MediaTek is done waiting in the wings. It has officially launched its new flagship mobile platform, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 — a powerhouse built to drive the next wave of top-tier smartphones by pushing the boundaries of on-device artificial intelligence (AI), console-class gaming, and all-day efficiency.

Let’s dive into the key highlights.

New CPU design, console-level gaming, and smarter-than-ever chip

At the heart of the Dimensity 9500 is a third-generation All Big Core CPU design. It packs a formidable punch with a 4.21GHz ultra core, three premium cores, and four performance cores. This configuration, paired with four-lane UFS 4.1 storage, delivers a serious boost over its predecessor, the Dimensity 9400. We’re talking a 29% jump in single-core performance and a 16% increase in multi-core performance. And the ultra core is up to 55% more power-efficient at peak performance, which means you can push your phone to its limits without watching the battery drain in real time.

For the gamers out there, the Dimensity 9500 looks like a game-changer. It integrates the new ARM G1-Ultra GPU, which promises a whopping 33% higher peak performance and 42% improved power efficiency. However, the real headline feature is the introduction of double frame-rate interpolation, enabling console-level ray tracing at up to 120 FPS. Imagine playing AAA titles with real-time rendering and realistic lighting effects, thanks to support for MegaLights in Unreal Engine 5.6 and Nanite in Unreal Engine 5.5. This is mobile gaming, but not as you know it.

MediaTek is likewise betting big on AI, and the Dimensity 9500 is the evidence. Its ninth-generation NPU 990, with the new Generative AI Engine 2.0, doubles compute power and introduces support for BitNet 1-bit large model processing. What does this mean for you? It translates to a truly “agentic” AI experience. You’ll get features that are proactive, personalized, and secure. Output from large language models or LLMs is 100% faster, and the chip can handle 128K token long text processing. The NPU’s efficiency also allows for “always-on” small models, slashing power consumption by over 40%. You’re looking at the future of mobile AI is here.

Beyond the big three

The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 brings a host of other features that make it a compelling package.

• Imaging. The MediaTek Imagiq 1190 supports up to 200-megapixel capture, RAW-domain pre-processing, and NPU-assisted focusing. You can also shoot cinematic 4K at 60 FPS.
• Connectivity. AI-driven enhancements lead to up to 10% lower power consumption in 5G and 20% in Wi-Fi scenarios. This is all about getting the most out of your battery, no matter what you’re doing.
• Memory. It’s the first to support four-lane UFS 4.1 memory, doubling read/write speeds and accelerating large AI model loading by 40%.
• Display. The chipset supports 1-nit ultra dark screens, a first for an Android processor, for those who prefer to use their phone in low-light environments without being blinded.

The road ahead

With flagship smartphones powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025, we won’t have to wait long to see these features in action. vivo and OPPO are among the first to launch devices with this new chip, what with the upcoming vivo X300 and OPPO Find X9 lineups debuting on October 13 and October 16, respectively.

As the industry anticipates the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite 5, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 arrives as a powerful statement, showcasing the Taiwanese company’s ambition and capability in the high-end mobile space.

---