As we are tired of saying, MediaTek has everything to impress in the high end of the Android ecosystem in the near future, by bringing processors to the table that are extremely similar in terms of features and capabilities compared to everything that Qualcomm is doing, that is, slightly more appealing prices, which ends up not affecting the price of products on the shelves too much.
Basically, it's a breath of fresh air, or rather, an oxygen balloon that is starting to be (very) missed in the Android ecosystem!
This is exactly why MediaTek is winking at Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Honor, etc… In order to steal some market share from Qualcomm, especially in the ranges most desired by consumers… The highest!
Well, the path is being made, and it seems that the new MediaTek 9400, which aims to give life to the new Android generation, brings a performance increase of around an incredible 20%. Vivo has already signed an agreement to have the processor! It will be the first of many.
MediaTek continues to impress. 20% more performance!
Therefore, nowadays, seeing “Qualcomm Snapdragon” in the list of technical specifications of a smartphone immediately gives the idea that we are looking at something of quality, with high levels of performance.
However, as Qualcomm is exaggerating the prices it is asking its partners, it may become less common to see this in the specification lists of future high-end devices.
MediaTek has the same access to TSMC's 4nm and 3nm lines, and as it is eager to gain market share, it offers its products at slightly more attractive prices. This is important, because in terms of performance and efficiency, MediaTek doesn't seem to lag behind Qualcomm.
Quite the contrary, according to the most recent rumors, it could even be ahead.
Dimensity 9400 presents a 20% performance increase compared to the current Dimensity 9300!
In case you didn't know, with the exception of Google and Apple, MediaTek already has signed agreements with every smartphone manufacturer on the face of the earth. Yes, it is true that up until now it has always been with a greater focus on the low and mid-range. However, it seems that from the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, this will also extend to the high end.
Vivo has already signed an agreement to use the new 3nm Dimensity 9400 SoC in its high-end devices. In what is the first major Android manufacturer to escape the undeniable price increase that we will see on Qualcomm's side with the Snapdragon 8 Gen4.
Is this good for the market?
The current Dimensity 9300 proved that MediaTek is not messing around in the Android world. It is not a perfect SoC, because the manufacturer opted for a design without cores focused on efficiency, preferring a very “performing” design. This has resulted in some problems with energy consumption, and also overheating.
However, with access to TSMC's 3nm lines, it is very likely that a window of opportunity will open to deal a serious blow to rival Qualcomm's aspirations.
I wouldn't be surprised to see more and more high-end devices using MediaTek processors in the next generation. After all, the top of the 'Ultra' range is already priced at €1500, and quite honestly, I don't think there is room to make this type of device even more expensive in the near future.