MediaTek Dimensity 9400 coming in Q4 puts Qualcomm on notice

MediaTek used to have a reputation for being the chipset of choice for budget-friendly devices. But in recent years, the company’s Dimensity 9000 series has shown massive signs of improvements. Now MediaTek is preparing its next-gen chipset, the Dimensity 9400 that will come with better support for on-device AI.

MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai revealed the company’s plans for a next-gen chipset during the company’s groundbreaking ceremony for their new office building. According to Tsai, the new chipset will be unveiled in Q4 2024. He did not mention the chipset by name, but based on MediaTek’s naming scheme, it will probably be the Dimensity 9400.

The new MediaTek chipset will be built using TSMC’s second-gen lithography 3nm process. The company did not reveal the exact specs of the hardware. It is rumored that it will focus purely on power and ditch the use of efficiency cores. It will instead run a single Cortex-X5 core, three Cortex-X4 cores, and four Cortex-A720 cores. The chipset will also continue to use LPDDR5T RAM which will help with on-device AI capabilities.

On-device AI is generally preferred as it offers faster processing. It also does not require an internet connection, plus it is also more private. It is unclear which handset makers will adopt the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, but if the rising costs of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 chipsets are any indication, it could be a more attractive alternative, especially if performance is on-par.