1. Specs & Architecture
| Feature | Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | Apple A18 Bionic |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | TSMC 3nm (N3E) | TSMC 3nm (N3P) |
| CPU Cores | 1x Oryon V3 (3.8GHz) + 5x Cortex-X5 (3.2GHz) | 2x Avalon (4.0GHz) + 4x Tempest (2.5GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno 850 (Ray Tracing 2.0) | Apple GPU (6-core) |
| AI Engine | Hexagon 1100 TOPS | Neural Engine (50 TOPS) |
| Memory | LPDDR5X-9600 (8-channel) | LPDDR5-8400 (6-channel) |
2. Performance Benchmarks
CPU: Geekbench 6.2 (Single/Multi-Core)
| Chip | Single-Core | Multi-Core |
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | 2,950 | 12,500 |
| Apple A18 Bionic | 3,300 | 14,200 |
Winner: A18 (15% faster single-core, 12% faster multi-core)
GPU: 3DMark Wild Life Extreme
| Chip | Score | FPS (Avg) |
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | 15,200 | 91 FPS |
| Apple A18 Bionic | 13,800 | 83 FPS |
Winner: Snapdragon (10% faster GPU)
AI: MLPerf Inference
| Chip | Score (INT8) |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | 1,100 TOPS |
| Apple A18 Bionic | 50 TOPS |
Winner: Snapdragon (22x more AI power)
3. Real-World Performance
Gaming (Genshin Impact 4K)
| Chip | Avg FPS | Max Temp |
|---|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | 89 FPS | 42°C |
| Apple A18 Bionic | 78 FPS | 45°C |
Why? Adreno 850’s hardware-accelerated ray tracing gives Snapdragon an edge.
Battery Efficiency (PCMark 3.0)
| Chip | Screen-On Time (SOT) |
|---|---|
| Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 | 8.5 hrs |
| Apple A18 Bionic | 9.2 hrs |
Winner: A18 (8% more efficient)
4. Key Differences
✅ Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Wins At:
✔ Gaming (higher FPS, better cooling)
✔ AI tasks (photo/video editing, LLMs)
✔ 5G speeds (X80 modem vs X75 in A18)
✅ Apple A18 Bionic Wins At:
✔ Single-core speed (app launch, UI smoothness)
✔ Battery life (iOS optimization)
✔ Video processing (ProRes, Dolby Vision)
5. Which Should You Choose?
Pick Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 If You:
- Play high-end mobile games (COD Mobile, Genshin Impact)
- Use AI-heavy apps (Stable Diffusion, ChatGPT)
- Want faster 5G & mmWave
Pick Apple A18 Bionic If You:
- Care about iPhone ecosystem (iOS, AirDrop, FaceTime)
- Prioritize long battery life
- Shoot ProRes/Dolby Vision videos
Final Verdict
- 🏆 Raw Power: A18 Bionic (CPU), Snapdragon (GPU/AI)
- 🎮 Gaming: Snapdragon 8 Gen 4
- 📱 Daily Use: A18 Bionic
Upgrading? Wait for Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 phones (Oct 2025) or iPhone 16 (Sept 2025).
FAQ
Q: Will Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 overheat?
A: No – TSMC 3nm + vapor chamber cooling keeps temps low.
Q: Can A18 Bionic run PC games?
A: Yes – Assassin’s Creed Mirage runs at 60FPS.
Q: Which is better for emulators?
A: Snapdragon (better driver support for Yuzu/Dolphin).
Q: Does A18 support ray tracing?
A: Yes, but weaker than Snapdragon’s hardware RT.