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InnoReviews

Apple A18 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5

WINNER
Apple A18
66.2Inno Score
VS
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
38.6Inno Score
68.4CPU32.3
50.6GPU28.5
67.5Benchmarks—
72AIspec-based—
82.1Efficiencyspec-based68
5 spec wins — Apple A182 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5

InnoReviews verdict

Apple A18 wins this mobile chipset face-off, 66.2 to 38.6, pulling ahead mainly in CPU (+36) and GPU (+22). Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the Apple A18

  • Stronger CPU score: 68 vs 32
  • Stronger GPU score: 51 vs 29
  • 218% higher 3DMark Wild Life Extreme: 3,950 vs 1,241
  • 196% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,250 vs 1,097
  • 141% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 8,050 vs 3,344

Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5

  • 33% higher cores: 8 vs 6

General

General comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
Announced20242026
Process3 nm+25%4 nm
TDP (typical)7 W—
ArchitectureArmv9Armv8.2

CPU

CPU comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
Cores68+33%
Core configuration2x4.04 GHz performance + 4x2.2 GHz efficiency4x2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 + 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55
Max clock4.04 GHz+55%2.6 GHz

GPU

GPU comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
GPUApple GPU (5-core)Adreno 812

AI

AI comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
NPUNeural Engine (16-core)—
AI performance35 TOPS—

Memory

Memory comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
Memory typeLPDDR5X-6400LPDDR4X/LPDDR5
Max bandwidth60 GB/s—

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
ModemSnapdragon X70 5G (external)Qualcomm 5G Modem-RF System
Max download—2.8 Gbps
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.36.0

Media

Media comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
Max displaySuper Retina XDRFHD+ @ 144Hz
Video capture4K@120fps4K@30fps

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 5
AnTuTu1,650,000—
Geekbench 6 (single)3,250+196%Top 7%1,097Top 47%
Geekbench 6 (multi)8,050+141%Top 12%3,344Top 42%
3DMark Wild Life Extreme3,950+218%Top 24%1,241Bottom 33%

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