The A18 Pro, found in the iPhone 16 Pro models, currently reigns supreme in the smartphone chip market. However, two new challengers are emerging with impressive on-paper specifications – Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400. So, which of these three chips will ultimately claim the title of the best smartphone chip? Let’s dive into a detailed comparison to find out.
A18 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 9400: Specs
Let’s first compare the specifications of three chips based on currently available information.
| Apple A18 Pro | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | Dimensity 9400 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | TSMC | TSMC | TSMC |
| Fabrication Process | 3nm (N3E) | 3nm (N3E) | 3nm (N3E) |
| No. of CPU Cores | Hexa-core (2+4) | Octa-core (2+6) | Octa-core (1+3+4) |
| CPU Structure | 2x Performance cores (4.04GHz), 4x Efficiency cores | Nuvia CPU architecture with Oryon cores 2x Prime cores (4.32GHz) 6x Performance cores (3.53GHz) | 1x Cortex-X5 (3.63GHz), 3x Cortex-X4 (2.80GHz), 4x Cortex-A720 (2.1GHz) |
| Max. Clock Speed | Up to 4.04 GHz | Up to 4.32GHz | Up to 3.36GHz |
| Instruction Set | ARMv9.2-A | ARMv8.7a | ARMv9.2-A |
| GPU | New Six-core GPU Hardware Raytracing | Adreno 830 (1250MHz) Hardware Raytracing | Immortalis-G925 MC14 or MC16 Hardware Raytracing |
| Machine Learning and AI | New 16-core Neural Engine Next-gen ML accelerators 35 TOPS | Upgraded Hexagon processor 45 TOPS (expected) | Upgraded MediaTek NPU 68 TOPS (expected) |
| Memory | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X LPDDR5T | LPDDR5X LPDDR5T |
| Modem | Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 5G modem | Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 5G modem | Integrated 5G modem |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| USB Support | USB 3 | USB 4 | UFS 4 + MCQ |
A18 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 9400: CPU
The Apple A18 Pro, manufactured using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, features a hexa-core CPU with 2x high-performance cores and 4x efficiency cores. The performance cores are clocked at 4.04 GHz, while the clock speed for the efficiency cores remains undisclosed.
Similarly, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be manufactured using TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process and is expected to employ a big.LITTLE architecture. It will use new Oryon CPU cores, like the Snapdragon X series for Windows laptops. This configuration comprises 2x cores clocked at 4.32 GHz and 6x cores clocked at 3.53 GHz.
Conversely, the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, also fabricated on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, is expected to feature 1x prime Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3.63 GHz, 3x performance Cortex-A720 cores clocked at 2.80 GHz, and 4x efficiency Cortex-A520 cores clocked at 2.1 GHz.
In terms of clock speed, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 > A18 Pro > Dimensity 9400. Dimensity’s 3.63 GHz peak speed seems quite underwhelming vis-a-vis the competition. Qualcomm is raising the bar this time by using the self-developed Nuvia CPU architecture albeit with an older Arm v8 instruction set.
A18 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 9400: Geekbench Score
Geekbench 6 scores for all three chipsets have surfaced online. The Apple A18 Pro scores 3,409 in single-core and 8,492 in multi-core tests. An impressive single-core I’d say.
In the leaked OnePlus 13 benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 scores 3,236 in single-core and a whopping 10,049 in the multi-core test. Another score spotted on the Vietnamese forum Voz.vn shows 2,845 in single-core and 10,628 in multi-core. We’ll consider the higher scores here.
The Dimensity 9400, on the other hand, scores 2,776 points in single-core and a crazy 11,739 in multi-core tests.
| Geekbench 6 | A18 Pro | Snapdragon 8 Gen4 | Dimensity 9400 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-core | 3,409 | 3,236 | 2,845 |
| Multi-core | 8,492 | 10,049 | 10,628 |
In single-core tests, A18 Pro > Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 > Dimensity 9400.
In multi-core, the ranking flips to Dimensity 9400 > Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 > A18 Pro.
