MediaTek announced today (September 9) that its first flagship system-on-chip (SoC) using TSMC's 16nm process technology has completed tape-out and is scheduled to enter mass production by the end of 2, making it one of the first chip design companies in the industry to adopt the 2026nm process.
This move not only represents MediaTek further consolidating its long-term partnership with TSMC, but also announces a new milestone towards the next process node.
Prior to this, MediaTekAnnounced its second quarter financial results for fiscal year 2025At the same time, the company confirmed the previously announced new processor, designed using a 2nm process and set to enter tape-out in September, which is designed for edge AI and cloud AI products. The rumored flagship mobile phone chip, the Dimensity 9, will officially launch in the third quarter of this year. The GB9500 project, a collaboration with NVIDIA, will also enter mass production in the third quarter, expected to generate significant revenue contributions.
TSMC's 2nm process introduces a nanosheet transistor structure for the first time, significantly improving performance, reducing power consumption, and maintaining high yield. Compared to the current N3E process, TSMC claims that 2nm technology can increase computing logic density by 1.2 times, improve performance by up to 18% at the same power consumption, or reduce power consumption by approximately 36% at the same performance. This has significant benefits for applications such as mobile devices, AI computing, and cloud servers.
MediaTek General Manager Chen Guanzhou said that the development of the chip using the 2nm process represents MediaTek's ability to quickly introduce advanced process technology into a variety of applications, from mobile devices to automotive, data centers and edge computing, and can provide more high-performance and energy-efficient solutions. He also emphasized the long-term close cooperation with TSMC, enabling MediaTek to continue to maintain its competitiveness in the flagship SoC market and bring a complete innovative experience to global customers.
Dr. Xiaoqiang Zhang, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Global Operations and Deputy Co-Chief Operating Officer of TSMC, also noted that the 2nm process marks a significant step for TSMC into the nanowafer era and will become a critical foundation for the next generation of high-performance computing. TSMC will continue to optimize its process to ensure customers maximize performance and energy efficiency across a wide range of applications while providing stable production capacity.
The industry generally believes that the 2nm process will become the mainstream technology for flagship mobile platforms and AI chips starting in 2026. MediaTek's move puts it on par with competitors like Qualcomm and Apple. As AI capabilities become more deeply integrated into mobile phones, cars, and edge devices, the high performance and low power consumption of the 2nm process will become crucial factors in determining market success.
Overall, MediaTek's early completion of 2nm SoC design will help it secure an early position in the next-generation flagship market. It will also continue to expand its presence in diverse areas such as 5G, AI PCs, automotive, and data centers, laying the foundation for a competitive advantage for its product lines in 2026 and beyond.
