MediaTek appears ready to continue its aggressive pricing approach in the flagship chipset segment. New reports suggest that the company’s upcoming Dimensity 9500 will be significantly cheaper than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, with unit pricing expected to range between $180 and $200. In contrast, Qualcomm’s latest premium SoC reportedly costs smartphone manufacturers as much as $280 per unit, creating a price difference of more than 50 percent.
The latest pricing details come from Abhishek Yadav, who shared estimates for both chipsets on X. If accurate, MediaTek’s flagship SoC could give device makers an opportunity to increase profit margins without drastically compromising on performance. However, these prices are not fixed for all buyers. MediaTek’s final offers depend on contract terms, production volume, and partnership conditions, meaning not all smartphone makers will receive identical deals.
The reason behind MediaTek’s lower pricing lies in its design approach. The Dimensity 9500 continues to use ARM’s CPU and GPU reference designs, while Qualcomm has transitioned to using its in-house Oryon cores developed after acquiring Nuvia for $1.4 billion. Qualcomm’s decision to invest heavily in custom architecture aims to boost performance and efficiency, allowing it to compete more directly with Apple’s silicon. However, this move also raises development and manufacturing costs, which are ultimately reflected in the chipset’s price.
MediaTek’s choice to rely on ARM’s designs helps keep expenses under control but also limits potential performance gains. Benchmark data shared through Geekbench 6 comparisons shows that the Dimensity 9500 lags behind both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Apple’s A19 Pro. Tests reveal weaker multi-core performance and lower power efficiency, even though the chip is produced on TSMC’s advanced 3nm N3P process. This suggests that while MediaTek maintains a cost advantage, it trails in raw performance metrics.
In early gaming benchmarks, devices equipped with the Dimensity 9500 also tend to operate at higher temperatures than those using Qualcomm’s new SoC. Previews of the OnePlus 15, which uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, show improved sustained performance and better thermal control during extended gaming sessions.
Despite the performance gap, MediaTek’s pricing strategy will likely appeal to smartphone brands that focus on value and profit margins over peak performance. The company’s affordable pricing makes it an attractive alternative, particularly for manufacturers looking to balance cost and capability in premium mid-range or flagship models.
However, looking ahead, MediaTek may need to reconsider its long-term approach. As Qualcomm and Apple continue advancing custom silicon development, the gap in performance and efficiency could widen. For MediaTek to remain competitive in the top-tier segment, developing its own custom cores might become a necessary step in future product generations.
