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MediaTek’s latest flagship chip is making headlines for more than just its performance: it’s coming in at a noticeably higher price than the previous generation.
According to a report from Taiwanese outlet TaiSounds (sometimes referred to as Tai Pao), the Dimensity 9600 Pro is priced as high as $220. That’s a new high for MediaTek’s top-tier SoC. For context, the Dimensity 9500 was priced between $180 and $200. And MediaTek is not the only one raising prices. Qualcomm’s competing Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro is said to cost even more, around $300 per chip.
The Dimensity 9600 Pro itself was unveiled recently and is built on TSMC’s 2nm process, packing more than 33 billion transistors. MediaTek’s Hsu Ching-Chuan, Vice President and General Manager of the Wireless Communications Business Unit, pointed to the higher costs of the 2nm node. He also mentioned that the company is working with partners to shrink the physical size of memory chips and is pushing related technologies to help keep overall system costs in check.
MediaTek is positioning the Dimensity 9600 Pro as a serious player in the premium segment. The first phones using it are expected to start showing up in the coming weeks. The higher price does narrow the usual gap with Qualcomm’s flagship chips, and it fits into a wider industry pattern: 2nm smartphone processors are simply more expensive across the board. Apple’s A20 Pro is also reportedly sitting near $280.
While the increased cost could push up the final price of the phones that use it, it also highlights how much is being invested in cutting-edge manufacturing and on-device AI. MediaTek seems focused on staying competitive on performance while dealing with the same manufacturing and component cost pressures that everyone else is facing.
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