The arrival of the iPhone 15 has sparked many comparisons with Android. With the new A17 Pro processor (Apple has dropped the Bionic name), we might be looking at a new performance champion. So, how does Apple’s next-generation processor, the A17 Pro, perform against the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2?
Before diving into technical specifications, it’s worth noting that Apple no longer uses a more powerful processor in every new iPhone. The A17 Pro is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The regular and Plus versions are powered by the A16 Bionic, which also powers the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
Apple A17 Pro vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
As usual, Apple’s latest processors are built on the customized approach of the Arm architecture. This means processor cores that you won’t find in Android or anywhere else, giving the chip a more unique performance profile. As always, Apple’s A17 Pro features two powerful cores and four energy-efficient cores, but this year, Apple hasn’t given them specific names.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 utilizes licensed Arm processor components: a single Cortex-X3, four Cortex-A715, and four Cortex-A510. This configuration appears to be a bit more dynamic in power allocation and has more cores. However, the A17 Pro holds an advantage in benchmark scores in both single-core and multi-core sections.
Apple has announced that an update will be released following the detection of high radiation levels in the iPhone 12 model in France.
| Attribute | Apple A17 Pro | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Config | 2x High-performance 4x Energy-efficient | 1x 3.19GHz (Cortex-X3) 2x 2.8GHz (Cortex-A715) 2x 2.8GHz (Cortex-A710) 3x 2.0GHz (Cortex-A510) |
| GPU | 6-core (Apple-designed) Hardware ray-tracing | Adreno 740 Hardware ray-tracing |
| AI | 16-core Apple Neural Engine | Hexagon DSP |
| RAM support | LPDDR5 | LPDDR5X |
| Video | HEVC, AV1 decode 4K60 capture | HEVC, AV1 decode 4K120, 8K30 capture |
| 4G/5G Modem | X70 LTE/5G 10,000Mbps down 3,500Mbps up | X70 LTE/5G 10,000Mbps down 3,500Mbps up |
| Other networking | Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 6E | Bluetooth 5.3 Wi-Fi 7 Ready |
| Process | TSMC 3nm | TSMC 4nm |
In conclusion, the A17 Pro scores 2757 points in single-core and 7158 points in multi-core performance. When we look at the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 used in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, it scores 1964 points in single-core and 5199 points in multi-core. When it comes to the 3DMark Wildlife GPU test, the 8 Gen 2 in the S23 Ultra scores 13298 points, while the A17 Pro scores 11860 points. So, in this regard, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a generation behind, outperforms Apple’s next-generation processor.
Indeed, it’s evident that the A17 Pro has the upper hand here. However, it’s crucial to note a very important point. Apple is one generation ahead in the processor race compared to Android. Android smartphones will see their own increase with the arrival of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Google’s Tensor G3. It’s only then that we can make a more fair comparison and obtain more accurate results.
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