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InnoReviews

Apple A18 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

Apple A18
67.3Inno Score
VS
WINNER
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
69.1Inno Score
70.2CPU67.2
53.1GPU57.6
—Benchmarks80.1
72AIspec-based—
82.1Efficiencyspec-based77.2
3 spec wins — Apple A185 spec wins — Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

InnoReviews verdict

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 wins this mobile chipset face-off, 69.1 to 67.3, pulling ahead mainly in GPU (+5). 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

  • Stronger CPU score: 70 vs 67
  • 22% lower TDP (typical): 7 W vs 9 W
  • 18% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 3,377 vs 2,860

Reasons to pick the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5

  • Stronger GPU score: 58 vs 53
  • 33% higher cores: 8 vs 6
  • 28% higher Max bandwidth: 77 GB/s vs 60 GB/s
  • 13% higher 3DMark Wild Life Extreme: 4,810 vs 4,255
  • 12% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 9,384 vs 8,362

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
AnTuTu—2,724,754Top 13%
AnTuTu 11 (CPU)—866,588Top 8%
AnTuTu 11 (GPU)—853,716Top 15%
AnTuTu 11 (Memory)—368,524Top 8%
AnTuTu 11 (UX)—635,926Top 8%
AnTuTu 12—2,935,993Top 13%
Geekbench 6 (single)3,377+18%Top 5%2,860Top 9%
Geekbench 6 (multi)8,362Top 9%9,384+12%Top 6%
3DMark Wild Life Extreme4,255Top 13%4,810+13%Top 10%

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