The Dimensity 9400’s Geekbench AI GPU scores have recently surfaced online, where it scores 1501 in single-precision, 1906 in half-precision, and 1793 in the quantized test. These scores are slightly higher than what we saw on the Exynos 2400 while comparing it with the Tensor G4.
A18 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 9400: AnTuTu Score
Apple A18 Pro’s AnTuTu scores are yet to be known, but considering the 15% faster CPU performance and 20% faster GPU performance over the A17 Pro, we estimate it to be around 1,900,000-2,000,000.
Based on leaks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 scores 3,133,570 points in the AnTuTu benchmark. The Dimensity 9400, on the other hand, scores about 10% higher at 3,443,666. It’s worth noting that the Dimensity also boasts approximately 7% higher GPU performance compared to the 8 Gen 4.
Note that an iPhone’s AnTuTu benchmark cannot be directly compared with that of an Android phone. The testing mechanisms are different for both operating systems, as is the scoring system.
| AnTuTu Benchmark | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | Dimensity 9400 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 702,689 | 786,574 |
| GPU | 1,330,057 | 1,422,243 |
| Memory | 616,268 | 725,851 |
| UX | 484,556 | 514,698 |
| Total Score | 3,133,570 | 3,443,666 |
A18 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 9400: GPU
Apple’s A18 Pro uses a new 6-core GPU, boasting a 20% performance increase over last year’s A17 Pro GPU. It also supports 2x faster hardware ray tracing. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to feature an Adreno 830 GPU clocked at 1250MHz.
The Dimensity 9400 will come equipped with the upgraded Immortalis-G925 GPU, potentially in either a 14-core or 16-core configuration.
While a direct comparison of these GPUs remains elusive, it’s worth noting that last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s Adreno 750 generally outperformed both the A17 Pro and Dimensity 9300’s GPUs. However, leaked AnTuTu scores suggest the Dimensity 9400’s GPU might perform slightly better than Qualcomm’s upcoming offering.
A18 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 9400: NPU
The Apple A18 Pro comes with a 16-core NPU capable of performing 35 TOPS (trillion operations per second). Thanks to a 17% increase in memory bandwidth compared to last year and ML accelerators, the chipset can process on-device AI and other related Apple Intelligence features quickly and efficiently.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is said to come with an upgraded Hexagon processor for AI. Details are unknown, but considering last year’s 8 Gen 3’s NPU maxed out at 29 TOPS, we expect higher performance this time.
The Dimensity 9400, on the other hand, is claimed to deliver 40% more performance in its NPU compared to the last-generation Dimensity 9300. The Dimensity 9300 supported 48 TOPS, so the Dimensity 9400 will likely deliver 67-68 TOPS of NPU performance.
A18 Pro vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 vs. Dimensity 9400: Connectivity
The Apple A18 Pro is likely to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem. It boasts maximum download and upload speeds of 10 Gbps and 3.5 Gbps, respectively. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is expected to arrive with the even newer Snapdragon X80 modem, which offers the same speeds but with improved power efficiency.
The Dimensity 9400 will come with an integrated modem that supports mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G. To recall, the Dimensity 9300+ came with a 5G R16 modem designed with AI situational awareness and supports 4CC-CA Sub-6GHz with up to 7 Gbps downlink.
Which Smartphone Chip is the Best?
Each chip brings its own strengths to the table.
The A18 Pro offers optimized performance and AI capabilities. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 boasts cutting-edge Nuvia architecture and Oryon cores. The Dimensity 9400 impresses with its multi-core performance and potentially groundbreaking NPU.
However, this year, efficiency might matter more than just raw performance, and this is where Apple’s A18 Pro could take the lead, reportedly having a lower TDP. Also, don’t forget the unique advantage of the A18 Pro powering iPhone 16 Pro models – the ability to run AAA games, an experience Android currently doesn’t offer.
We’ll be running detailed benchmarks and tests to bring you a more conclusive answer once we get our hands on the iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max, the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 devices—Xiaomi 15, Xiaomi 15 Pro, and OnePlus 13—and upcoming Dimensity 9400 phones, which include the Vivo X200 and X200 Pro.
