On-Device AI Silicon: Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek NPUs — 2026-09-19
MediaTek has overtaken Qualcomm in market capitalization following the launch of its first 2nm smartphone chip, the Dimensity 9600 Pro, which supports 30-billion-parameter AI models on-device. As Qualcomm prepares to counter with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 later this week, Samsung's Exynos chips hit a record 9% global shipment share, while Apple's macOS 27 update officially ends support for Intel-based Macs.
On-Device AI Silicon: Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek NPUs — 2026-09-19
Top developments
MediaTek’s 2nm Dimensity 9600 Pro Challenges Qualcomm’s Dominance
On September 15, MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 9600 Pro, becoming the first merchant silicon vendor to announce a mass-production 2nm smartphone processor. The chip features a dual NPU system and Arm Mali G2-Ultra NX GPU, specifically designed to run mixture-of-experts (MoE) models with up to 30 billion parameters entirely on-device. This launch has triggered a significant shift in investor sentiment; MediaTek’s stock market capitalization has surpassed Qualcomm’s, driven by the chip's ability to reduce memory usage and power consumption by 61% compared to previous generations.
Qualcomm Prepares Dual 2nm Flagships for Snapdragon Summit
Qualcomm is set to respond at its upcoming Snapdragon Summit (September 22–24), where it will announce two new 2nm flagship chips: the SM8950 and the higher-performance SM8975. Reports indicate that Xiaomi will secure a six-month exclusivity period for the SM8950, while the SM8975 will debut in the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. These chips aim to reclaim leadership in NPU TOPS and on-device AI capabilities, with Qualcomm emphasizing a 50% increase in Hexagon shared memory to support more complex local AI agents.
Apple Ends Intel Support in macOS 27 "Golden Gate"
Apple has released macOS 27 Golden Gate, which officially ends support for Intel-based Mac upgrades and sets a deadline for Rosetta translation layers. This move accelerates the transition to Apple Silicon (M-series), ensuring that future MacBooks and Mac minis rely exclusively on the company’s unified memory architecture for on-device AI tasks like Siri AI integration. The shift forces developers to drop Intel-based app support for macOS 13+ requirements, effectively closing the chapter on x86 Macs.
Samsung Exynos Hits Record 9% Global Shipment Share
Samsung’s Exynos processors achieved a 9% global smartphone Application Processor (AP) shipment share in Q2 2026, the highest since tracking began in 2024. This growth occurred despite a 21% decline in overall global smartphone shipments, driven by the adoption of Exynos chips in the Galaxy S26 series and mid-range Galaxy A models. The increased share highlights Samsung’s strategy of vertical integration for its Galaxy AI features, leveraging Exynos NPUs to handle local language models more efficiently.
Local view
In China, Phoenix Net (i.ifeng.com) reports that MediaTek is aggressively positioning itself ahead of Qualcomm by releasing its 2nm chip first, marking the second consecutive year it has beaten Qualcomm to market with a new flagship node. The coverage highlights how the Dimensity 9600 Pro’s support for 30B parameter models is reshaping the "Token economy," with vivo X500 series devices set to launch globally on September 21. Meanwhile, Tenten in Taiwan notes that Qualcomm’s upcoming Hexagon architecture improvements are critical for maintaining relevance in the PC and audio AI sectors, as consumers increasingly demand local processing for privacy and speed.
Context & numbers
- Market Cap Shift: Qualcomm closed up 4.25% at $187.80 on September 15, but MediaTek’s valuation surged past it due to the Dimensity 9600 Pro’s premium positioning.
- AI PC Penetration: Counterpoint Research projects that AI Advanced PCs will account for ~59% of global shipments in 2026, up from 39% in 2025, driven by NPU-powered laptops from Intel, AMD, and Apple.
- GenAI Smartphone Share: GenAI-capable smartphones are forecast to reach 45% of global shipments in 2026, with major vendors like Apple and Samsung pushing on-device inference capabilities.
- Intel Market Struggle: Intel stock pulled back by 6.17% amid concerns over weakening PC demand and Apple’s continued move away from Intel silicon, though Amazon sales data shows a slight rebound for Core Ultra 7 270K Plus.
On the radar
- Snapdragon Summit (Sept 22–24): Qualcomm will officially launch the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6, with expectations for specific NPU TOPS figures and on-device AI agent capabilities to be revealed.
- Vivo X500 Launch (Sept 21): The first device to feature the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro will go on sale globally, providing the first real-world benchmarks for 30B parameter MoE model performance on a smartphone.
- OPPO Find X10 Pro Max (Sept 22): Scheduled to launch alongside the Snapdragon summit, this device will test the competitive waters against vivo’s Dimensity-powered flagship.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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