Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Apple A18 have been the most promising and recent additions to the chipset and processor race. The trending debates between Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Apple A18, as well as discussions over Android processors and Apple processors, have always been prevalent in the market.
Earlier, Apple processors and chipsets always had an upper edge over Snapdragon processors. However, with the recent updates to Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, this edge can become slightly blurred.
In this article, we provide a comparative brief discussion of the two chipsets: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs. Apple A18. Stay hooked and discover what lies inside these processing updates.
Also Read: Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Vs Bionic A18 Vs Dimensity 9400
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: Introduction
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 was introduced in the last quarter of 2023. This chipset featured an 8-core setup, which impressed mobile phone users worldwide. Available mainly in high-end flagship phones, this processor was a key selling point for the brands.
With an impressive overall AnTuTu score of 2,052,774, this chipset has become a popular choice for gamers and multitasking enthusiasts. Users have also highly appreciated the processor for being free of heating issues even after hours of battery drain and multitasking. This makes it a higher scorer in the comparison of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A18.
Also Read: List of Snapdragon Processors
Key Features of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is manufactured using a 4-nanometer process technology.
- It features 8-core integration. This integration is backed by one core clocked at 3300 MHz, two cores at 3150 MHz, two cores at 2960 MHz, and two cores at 2270 MHz.
- It can run fast and has greater gaming performance. This makes it a worthy choice in the comparison of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A18.
- It can also handle large language models, making it a good choice for AI performance and high-tech multitasking applications.
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also features significant ISP upgrades, which are crucial for improved camera performance in phones with 200mp cameras or 8K video shooting capabilities.
Now, moving ahead, let’s take a brief look at our second competitor in the analysis of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs. Apple A18.
Apple A18: Introduction
Coming to the Apple A18, it has been a pioneer in upgrading Apple chipsets. Apple A18 outperforms previous processors and impresses Apple users with its clock speed and fast performance. It launched around September 2024.
With an overall AnTuTu score of 1,622,118, this chipset was highly appreciated among Apple users. Although the recent upgrades to Qualcomm processors have led to backlash, the Apple A18 processor has faced criticism. The gaming audience and multitasking enthusiasts have often said that it’s time for Apple to move on from its premium brand and feature range and focus on actual high-performance upgrades. The preferences and goodwill of Apple processors here play a crucial role in comparing Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A18. Anyway, let’s see the key features of the Apple A18 chipset that make it stand out.
Also Read: Apple iPhone 13 Processor vs iPhone 14 Processor
Key Features of Apple A18:
- Apple A18 is manufactured using a 3-nanometer process technology.
- It features a 6-core setup, but these cores have impressive clock speeds. Two cores clock at 4050 MHz, while the other four clock at 2420 MHz.
- This chipset features efficient photo processing speed and ray tracing, ideal for capturing the best iPhone snaps.
- The Apple A18 is the most energy-efficient Apple processor compared to its previous versions.
- It is capable of 35 TOPS (trillions of operations per second), making it suitable for heavy-load AI tasks and multitasking.
Undoubtedly, the Apple A18 processor has impressed iPhone users. It has also become a key reason for Apple users to switch or upgrade to the latest iPhone.
Drawing out the key features when comparing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs. the Apple A18, we can see that both chipsets have their unique features and identities. Let’s now examine the various aspects of the comparison between the two.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A18: Comparison
Now, let’s compare the Snapdragon vs Apple chipsets. The root of comparing Snapdragon 8 Gen3 vs Apple A18 lies in the everlasting comparisons of Android processors against Apple processors.
When it comes to Android processors, Qualcomm Snapdragon processors have been impressive at every stage. Every upgraded version of these chipsets surprises the users with newer benchmarks. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has also been efficient, as evidenced by its AnTuTu score. Moreover, it has a good clock speed and high score CPU performance in gaming and multitasking.
Also Read: Best Mobile Phone Processors Ranking in 2025
Apple processors, on the other hand, are equipped with higher ray tracing capabilities, TOPS scores, and better energy efficiency, among other features. This is due to user preference. The preferences of Apple users have mainly been about camera performance, software-based tasks, AI enhancements, faster UI/UX, etc., rather than gaming or GPU scores. In the same vein, Apple A18 has delivered efficiently on such benchmarks and impressed iPhone audiences.
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A18: Key Differences
| Feature/Benchmark | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Apple A18 |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | Adreno 750 | Apple 18 GPU |
| Cores | 8 | 6 |
| AnTuTu Score [Overall] | 2,052,774 | 1,622,118 |
| AnTuTu score [GPU] | 896726 | 694070 |
| AnTuTu Score [Memory] | 330881 | 177712 |
| Highest Clock speed | Comparatively Lower – 3300 MHz | Comparatively Higher – 4050 MHz |
| Neural Processing | Comparatively Lower | Comparatively Higher because of 3 3-nanometer processor |
| Comparatively better due to overall camera hardware and software support. | Comparatively Lower | Energy Efficiency |
| Photo Processing | Comparatively Lower | Comparatively Better because of overall camera hardware and software support.. |
There are additional features that highlight various aspects of both processors. Users’ preferences might depend on the utility they need the most. Moreover, the comparison of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A18 also lies in the fact that you are choosing which device. For this reason, we take a look at devices compatible with both of these processors.
Also Read: Mediatek Processor vs Snapdragon: What’s Your Best Pick?
Some of the devices which are compatible with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3:
Some of the devices which are compatible with Apple A18:
End Note: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs Apple A18
The key takeaway for comparing Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 vs. Apple A18 is that your preference should be your priority. The trends have proved that Android processors are no less potent than Apple processors today. If you are a gaming enthusiast, you’ll find that gamers are majorly preferring Snapdragon processors and MediaTek processors as well. These chipsets have higher scores and efficient performance under heavy loads. However, the goodwill of Apple processors can’t be denied either.
Before making any decision, please review your budget and research the phones thoroughly. It’s always the priority and the phone that matter, rather than the processor. So, give it a try and stay tuned for more blogs like this!
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