Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset debuts on TSMC 2nm with ARM C2 cores

MediaTek has announced the Dimensity 9600 Pro, its first 2nm flagship chipset, built on TSMC’s 2nm process with ARM C2 cores. The chip packs 33 billion transistors and MediaTek claims a 14% power gain over 3nm, making power efficiency the main story alongside higher-end performance for premium Android phones.

The Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset is set to debut on TSMC’s advanced 2nm process, bringing a major efficiency and performance upgrade. The Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset is also expected to feature next-generation ARM C2 cores, which could deliver faster processing, improved power efficiency, and stronger performance for upcoming flagship smartphones.

That matters because flagship Android phones are being asked to do more without draining the battery as quickly. The Dimensity 9600 Pro is designed for that balance, with a 2+3+3 CPU layout aimed at top-tier devices that want fast daily performance, stronger gaming, and more room for on-device AI.

LPDDR6 memory support and UFS 5.0 storage speed land first

MediaTek says the Dimensity 9600 Pro is the first mobile platform to support LPDDR6 memory support and UFS 5.0 storage speed. In practical terms, that points to faster data movement between memory, storage, and the rest of the chip, which should help with app launches and heavier multitasking.

The company also says sequential reads and writes are doubled compared with dual-channel UFS 4.0. That is a notable claim for next-wave flagships, since storage speed can be a quiet bottleneck when phones are juggling large apps, high-resolution media, and background tasks at the same time.

For buyers, the main takeaway is simple. These specifications are not about a single flashy benchmark. They are the sort of platform-level upgrades that usually show up in everyday responsiveness, especially on premium Android phones that are expected to stay quick under load.

G2-Ultra NX GPU and on-device AI models push the premium pitch

The graphics side is led by the new G2-Ultra NX GPU, which MediaTek rates for 27% higher peak performance and 18% better ray tracing. The chip is also said to support up to 185fps gaming, which puts a clear emphasis on high-refresh mobile gaming as one of the headline use cases.

On the AI side, the Dimensity 9600 Pro includes a dual-NPU setup tuned for on-device AI models of up to 30 billion parameters. That suggests MediaTek is preparing the chip for the growing number of phone features that run locally, rather than relying fully on cloud processing.

That combination of graphics and AI support places the launch squarely in the premium category. It is aimed at flagship Android phones expected later this year, especially devices that need to handle gaming, camera processing, and AI-driven features without giving up battery efficiency.

There is also a wider competitive angle here. By moving to 2nm and adding support for LPDDR6 and UFS 5.0, MediaTek is pushing harder against Qualcomm and Apple in the high-end mobile race. The specs do not tell the full story yet, but they do show where the company wants to compete next.

What stands out most is the balance MediaTek is trying to strike. The Dimensity 9600 Pro is not being positioned as only a speed chip or only an efficiency chip. It is trying to be both, with enough headroom for premium phones that need stronger gaming, faster storage, and more capable on-device AI in one package.