MediaTek launches Dimensity 9500s, 8500 chips for premium Android devices

MediaTek's new Dimensity 9500s and 8500 chips sit below the top-end Dimensity 9500, bringing support for advanced gaming and camera features, along with on-device AI capabilities

Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek has announced two new smartphone processors — Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 — aimed at powering upcoming flagship-adjacent and premium Android phones. These new chips sit below MediaTek’s top-end Dimensity 9500 and aims to offer near flagship-grade performance, gaming features and on-device AI tools. 

 

MediaTek has not confirmed when the first phones with Dimensity 9500s or Dimensity 8500 will launch, but Android devices powered by these chips are expected to arrive in the coming months.

MediaTek Dimensity 9500s: Details

The Dimensity 9500s is built on a 3nm manufacturing process and uses an “all big core” central processing unit (CPU) layout. It includes:

 

• One Cortex-X925 core clocked up to 3.73GHz
• Three Cortex-X4 cores
• Four Cortex-A720 cores

This setup is similar in structure to last year’s Dimensity 9500, but uses different CPU cores.

 

For graphics, the chip uses the Immortalis-G925 graphic processing unit (GPU), with support for hardware ray tracing. MediaTek said the GPU works with its Adaptive Game Technology 3.0 and Frame Technology 3.0 to manage performance and power use during gaming. 

  On the AI side, the Dimensity 9500s includes a new neural processing unit (NPU) designed to handle generative and multi-modal AI models. MediaTek said the chip supports on-device tasks such as:

• Live photo post-processing
• Image editing features like background removal and object deletion
• Summarising calls, meetings and documents

For cameras, the chip uses MediaTek’s Imagiq image processor. It supports:

• 8K video recording with Dolby Vision HDR
• Real-time motion tracking at 30fps
• Noise reduction and fast image capture

Connectivity features include:

• 5G Release-17 modem with 4CC carrier aggregation and up to 7Gbps download speeds
• MediaTek UltraSave 4.0 for power efficiency
• AI Network Suite 2.0 for weak signal conditions
• Xtra Range 3.0 for extended indoor Wi-Fi range
• Bluetooth phone-to-phone connections up to 5km

MediaTek Dimensity 8500: Details

The Dimensity 8500 is positioned a step below the 9500s. It is built on a 4nm process and also uses an all big core CPU design, with eight Cortex-A725 cores clocked up to 3.4GHz. It supports LPDDR5X memory at speeds up to 9600Mbps and uses MediaTek’s scheduling system to balance performance and power use.

 

  For graphics, the chip uses a Mali-G720 GPU. MediaTek said GPU performance is about 25 per cent higher than the previous generation, while power use is reduced by around 20 per cent. The chip also supports ray tracing in supported games.

 

The Dimensity 8500 includes MediaTek’s 8th-generation NPU, which supports:

• Large language models and multi-modal AI models
• Image generation models
• AI-based telephoto image enhancement
• Semantic image optimisation for photos