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InnoReviews

Apple A18 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Apple A18
66.2Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
73.8Inno Score
68.4CPU67.9
50.6GPU—
67.5Benchmarks80.1
72AIspec-based—
82.1Efficiencyspec-based77.2
3 spec wins — Apple A184 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

InnoReviews verdict

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 wins this mobile chipset face-off, 73.8 to 66.2, pulling ahead mainly in benchmarks (+13). 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

  • 22% lower TDP (typical): 7 W vs 9 W

Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

  • Stronger benchmarks score: 80 vs 68
  • 33% higher cores: 8 vs 6
  • 28% higher Max bandwidth: 77 GB/s vs 60 GB/s
  • 14% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 9,200 vs 8,050

General

General comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
Announced20242025
Process3 nm3 nm
TDP (typical)7 W+22%9 W
ArchitectureArmv9Armv9 (Oryon)

CPU

CPU comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
Cores68+33%
Core configuration2x4.04 GHz performance + 4x2.2 GHz efficiency2x3.8 GHz Oryon Prime + 6x3.32 GHz Oryon Performance
Max clock4.04 GHz+6%3.8 GHz

GPU

GPU comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
GPUApple GPU (5-core)Qualcomm Adreno 840 (binned)

AI

AI comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
NPUNeural Engine (16-core)Qualcomm Hexagon
AI performance35 TOPS—

Memory

Memory comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
Memory typeLPDDR5X-6400LPDDR5X
Max bandwidth60 GB/s77 GB/s+28%

Connectivity

Connectivity comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
ModemSnapdragon X70 5G (external)Snapdragon X80 5G
Wi-FiWi-Fi 7Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth5.36.0

Media

Media comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
Max displaySuper Retina XDRWQHD+ @ 144Hz
Video capture4K@120fps8K@30fps

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: Apple A18 versus Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
SpecApple A18Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared1,650,0002,724,754Top 20%
AnTuTu 11 (CPU)—866,588Top 12%
AnTuTu 11 (GPU)—853,716Top 20%
AnTuTu 11 (Memory)—368,524Top 12%
AnTuTu 11 (UX)—635,926Top 12%
Geekbench 6 (single)3,250+8%Top 7%3,000Top 9%
Geekbench 6 (multi)8,050Top 12%9,200+14%Top 7%
3DMark Wild Life Extreme3,950Top 24%—

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