Key Takeaways
1. Attention is shifting from 3 nm to upcoming 2 nm mobile SoCs, with uncertainty around Apple’s adoption of TSMC’s N2 node.
2. MediaTek plans to tape-out its 2 nm product, likely the Dimensity 9600, in September 2025, aiming for market release by the end of 2026.
3. High-volume production of TSMC’s N2 process is expected to start in the latter half of 2026.
4. MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 may change the trend of being cheaper than Qualcomm’s chips, especially with rising costs of N2 wafers.
5. Detailed specifications for the Dimensity 9600 are not yet available, as the chip is still over a year away from release.
Now that 3 nm mobile SoCs have been in the market for some time, attention is shifting towards the next major transition: 2 nm. Apple typically leads the way in adopting new technologies, but it’s unclear whether they will embrace TSMC’s N2 node. If Apple ends up sticking with the N3P process, MediaTek could potentially be the first to launch a 2 nm smartphone SoC.
MediaTek’s Timeline
During its Computex 2025 presentation, the Taiwanese semiconductor company announced that its 2 nm product is set to tape-out in September 2025. This means the design will be completed before it begins mass production. A previous list from TSMC indicated that MediaTek is one of the customers for the 2 nm technology. High-volume production for the N2 process is expected to kick off in the latter half of 2026, and if everything goes as planned, MediaTek’s smartphone SoC could hit the market by the end of 2026.
The Dimensity 9600
The chip in question is likely the Dimensity 9600. However, no details about this SoC have emerged yet, and it may take a while for that to happen since the chip is still more than a year away from its release. In the past, MediaTek’s chips were generally cheaper than those of Qualcomm, but this trend might change with the Dimensity 9600. TSMC’s N2 wafers are already quite expensive, and they could become even costlier if the anticipated 10% price increase is implemented.
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