Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs Apple A16 Bionic

We have evaluated two mobile processors, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Apple A16 Bionic. While both offer great performance, there are some key differences between them that users should be aware of. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and the A16 Bionic and compare their features and performance.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Overview

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a high-end mobile processor announced in November 2022. It’s based on the Qualcomm Kryo architecture and is manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm fabrication process. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is compatible with LPDDR5X RAM and offers support for up to 24GB of RAM. It also has a built-in Adreno 740 GPU for graphics processing.

Apple A16 Bionic Overview

The A16 Bionic is a high-end mobile processor announced in September 2022. It is manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm fabrication process. The A16 Bionic is compatible with LPDDR5 RAM and offers support for up to 8GB of RAM. It also has a built-in Apple GPU for graphics processing. So, how do these compare to each other? And which one is better? Let’s find out.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs A16 Bionic: CPU Performance

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is an octa-core processor with a primary Cortex X3 core clocked at 3.2 GHz, four Cortex-A715 cores clocked at 2.8 GHz, and three Cortex-A710 cores clocked at 2 GHz. Whereas the A16 Bionic is a Hexa-core CPU with two powerful Everest cores clocked at 3.46 GHz and four efficient Sawtooth cores clocked at 2.02 GHz.

While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 may have more cores, the A16 Bionic has better performance cores and even efficiency cores. And not to mention, their seamless integration of hardware and software makes the A16 Bionic even better. 

The A16 Bionic clearly outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in CPU performance. However, it is not much behind the Apple chip. In fact, the gap between a Snapdragon chip and an Apple chip has never been narrower.

Overall, the A16 Bionic is a faster processor than the A16 Bionic. However, the differences in performance need to be more significant to make a huge difference in real-world use.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs A16 Bionic: GPU Performance

The GPU performance is the aspect where the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 beats the A16 Bionic. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has a better and more efficient GPU that delivers an amazing mobile gaming experience. Gaming has never been better on a smartphone.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has the Adreno 740 GPU, which Qualcomm claims to deliver 25% performance while consuming 45% less power. The GPU also has hardware-based ray tracing for rendering realistic faces and textures.

As for the A16 Bionic, it has the same GPU as the A15 Bionic, with minor performance and efficiency boosts. Qualcomm’s huge upgrade to the GPU makes it better than A16 Bionic. And if not better, it should be on par.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs A16 Bionic: Benchmarks

We have also compared the benchmarks of the two flagship chips if you are into it. At the moment, we have benchmarks of both the chips on GeekBench 5 and AnTuTu.

On GeekBench 5, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 scored 1483 in the single-core test and 4742 in the multi-core test. Comparing these scores to A16 Bionic’s, it scored significantly higher, with around 1883 in single-core and 5282 in multi-core. Do note that GeekBench only tests the CPU of an SoC.

On AnTuTu, things take a turn. As per a leaked AnTuTu test by Mukul Sharma, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 scored 1,293,410. This is comparatively higher than the 972,936 scores of the A16 Bionic. However, comparing the two based on AnTuTu scores is not justified, as AnTuTu operates differently on both platforms.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs A16 Bionic: AI & ML

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 again takes the lead with its better AI engine. The new Hexagon Processor is up to 4.35 times faster than the last generation. It is 60% more power-efficient as well. 

Apple needs to work on improving AI as the ISP heavily relies on it. The A16 Bionic’s Neural Engine is still behind, with around 16 Trillion operations per second. For instance, even the last generation Snapdragon chip, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, could perform about 27 Trillion operations per second. 

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs A16 Bionic: Connectivity

Qualcomm uses the new Snapdragon X70 modem on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The new modem also brings support for dual 5G SIM for the first time. The download and upload speeds are the same as the last generation. However, Qualcomm claims it to be more efficient. 

As for the A16 Bionic, it is said to use a Snapdragon modem for 5G connectivity, which is obviously inferior to the Snapdragon X70 modem.

Both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and the A16 Bionic offer support for Bluetooth 5.3 mmWave 5G and sub-6 GHz 5G bands. While the A16 Bionic still supports Wi-Fi 6, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 supports the latest Wi-Fi 7, which has speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps (2 times faster than Wi-Fi 6). The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 also supports India’s positioning system, NavIC.

Final Words

So, which one is better? It depends on what you’re looking for. If you want the best CPU performance and efficiency, the A16 Bionic is the way to go. However, if you want better graphics performance and connectivity, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the better choice. Which one you would pick? Let us know in the comments.