The 2nm Race: MediaTek Jumps into the Fray
The tech world has been buzzing with rumors of the next giant step in chip technology: 2-nanometer (2nm) processors. As 3nm chips are only just becoming familiar in our top-end smartphones, MediaTek has just announced a big bombshell at Computex 2025 – they're already busy developing a 2nm chip, and it will "tape-out" later this year.
What is "tape-out"?
Essentially, it's the final phase of design before a chip heads out to get mass-manufactured. So, we will not be getting these 2nm bruisers on our phones immediately, but it is a sign of MediaTek's intention.
Could MediaTek Beat Apple to the 2nm Punch?
It is amusing that Apple generally leads the charge when it comes to the implementation of new chip manufacturing nodes by TSMC. But there is some speculation over whether Apple will be in the front of the line for TSMC's N2 (2nm) node. If Apple stays with an enhanced 3nm process (N3P) for a little while longer, MediaTek could be uniquely positioned to be one of the first, if not the first, to bring a 2nm smartphone System-on-Chip (SoC) to market.
MediaTek revealed during its Computex debut that the company's 2nm product is tape-out in September 2025. This confirms previous reports with MediaTek as a customer for TSMC's 2nm process. Mass production of the N2 node from TSMC is poised to kick off in the second half of 2026. Assuming Intel gets the manufacturing right, we could see MediaTek's 2nm smartphone chip hit the market by late 2026.
Hello to the (Likely) Dimensity 9600
While not officially announced, the chip in question is commonly assumed to be the successor to their current high-end Dimensity series – perhaps the Dimensity 9600. Very little is known at this point, which is unsurprising given that the launch still hasn't happened more than a year from now.
In the past, MediaTek chips have generally been lower in price compared to Qualcomm's Snapdragon line. With the move to newer 2nm technology, though, that could change. TSMC's N2 wafers are rumored to be very expensive, and some even speculate that there is going to be a price increase of 10%. That would likely mean the next-generation Dimensity will be priced higher.
The Road to 2nm: Power Efficiency and Performance Enhancements
MediaTek seems to be laying plans, too. While their Dimensity 9500, which will come out later this year, will use TSMC's third-generation 3nm process, this 2nm step is a bold statement of intent in leading the chipset market.
Starting the tape-out process in Q4 2025 gives MediaTek ample time to mature the design and have sufficient supply available to its partners when the chip goes on sale in late 2026. Starting this early may be the key to them being able to keep up with the performance and efficiency of rival chips like Qualcomm's forthcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2.
What kind of improvements can we expect? Preliminary indications are that the 2nm SoC provides up to 15% greater performance and significant 25% power savings compared to the 3nm (N3) node. However, MediaTek did not say whether this is relative to TSMC's second-generation (N3E) or third-generation (N3P) 3nm process.
The path from design to a chip in your hand is a long and expensive one. The tape-out process itself costs millions of dollars. If a chip fails expectations after this point, it must go back for another cycle of design and tape-out.
Since TSMC is also reportedly starting to take orders for its next-generation 2nm lithography in April, MediaTek's September tape-out gives them strategic impetus. It allows for making crucial changes to achieve peak performance and efficiency.
As we await more details, one thing is for sure: the war to shrink smartphone chips, accelerate their processing, and make them more efficient is heating up, and MediaTek needs to be a major player driving this trend.
