Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A17 Pro Best Processor

Mobile processors are at the heart of modern smartphones, and two of the most powerful chips in 2024 are Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Apple’s A17 Pro. Both are flagship chipsets designed to deliver high performance, but they take different approaches in architecture, efficiency, and real-world performance. In this review, we compare them in-depth to determine which offers better speed, efficiency, gaming, and AI capabilities.

Specifications Overview

CPU Performance: Which One is Faster?

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 features an octa-core CPU setup with a powerful Cortex-X4 prime core. This results in improved multi-threaded performance, making it highly efficient for multitasking and demanding applications. Meanwhile, the Apple A17 Pro sticks to a 6-core setup (2 high-performance and 4 efficiency cores) with a higher clock speed of 3.78GHz.

Benchmark Scores (Geekbench 6)

While Apple continues to dominate in single-core performance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has caught up in multi-core performance, making it better for multi-threaded tasks such as video editing and gaming.

GPU and Gaming Performance

Apple has significantly improved GPU performance with the A17 Pro, introducing hardware-accelerated ray tracing for console-level gaming. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 counters with the Adreno 750, which also supports ray tracing and delivers higher FPS in some Android games.

Gaming Performance (GFXBench Aztec 1440p)

The A17 Pro leads in graphical performance, but the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 holds up well and offers better thermal efficiency during long gaming sessions.

AI and Machine Learning

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 comes with an improved Hexagon NPU, making it more efficient at handling AI-driven tasks. Qualcomm has optimized AI for camera enhancements, voice processing, and real-time language translation. Meanwhile, Apple’s Neural Engine is optimized for on-device AI and machine learning for photography and augmented reality.

AI Performance Benchmark (MLPerf)

Both chips excel at AI, but Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is slightly better at real-time AI applications, while Apple A17 Pro focuses more on efficiency.

Battery Efficiency and Power Consumption

Apple’s 3nm process gives the A17 Pro an advantage in battery efficiency, allowing for better power management. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, while built on a 4nm node, optimizes power through its Dynamic Energy-Saving Mode, reducing unnecessary power draw.

Battery Life (Based on 5000mAh Battery)

Both chips are highly efficient, but Apple A17 Pro slightly outperforms Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in power management.

Connectivity and 5G Performance

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 comes with the Snapdragon X75 modem, delivering faster 5G speeds with better coverage and lower latency.
• Apple A17 Pro uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 modem, which is excellent but slightly behind X75 in power efficiency and speed.

Camera and Image Processing

Both processors come with advanced ISPs to handle computational photography.

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Features Snapdragon Spectra ISP, allowing real-time semantic segmentation for better background blur and HDR processing.
• Apple A17 Pro: Apple’s ISP is deeply integrated with iOS’s Smart HDR and Deep Fusion, making skin tones and dynamic range more natural.

Final Verdict: Which One is Better?

• Choose the Apple A17 Pro if you want the best single-core performance, battery efficiency, and gaming with ray tracing.
• Choose the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 if you prefer better AI, 5G connectivity, and multi-core performance for Android devices.

Ultimately, both chipsets are powerhouses, and your choice depends on whether you prefer iOS (Apple A17 Pro) or Android (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3).

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