MediaTek Dimensity 9500 on 3nm N3E: specs, clocks, and 2026 launch

According to insider Digital Chat Station, MediaTek is preparing an updated version of its flagship processor, the Dimensity 9500, fabricated on TSMC’s 3 nm N3E process. Early test samples reportedly reach up to 3.73 GHz and pair one Cortex-X925 core with three Cortex-X4 and four A720 cores, alongside an Immortalis-G925 MP12 GPU clocked at 1.6 GHz.

In essence, there are few architectural changes compared with the Dimensity 9400: the CPU, GPU and cache remain the same. MediaTek instead focused on software-level tuning and tighter hardware integration. The source characterizes the newcomer as close to a last‑generation flagship. The strategy reads as a pragmatic mid-cycle refresh that leans on the node shrink and smarter optimization rather than a ground-up redesign. The chip is expected to carry the Dimensity 9500 name and debut in the first quarter of 2026.

The first smartphones powered by Dimensity 9500 are rumored to ship with larger batteries. When asked whether the chip would support an always-on screen, a blogger noted that this depends on the display type rather than the processor: LTPS panels still cannot enable a full-screen Always-on Display due to higher power consumption.

MediaTek is also said to be working on a Dimensity 9500+, which would be a higher-clocked take on the base 9500. The current Dimensity 9400 will likely arrive as the Dimensity 9500e, positioned as an updated version of it. The first devices with this chip are expected to appear amid an early‑2026 contest among mid-range models, where it would go up against Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and other platforms.