MediaTek has officially confirmed that it will launch its next-generation flagship mobile processor on September 22, 2025, just one day ahead of Qualcomm’s much-anticipated Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 debut. The back-to-back launch dates highlight the intensifying rivalry between the Taiwanese and American chipmakers in the premium smartphone processor market.

While MediaTek has not disclosed the official name of the chip, industry insiders and leaks strongly suggest it will be called the Dimensity 9500, following the Dimensity 9400 introduced last year. The Dimensity 9400 currently powers high-end devices such as the Oppo Find X8 Pro but was still considered a step behind Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite in terms of raw performance.

Early Benchmark Results Show Promise

According to recent Geekbench listings, the upcoming Dimensity 9500 has already demonstrated impressive performance gains. The chip reportedly powers an upcoming Oppo flagship, believed to be the Oppo Find X9 Pro, achieving a single-core score of 3,394. In comparison, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 scored 2,860 in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, while the Oppo Find X8 Pro with Dimensity 9400 recorded 2,648. If these early numbers hold true, MediaTek may finally have an edge over Qualcomm in raw processing power, at least in single-core performance.

Built on Advanced TSMC Technology

The Dimensity 9400 was manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process, the same node that will be used for the Dimensity 9500 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. However, MediaTek has gone one step further by confirming it has successfully tested the next-generation 2nm process technology, which will likely feature in its future processors.

The new 2nm process debuts a nanosheet transistor structure, offering significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency while also promising better yields during production. Although users won’t see 2nm-based MediaTek chips in smartphones immediately, the announcement underscores the company’s readiness for the next leap in semiconductor technology.

https://x.com/MediaTek/status/1968112476865646797

Rising Competition in the 2nm Race

While MediaTek looks to leverage TSMC’s cutting-edge process nodes, reports suggest Samsung is also preparing to launch its Exynos 2600 on its own 2nm process. The Exynos 2600 is expected to debut in Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Pro and S26 Edge models next year. This sets the stage for a three-way competition among MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Samsung in the flagship mobile chipset space.

What to Expect Next

As the official reveal approaches, all eyes are on MediaTek to see if the Dimensity 9500 can finally outshine Qualcomm’s elite offerings in real-world performance and efficiency. With smartphone makers like Oppo already gearing up to adopt the chip, the September 22 launch could mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle for supremacy in mobile computing.