MediaTek Dimensity 9500 with ARM 'Travis' Core Surfaces on Geekbench, Launch Set for September

MediaTek’s upcoming Dimensity 9500 flagship chipset just made its first appearance on Geekbench, revealing key details about ARM’s next-gen “Travis” prime core. While earlier rumors hinted at 4GHz clock speeds, the benchmark listing shows it running at 3.23GHz. According to leakster Digital Chat Station, the Dimensity 9500 is set to launch in September 2025.

The Travis core marks a turning point in mobile chip design, shifting focus from raw clock speeds to IPC (Instructions Per Clock). A higher IPC means the CPU can do more work at lower clock speeds, improving efficiency and reducing heat output—a crucial factor in thermally constrained mobile devices.

Travis reportedly brings double-digit IPC gains, making it one of the most efficient mobile cores to date. It also supports ARM’s SME (Scalable Matrix Extension), enhancing AI, image, and audio processing — vital for today’s AI-driven smartphones.

Dimensity 9500 Key Specs (Leaked):

1x Travis core @ 3.23GHz

3x Alto cores (details TBD)

4x Gelas cores (next-gen Cortex-A7xx replacement)

ARM Mali-G1 GPU (codenamed Drage)

Interestingly, ARM is also undergoing a major branding overhaul:

Cortex is being retired.

Lumex will now represent mobile cores.

Other segments include Niva (PC), Zena (automotive), Neoverse (servers), and Orbis (IoT).

The Dimensity 9500 is shaping up to be a formidable chip that could challenge Qualcomm and Apple’s dominance in flagship silicon. Expect more details at ARM’s and MediaTek’s events leading up to the official reveal in September.