Snapdragon 8 Elite vs Apple A18 Pro: What’s the difference?

Qualcomm has just announced its newest mobile chip with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. 

A successor to last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 which can be found in many premium Android handsets, the Snapdragon 8 Elite promises an unprecedented CPU performance and an “outstanding experience”.

So how does the chip compare to Apple’s own latest premium processor, A18 Pro which is found in the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max?

We have compared the specs of the Snapdragon 8 Elite to the A18 Pro and highlighted the key difference between the two below.

Android or iPhone 

Technicalities aside, the most obvious difference between the Snapdragon 8 Elite and A18 Pro is that the former will be found in upcoming premium Android handsets while the latter is solely made for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

Regardless of the handset brand, Snapdragon 8 Elite will run on Android 15 while the A18 Pro runs on iOS 18.

The A18 Pro has a focus on AI

One of the main focuses of the A18 Pro chip is its AI support. With a new 16-core Neural Engine, the A18 Pro is faster and more efficient than last year’s A17 Pro and can power faster on-device performance for Apple Intelligence.

In fact, Apple explains that the A18 Pro boasts a 17% increase in total system memory bandwidth which enables the upcoming AI toolkit to run faster. In addition the A18 Pro also promises to save power by handling high-efficiency, high-throughput and low-latency computations on the six-core CPU without engaging the Neural Engine.

That’s not to say that the Snapdragon 8 Elite lacks AI prowess, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Snapdragon chipsets have a reputation for boasting AI smarts, with last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 sporting an AI Engine to support multi-modal generative AI models. 

The Snapdragon 8 Elite now uses the same Oryon CPU architecture as the Snapdragon X Elite laptop chip, which allows the chipset to take some of the grunt from the NPU, allowing the NPU to focus solely on AI tasks, rather than taking on the heavy lifting of other AI-related activities. 

The Hexagon NPU has been improved in the Snapdragon 8 Elite with additional cores for up to 45% faster AI performance than its predecessor.

Perhaps most notably, the Snapdragon 8 Elite will feature an AI assistant powered by multiple AI models. This assistant will be able to see through your handset’s camera which allows you to ask about objects via live view. All of this is also done entirely on-device. 

The Snapdragon 8 Elite offers a boosted gaming performance

With support for Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite solution which improves 3D environments in games with better textures plus improved lighting and Adreno GPU which delivers higher clock speeds and 40% higher frame rates, the Snapdragon 8 Elite promises to be a more efficient gaming chipset than its predecessor. 

Qualcomm also promises that gamers can enjoy extended gaming sessions by 2.5 hours, thanks to its 40% more efficient GPU which results in smoother gameplay.

On the other hand, the A18 Pro has a new six-core GPU which Apple promises is up to 20% faster than A17 Pro, resulting in smoother and more visually appealing gameplay. Both chipsets also support ray tracing, with the A18 Pro being up to two times faster for more realistic light sources and reflections.

A18 Pro has a higher resolution and frame-rate combination 

The A18 Pro actually sports a smartphone first as its camera support has the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available, with 4K@120fps video recording in Dolby Vision. Snapdragon 8 Elite, on the other hand, supports 4K@60fps instead.

Snapdragon 8 Elite works with AI-powered Image Signal Processing (ISP) which uses the Hexagon NPU to control autofocus, white balance and exposure via AI. All of the new and existing AI photo editing tools on Snapdragon 8 Elite will be on-device rather than via the cloud for better privacy. 

The Snapdragon 8 Elite uses AI to improve connectivity

As AI is prevalent across the chipset, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the Snapdragon 8 Elite uses AI to help increase connectivity. Promising to be 40% more efficient than before, Qualcomm’s chipset uses AI-enhanced 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity and an AI-powered multiantenna system for stronger and more responsive connectivity. 

The A18 Pro also features ways to keep users connected including the ability to use Messages via satellite in iOS 18. This allows users to connect to the nearest satellite to send and receive messages over both iMessage and SMS when outside Wi-Fi or mobile coverage.

Early verdict

While we are yet to review either a handset sporting Snapdragon 8 Elite or either the iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro Max, it’s too early to determine how the chipsets really compare. Even so, looking at the specs we can expect the Snapdragon 8 Elite to provide a better gaming experience while still sporting impressive AI power.

The A18 Pro chip also promises speedy and efficient AI power too, which is something that’s been missing from iPhones until now. With this in mind, we’re keen to see how the two chipsets perform and compare to each other.

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