- 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources
- 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain
- 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence
- 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence
- 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources
50%
Plausible
The Dimensity 9600 appears to be MediaTek’s only flagship SoC that is scheduled to launch in 2026, and with the Taiwanese fabless semiconductor manufacturer already having announced the successful tape-out of its first 2nm chipset, chances are it only has one variant to offer. However, a new rumor claims that the company is still undecided if it wants to switch to a dual-chipset launch strategy like Qualcomm is said to adopt with its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro next year, but chances are that the high wafer costs on TSMC’s 2nm node could eventually convince MediaTek.
Like Qualcomm, MediaTek’s less powerful version of the Dimensity 9600 could have a slower GPU, while only supporting LPDDR5X RAM instead of LPDDR6
On Weibo, Repeater 002 shares that various smartphone companies are planning to launch four models for next year. During September and October, these devices are rumored to have a similar naming scheme as Apple’s iPhones, with the standard version being the most affordable, followed by the ‘Pro’ and ‘Pro Max’ variants. However, this part isn’t the most important, as the tipster also mentions that MediaTek is currently undecided on moving to a dual-chipset strategy like Qualcomm.
The San Diego chipset maker has already introduced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, which is the less powerful brother of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Next year, according to previous rumors, the company’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will have several differences separating them, such as LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 support, along with a beefier GPU being treated to the flagship version. Since MediaTek is undecided about gravitating to this strategy, we currently do not have a name for the less powerful Dimensity 9600.
One of MediaTek’s major strengths is its competitive pricing, with its Dimensity 9500 being an estimated 50 percent cheaper than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 while using the same 3nm ‘N3P’ process. Manufacturers have the option to pocket higher profits due to their lower chipset expenditure. Now, thanks to Apple reportedly securing more than half of TSMC’s initial 2nm capacity for its A20 and A20 Pro, MediaTek and Qualcomm are apparently left with little choice but to move to the slightly improved 2nm ‘N2P’ node, which will likely be more expensive.
The aforementioned turn of events means that MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 could be even more expensive to produce, eventually compelling the Taiwanese firm to develop a watered-down version. The plus side to this decision would be that the less powerful variant would retain the core flagship features with lowered clock speeds, so it is not like MediaTek would be forced to invest additional sums of money developing an entirely new SoC. Then again, since this is a rumor, we have to treat it with a pinch of salt and return with more updates.
News Source: Repeater 002
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
