There is no universal winner. In Tom’s Guide’s 2025 tests of specific phones, the A19 Pro-equipped iPhone 17 Pro models led Geekbench 6 single-core and 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited, while multicore results were close and varied by Galaxy S25 model. The Galaxy S25 Ultra led 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited. These are handset results—not a controlled comparison of two chips installed in otherwise identical phones.
Which phones use these chips?
Apple’s A19 Pro powers the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The original Snapdragon 8 Elite appears in the cited Samsung Galaxy S25 family phones. This comparison therefore reflects both the processors and the phones built around them, including their cooling, software, memory, and power management. The Snapdragon 8 Elite here is the October 2024 generation sometimes labeled “Gen 4”; it is not Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, its successor. NanoReview’s comparison uses the Gen 4 label to distinguish the two.
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How do the benchmark results compare?
The clearest apples-to-apples dataset in the cited material is Tom’s Guide’s testing of retail phones. Each score below belongs to the named handset; it should not be read as an isolated chip measurement.
| Phone and processor | Geekbench 6 single-core | Geekbench 6 multicore | Solar Bay Unlimited | Wild Life Unlimited | Adobe Premiere Rush transcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro (A19 Pro) | 3,834 | 9,988 | 46.6 fps | 158.4 fps | 22 seconds |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max (A19 Pro) | 3,871 | 9,968 | 46.6 fps | 159.5 fps | 22 seconds |
| Galaxy S25 (Snapdragon 8 Elite) | 2,916 | 9,886 | 43.4 fps | 158.0 fps | 53 seconds |
| Galaxy S25 Plus (Snapdragon 8 Elite) | 3,141 | 10,153 | 43.7 fps | 157.1 fps | 52 seconds |
| Galaxy S25 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Elite) | 3,031 | 9,829 | 42.4 fps | 161.7 fps | 52 seconds |
Source for all handset measurements in this table: Tom’s Guide, which reported its tests in 2025. The article’s Solar Bay Unlimited prose rounds the iPhone result to 46.4 fps, while its table gives 46.6 fps; the table value is shown here. A benchmark score is meaningful only with its test name and phone context.
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What the CPU results say
Single-core: A19 Pro leads in these tested phones
The two iPhones scored 3,834 and 3,871 in Geekbench 6 single-core, above the Galaxy S25 family results of 2,916–3,141. That gives the A19 Pro an advantage in this particular measure of single-core CPU performance. It is not a guarantee that every app will feel faster by the same amount.
Multicore: close results, with the phone changing the order
The results cluster between 9,829 and 10,153. The Galaxy S25 Plus scored highest in this group at 10,153; the iPhones recorded 9,968 and 9,988. The S25 and S25 Ultra came in at 9,886 and 9,829. The spread shows why “A19 Pro versus Snapdragon 8 Elite” alone does not establish a multicore winner independent of handset.
Which chip has the stronger graphics performance?
It depends on the graphics test. In Tom’s Guide’s 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited results, the iPhones posted 46.6 fps, above the Galaxy S25 phones’ 42.4–43.7 fps. In 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited, the Galaxy S25 Ultra led at 161.7 fps; the iPhone 17 Pro Max scored 159.5, the iPhone 17 Pro 158.4, and the S25 and S25 Plus 158.0 and 157.1 fps.
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These tests do not point to a single graphics winner across workloads. They are results for particular phones in named benchmarks, not a promise of identical frame rates in every game or graphics application.
What does the video-transcode result show?
Tom’s Guide’s Adobe Premiere Rush test took 22 seconds on both iPhone 17 Pro models, compared with 52 seconds on the Galaxy S25 Plus and S25 Ultra and 53 seconds on the Galaxy S25. This is a useful task-based result for that app and test, but one transcode does not establish which platform is faster across all video editing or export workloads.
Do the published specifications settle the comparison?
Secondary specification pages report both chips as 3 nm, with six CPU cores and a peak CPU frequency of 4.26 GHz for A19 Pro, versus eight cores and 4.32 GHz for Snapdragon 8 Elite. They also list Apple A19 Pro GPU and LPDDR5X for the A19 Pro, and Adreno 830 and LPDDR5X for Snapdragon 8 Elite. These are reported specifications, not independently confirmed here against vendor documentation; core counts and peak frequencies alone do not determine real-world speed. See 91mobiles and NanoReview.
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- Powerful internals: it runs on the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy (3 nm) chip, with 12 GB (or in some markets up to 16 GB) RAM and up to 1 TB UFS 4.0 storage — offering significantly improved CPU/GPU/NPU performance, especially for AI tasks, gaming, and heavy multitasking.
- Advanced quad‑camera system: 200 MP wide main sensor, plus a 50 MP ultrawide, a 50 MP periscope telephoto (5× optical zoom), and a 10 MP telephoto (3× optical zoom) — giving flexibility from ultra‑wide through detailed telephoto shots, and strong performance in varied lighting.
- 5,000 mAh battery with 45 W fast wired charging, wireless charging (Qi2) and reverse wireless charging — balancing long battery life with flexible charging options.
- Durable, premium build: Titanium‑frame body, protected by Corning Gorilla Armor 2 glass, with IP68 dust/water resistance, ultrasonic in‑display fingerprint sensor, modern connectivity (5G, Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth, UWB, USB‑C), and long‑term software support (Android 15 / One UI 7, promised 7 major OS/security updates).
Why do other benchmark pages show different numbers?
Benchmark values vary by tested device, software, test version, and aggregation method. They should not be combined into one ranking. For example, 91mobiles reports Geekbench 6 at 3,834/9,921 for A19 Pro and 3,184/10,105 for Snapdragon 8 Elite, while NanoReview reports 3,970/10,558 and 3,013/9,287. These are separate publisher-reported datasets, not replacements for Tom’s Guide’s named-phone results above. 91mobiles and NanoReview provide their own comparison-page figures.
AnTuTu totals need particular care: NanoReview explicitly cautions that iOS and Android results are not directly comparable. A larger total across those operating systems is not, by itself, evidence of a faster chip under a shared test protocol. NanoReview also reports Geekbench comparison sample counts of 16 for A19 Pro and 148 for Snapdragon 8 Elite; those aggregates are distinct from individual phone reviews.
What about sustained performance?
Tom’s Guide’s 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test reported 72% stability for iPhone 17 Pro Max, 70% for iPhone 16 Pro Max, and 58.3% for Galaxy S25 Ultra. These are results for those specific phones in that stress test. They should not be generalized into a stability rating for either processor across all devices.
How to use this comparison when choosing a phone
- If your priority is the cited Geekbench 6 single-core and Solar Bay Unlimited results, the tested iPhone 17 Pro models led.
- If you focus on multicore performance, note that the Galaxy S25 Plus topped this set while the other results stayed close; the handset matters.
- If you care about graphics, compare results from the test most relevant to your use: the iPhones led Solar Bay Unlimited, while Galaxy S25 Ultra led Wild Life Unlimited.
- For video export, the cited Premiere Rush test favored the iPhones, but it covers one app and one task.
- When comparing benchmark pages, keep each publisher’s devices and methodology separate, and do not treat cross-platform AnTuTu totals as directly comparable.
For the specific phones and tests cited here, A19 Pro has a clearer edge in single-core performance and Solar Bay Unlimited, while Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers competitive multicore results and a Wild Life Unlimited lead in Galaxy S25 Ultra. Which phone is faster for you depends on the workload and the handset—not just the processor name.
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