MediaTek has officially launched its latest flagship processor, the Dimensity 9500, marking a significant advancement as the company’s third-generation “all big-core” System on Chip (SoC). This innovative chip is set to revolutionize gaming performance and AI processing, making it a highly anticipated addition to the mobile technology landscape.
At the heart of the Dimensity 9500 lies an impressive architecture featuring 8 cores built on Arm’s advanced C1-Ultra, C1-Premium, and C1-Pro processors, all manufactured using a cutting-edge 3nm process. This “big-core” design concept was first introduced with the Dimensity 9300, and MediaTek has embraced this approach more vigorously than its competitors, particularly Qualcomm, which still employs a mix of performance and smaller efficiency cores.
The new SoC delivers remarkable performance enhancements over its predecessor. According to MediaTek’s statistics, the Dimensity 9500 boasts a 55% increase in efficiency at peak performance and a 16% improvement in multi-core performance. Additionally, the integration of UFS 4.1 storage allows for faster AI processing through four storage lanes, optimizing data transfer speeds and overall device performance.
One of the standout features of the Dimensity 9500 is its 9th-generation NPU 990, which is instrumental in handling AI processing tasks. This powerful NPU has seen its capabilities double, all while maintaining better power efficiency thanks to its support for always-on “small models.” MediaTek claims that this advancement will enable Android devices to generate stunning 4K images through on-board processing.
The NPU's low-bit support further enhances efficiency, allowing devices to manage large volumes of minor processes, particularly beneficial for Gemini functions across Android platforms. This means users can expect smoother and more effective AI interactions on their devices.
The Dimensity 9500 also elevates the quality of organically captured images, supporting up to 200MP processors and incorporating NPU-assisted focusing for sharper photography. The significant leap in performance extends to gaming, where improved frame rates and hardware-accelerated ray tracing come into play. The SoC is powered by an Arm G1-Ultra GPU, which boasts higher peak performance and delivers a remarkable 119% faster ray tracing benchmark compared to previous generations.
With this new technology, games utilizing ray tracing can potentially run at an impressive 120fps, although practical performance will ultimately determine how effectively these claims hold up in real-world scenarios.
MediaTek has announced that flagship devices incorporating the Dimensity 9500 are expected from prominent manufacturers like Vivo and Oppo in the fourth quarter of 2025. Tech enthusiasts and mobile gamers alike are eagerly awaiting these devices, as they promise to deliver cutting-edge performance and capabilities powered by this groundbreaking SoC.
