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InnoReviews

Apple A18 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6

Apple A18
66.2Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Q
96.4Inno Score
68.4CPU93.3
50.6GPU97.9
67.5Benchmarks—
72AIspec-based—
82.1Efficiencyspec-based100
0 spec wins — Apple A187 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6

InnoReviews verdict

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 wins this mobile chipset face-off, 96.4 to 66.2, pulling ahead mainly in GPU (+47) and CPU (+25). Apple A18 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

No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.

Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6

  • Stronger CPU score: 93 vs 68
  • Stronger GPU score: 98 vs 51
  • 147% higher 3DMark Wild Life Extreme: 9,739 vs 3,950
  • 59% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 12,801 vs 8,050
  • 33% lower process: 2 nm vs 3 nm

General

General comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
Announced20242026
Process3 nm2 nm+33%
TDP (typical)7 W—
ArchitectureArmv9—

CPU

CPU comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
Cores68+33%
Core configuration2x4.04 GHz performance + 4x2.2 GHz efficiency2x5.0 GHz Oryon Prime + 6x4.0 GHz Oryon Performance
Max clock4.04 GHz5 GHz+24%

GPU

GPU comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
GPUApple GPU (5-core)Qualcomm Adreno

AI

AI comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
NPUNeural Engine (16-core)Hexagon NPU
AI performance35 TOPS—

Memory

Memory comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
Memory typeLPDDR5X-6400LPDDR5X/LPDDR6
Max bandwidth60 GB/s—

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
ModemSnapdragon X70 5G (external)Qualcomm X105 5G Modem-RF System
Max download—14.8 Gbps
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 8
Bluetooth5.36.0

Media

Media comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
Max displaySuper Retina XDR8K @ 30Hz / QHD+ @ 240Hz
Video capture4K@120fps8K@60fps

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6
AnTuTu1,650,000—
Geekbench 6 (single)3,250Top 7%4,312+33%Top 2%
Geekbench 6 (multi)8,050Top 12%12,801+59%Top 2%
3DMark Wild Life Extreme3,950Top 24%9,739+147%Top 2%

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