According to the latest leaked information, details of MediaTek’s next-generation flagship platform “Dimensity 9600” series of chips have emerged. This flagship chip, internally codenamed “Canyon”, will not only be the first to adopt TSMC’s most advanced 2nm process, but will also introduce a “dual ultra-large core” architecture design for the first time in the field of mobile computing, challenging the extreme frequency of close to 5GHz, indicating that mobile phone computing performance will usher in a new explosive period.
In recent years, MediaTek has successfully planted its flag in the flagship market with its “all-big-core” architecture. Starting with the Dimensity 9300, it has completely abandoned the traditional small-core design and turned to a pure big-core configuration to obtain ultimate performance. However, the Dimensity 9600, which will be released in 2026, is obviously not satisfied with the status quo. The source of the news pointed out that MediaTek will not only maintain the advantage of all large cores this time, but also push the computing performance to a new level to cope with the growing demand for generative AI computing and the challenges of mobile 3A-level games.
2+3+3 full-core architecture further evolved: dual ultra-large core design introduced for the first time
According to the latest disclosure from well-known Weibo blogger @digitalchatstation, the CPU architecture of Dimensity 9600 will undergo major changes.不同于前代天玑 9500 采用的「1x 超大核 + 3x 大核 + 4x 效率大核」配置，天玑 9600 将改采更为激进的「2+3+3」配置。
This means that the chip will be equipped with two ARM’s new C2-Ultra ultra-large cores. This is also the first time in the history of mobile processors that a dual ultra-large core configuration has appeared. With three C2-Premium large cores and three C2-Pro cores, the entire chip still maintains the regular lineage of “all large cores”, but by increasing the number of ultra-large cores, it is expected to achieve significant breakthroughs in multi-thread computing and peak performance. The news pointed out that the maximum frequency of this chip will be “close to 5GHz”, which is undoubtedly an astonishing number in the field of mobile phone processors.
| project | Dimensity 9600 revealed specifications |
|---|---|
| Internal code name | Canyon |
| Manufacturing process | TSMC N2P (2nm optimized version) |
| CPU architecture | 2+3+3 full core configuration |
| Ultra | 2x ARM C2-Ultra |
| Large core (Premium) | 3x ARM C2-Premium |
| Efficiency Core (Pro) | 3x ARM C2-Pro |
| highest frequency | Close to 5GHz |
| GPU | ARM Mali-G2 Ultra (10+ cores, supports hardware ray tracing) |
| Estimated release time | Q3 2026 |
TSMC 2nm N2P process: a key pillar of energy efficiency balance
Such a radical architectural design and extremely high operating frequency will inevitably bring serious challenges to power consumption and heat dissipation. This is where TSMC’s 2nm N2P process comes into play. It is reported that Dimensity 9600 will use TSMC’s latest N2P process (2nm optimized version), which is currently the most cutting-edge manufacturing process in the semiconductor industry.
In addition to the leap in CPU performance, Dimensity 9600 is also highly anticipated in the fields of visual computing and artificial intelligence. According to reports, the chip will be equipped with ARM Mali-G2 Ultra GPU, with more than 10 computing cores and full support for hardware-level ray tracing technology.
In the field of AI, Dimensity 9600 may hide a bigger trump card. Rumors indicate that MediaTek was deeply involved in the design of Google TPU v7. Although TPU is Google’s own server-level AI chip, MediaTek’s collaboration experience in it is very likely to be transformed into technical nutrients for the built-in NPU of Dimensity 9600.
Competition: Heading into Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6
The emergence of Dimensity 9600 will undoubtedly target Qualcomm’s next-generation flagship. In the 2026 flagship market, MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 will go head-to-head with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (model number expected to be SM8975).
Dimensity 9600 is not just a new processor, it also marks the official entry of the mobile industry into the “2nm Year.” MediaTek’s “all-large-core” transformation has proven successful, and now moving towards “multiple ultra-large cores” is a natural evolution of this strategy.
※Reminder: All current detailed specifications of Dimensity 9600 come from third-party revelations and rumors, and have not yet been officially confirmed by MediaTek.
Source: KOCPC Chinese