MediaTek announced the Dimensity 9600 Pro on September 15, 2026, positioning it as a flagship smartphone platform built around a 2 nm design. The chip combines an eight-core all-big-core CPU, dual neural-processing units, LPDDR6 memory support, UFS 5.0 storage and an Arm Mali-G2 Ultra NX GPU. Phones using the platform are expected later in 2026.
What MediaTek announced
The Dimensity 9600 Pro is a smartphone system-on-chip rather than a retail phone. Its main change is an architecture aimed at concentrating performance across all eight CPU cores instead of separating them into conventional performance and efficiency groups.
The CPU uses a 2+3+3 arrangement:
- Two Arm C2-Ultra cores can reach up to 4.55 GHz.
- Three Arm C2-Pro cores can reach up to 4.35 GHz.
- Three more Arm C2-Pro cores can reach up to 3.10 GHz.
MediaTek lists 16 MB of L3 cache and 10 MB of system-level cache. The platform also supports LPDDR6 10667 and LPDDR5X 10667 memory, as well as UFS 5.0 storage.
| Platform feature | Dimensity 9600 Pro |
| Process design | 2 nm |
| CPU | Eight cores in a 2+3+3 all-big-core layout |
| CPU architecture | 2× Arm C2-Ultra; 6× Arm C2-Pro |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G2 Ultra NX |
| Memory | LPDDR6 10667 and LPDDR5X 10667 |
| Storage | UFS 5.0 |
| Neural processing | MediaTek NPU 1090 and Super Efficient NPU 2.0 |
| Connectivity | 5G Advanced, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.2 |
Performance claims from MediaTek
MediaTek says the Dimensity 9600 Pro delivers 17% higher single-core performance and 15% higher multi-core performance than its previous flagship generation. It also claims 37% better single-core power efficiency and 61% better multi-core power efficiency.
For graphics, the company claims 27% higher peak GPU performance, 24% better power efficiency at peak performance and up to 18% faster ray tracing. The Arm Mali-G2 Ultra NX also supports native gameplay above 185 frames per second, although the result in a finished phone will depend on the game, display, cooling system, firmware and handset configuration.
These figures are MediaTek’s platform claims rather than independent results from retail phones. A chip can provide the underlying capability, but sustained performance still depends heavily on the phone built around it.
Local AI, graphics and video
The Dimensity 9600 Pro pairs the MediaTek NPU 1090 with the Super Efficient NPU 2.0. The first is designed for demanding on-device generative and agentic workloads, while the second handles lower-power, always-on AI scheduling.
MediaTek claims 51% faster large-language-model prefill and 55% more token generation per watt compared with the previous generation. It also lists 40% faster LLM token generation and 27% faster on-device AI model launch speed.
The software stack includes the Dimensity Agentic AI Engine, AI Compute Fusion Architecture and Neural Graphics Architecture. Those tools are intended to let smartphone makers build local AI features, but the models and applications available on a particular phone will depend on its memory configuration and software.
The Imagiq imaging platform supports camera sensors up to 200 megapixels, 8K video at 60 frames per second, 4K video at 120 frames per second with electronic stabilization and 4K slow motion at 240 frames per second. It also supports WQHD+ displays at up to 180 Hz and tri-port MIPI connectivity for tri-fold displays.
Those are capabilities available at the SoC level. A manufacturer still decides which camera sensors, recording modes, display options and AI functions appear in a finished device.
Connectivity for future flagship phones
The integrated modem supports 5G Advanced and sub-6 GHz aggregation across up to five carriers and 350 MHz, with MediaTek listing download speeds above 7.4 Gbps. The platform also supports Wi-Fi 7 with triple-band triple concurrency at up to 7.3 Gbps and Bluetooth 6.2 at up to 12 Mbps.
Actual network performance will vary with operator support, infrastructure, antennas, firmware and local certification. The silicon supplies the platform, not a universal speed guarantee.
Dimensity 9600M joins the announcement
MediaTek also announced the Dimensity 9600M on September 15. The 9600M uses a 3 nm design, placing it below the 2 nm Dimensity 9600 Pro within the new flagship-focused announcement.
The two-chip launch gives MediaTek a broader platform range for upcoming premium Android phones. Smartphone makers will determine which models use each chip and how the underlying capabilities are exposed to buyers.
When will phones arrive?
The first commercial smartphones using the Dimensity 9600 Pro are expected later in 2026. The platform announcement does not itself identify a finished handset; availability, specifications and software features will arrive through individual smartphone manufacturers.
Until those phones reach the market, the Dimensity 9600 Pro remains a powerful-looking platform specification sheet—with its real battery life, sustained gaming performance and everyday AI behavior still tied to the hardware and software choices of each device maker.
