Dimensity 9600 Pro costs 30% less than the competition at the same manufacturing process, MediaTek’s comeback?

The third quarter of 2026 will see the arrival of the first 2 nm processors produced on the TSMC’s “N2P” node, and the battle between Qualcomm and MediaTek is shaping up to be heated not only in terms of performance but primarily in terms of economics.

On the one hand, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro and the Dimensity 9600 Pro will share the same lithography advancement; the real differentiator for smartphone manufacturers will be the purchase price, a factor that could decisively favor the Taiwanese company.

According to early estimates, MediaTek’s flagship chip will offer a saving of around 30% compared to Qualcomm’s solution, opening up new possibilities for the high-end smartphone market.

This gap is particularly critical in a period when smartphone makers must already contend with rising costs of other components, such as DRAM and NAND flash memories, as well as the financial burden imposed by the expensive 2nm wafers from TSMC.

Qualcomm recently announced an imminent double-digit price increase for its entire product range starting September 1, a move that will also include its future flagship SoC. This strategy could confine the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro to a niche of ultra-premium devices, limiting its broad diffusion.

Dimensity 9600 Pro costs “little”, will it be MediaTek’s year?

Industry rumors indicate that the Dimensity 9600 Pro will have a unit cost of 216 dollars. By contrast, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro could exceed the 300 dollars threshold.

This gap is particularly critical in a historical period in which smartphone manufacturers already have to contend with the rising costs of the rest of the components, such as DRAM and NAND flash memories, in addition to the financial burden imposed by TSMC’s costly 2nm wafers.

Qualcomm has recently announced an imminent double-digit price increase for its entire product range starting from September 1, a move that will also include its upcoming flagship SoC. Such a strategy could confine the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro to a niche of ultra-premium devices, limiting its widespread adoption.

Le strategie per conquistare il mercato

Faced with the prospect of a decline in sales of its flagship chip, it seems that Qualcomm is planning a diversified offering that will accompany 2- and 3-nm solutions, in an effort to keep its business solid and attract partners interested in the performance of the new Oryon CPU cores and improvements in upscaling and frame generation.

However, MediaTek’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to provide a more economically sustainable alternative. The Dimensity 9600 Pro could therefore become the preferred choice for many brands looking to market devices equipped with 2 nm technology without excessively eroding their profit margins, while at the same time guaranteeing competitive final prices for consumers.