GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC |
Dimensity 9600M Companion Platform
MediaTek has also previewed the Dimensity 9600M, positioning it as a high-performance alternative to its flagship Dimensity 9600 Pro platform. The chipset retains several key technologies from the new platform family, including the Dimensity Agentic AI Engine, Dimensity Scheduling Engine, display support of up to 185 fps, and HyperEngine gaming optimizations.
Both the Dimensity 9600 Pro and Dimensity 9600M are expected to make their way into commercial smartphones over the coming quarter.
MediaTek Dimensity 9600M Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU Configuration | Octa-core (1+3+4): 1x Arm C1-Ultra (2MB L2 cache), 3x Arm C1-Premium (1MB L2 cache each), 4x Arm C1-Pro (512KB L2 cache each) |
| System Cache | 16MB L3 cache, 10MB System Level Cache |
| Memory | LPDDR5X 10667 |
| Storage | UFS 4.1 (4-lane) |
| AI Processing | MediaTek NPU 990 (Generative AI, Agentic AI) |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G1 Ultra MC12 |
| Display | Up to WQHD+ at 180Hz; Tri-port MIPI for tri-fold displays |
| Camera (ISP) | Up to 320MP sensor |
| Video Capture | 8K at 60fps (7680 x 4320), 4K at 120fps (EIS), 4K at 60fps cinematic mode |
| Video Playback | 8K at 60fps 10-bit decode (HEVC, AVC, VP9, AV1); 8K at 60fps 8-bit encode (HEVC); 8K at 30fps 10-bit encode (HEVC/AVC) |
| Cellular Modem | 3GPP Release 17 Sub-6GHz (FR1); 5CC DL (350MHz); 2CC UL (200MHz); Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) |
| Wi-Fi & Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 7 (up to 7.3 Gbps, TBTC); Bluetooth 6.0 with dual Bluetooth engine (up to 12 Mbps) |
| GNSS | GPS (L1CA+L5+L1C), BeiDou (B1I+B1C+B2a+B2b), GLONASS (L1OF), Galileo (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1CA+L5), NavIC (L5+L1) |
Availability
vivo will be the first smartphone brand to feature the Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset, with the upcoming vivo X500 Pro set to use the flagship SoC. The standard vivo X500, meanwhile, will be powered by the Dimensity 9600M. Both smartphones are scheduled to be introduced on September 21st.
The Dimensity 9600 Pro will also power the OPPO Find X10 Pro Max. The smartphone will be part of the Find X10 series, which is scheduled to launch on September 22nd.
