The standard Apple A19 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite trade places depending on the workload: a current Geekbench chart lists the iPhone 17 ahead in single-core performance, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra leads in multi-core. Those are results from two phones, not a controlled test of the processors in identical devices, so neither score makes one chip a universal winner.
How their specifications differ
Apple’s standard A19 configuration is documented in the iPhone 17 specifications. Qualcomm’s chip details below come from a third-party comparison page, which labels it “Snapdragon 8 Elite (Gen 4)”; that parenthetical is the comparison page’s naming, not a reason to confuse it with the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
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| Specification | Apple A19 | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Six cores: two performance and four efficiency cores, according to Apple’s iPhone 17 technical specifications. | Eight cores: two Oryon performance cores up to 4.32 GHz and six efficiency cores up to 3.53 GHz, according to NanoReview’s comparison. |
| Graphics | Five-core GPU with Neural Accelerators; Apple also lists hardware-accelerated ray tracing. | Adreno 830 graphics, according to NanoReview. |
| AI / neural hardware | 16-core Neural Engine. | Hexagon neural processor, according to NanoReview. |
| Manufacturing process | Not stated in the cited Apple specifications. | 3 nm, according to NanoReview; this is third-party comparison data. |
These are not directly equivalent design descriptions: Apple’s published specifications emphasize the A19’s core counts and Neural Engine, while the Snapdragon comparison supplies clock speeds and component names. Core counts alone do not establish which chip is faster.
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What the benchmark scores say
The Geekbench mobile chart, accessed on October 7, 2026, associates the following scores with the iPhone 17 and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Chart submissions can change, and the phones differ in hardware and software beyond their processors.
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| Geekbench chart entry | Single-core | Multi-core |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 / A19 | 2,995 | 8,280 |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra / Snapdragon 8 Elite | 2,475 | 8,893 |
In this snapshot, the iPhone entry is higher in single-core, while the Galaxy entry is higher in multi-core. Single-core and multi-core scores describe different CPU workloads; they are not interchangeable measures of overall speed.
A separate aggregate snapshot gives a different picture
NanoReview’s comparison, also accessed October 7, 2026, reports Geekbench 6 aggregates of 3,013 single-core and 9,287 multi-core for Snapdragon 8 Elite, versus 3,692 single-core and 9,454 multi-core for A19. Its sample counts are unequal: 148 Snapdragon tests and 9 A19 tests. These are not the same figures or necessarily the same collection of devices and conditions as Geekbench’s phone chart, so they should not be combined into one head-to-head result.
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Does one chip have better graphics?
NanoReview reports 3DMark Steel Nomad Light scores of 2,386 for Snapdragon 8 Elite and 2,147 for A19. This is a third-party cross-device comparison, not a matched laboratory test of the chips under identical cooling and software conditions. A graphics score can help compare performance in that particular test, but it does not establish gaming frame rates across phones or sustained performance during a long session.
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- A 13.8" TOUCHSCREEN YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE — Sharp colors, real detail, smooth 120Hz scrolling on the PixelSense touchscreen[1] with LCD display[2]. Tap, scroll, or pinch to zoom - whichever feels right for streaming, editing photos, or daily work.
- 20 HOURS OF BATTERY (LEAVE THE CHARGER) — Up to 20 hours of video playback[3] on a single charge. Work from a coffee shop, take it to class/work, or binge an entire season on a long flight — it'll keep up.
- THE PORTS YOU NEED — Two USB-C / USB4[4] ports for fast charging, big file transfers, or hooking up to three 4K monitors when you want a full desktop. Wi-Fi 7 keeps you online and fast wherever you are.
Why phone and test conditions matter
A benchmark measures a device running a particular software configuration, not a processor in isolation. Cooling and handset design can affect how long a phone sustains high performance; operating-system behavior, benchmark version, and test run also influence the result. The Geekbench chart values above identify a specific iPhone and Galaxy, while NanoReview’s numbers are aggregates with different sample sizes. Neither source establishes a matched standard-A19 versus Snapdragon 8 Elite sustained-performance test.
- For CPU responsiveness, compare single-core results from the same benchmark version and preferably matched testing.
- For parallel workloads, compare multi-core results separately rather than inferring them from single-core scores.
- For gaming, look for comparable graphics tests and frame-rate or sustained-load measurements on the actual phones being considered.
- Keep standard A19 results separate from A19 Pro results, and Snapdragon 8 Elite separate from Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Which should you choose?
If the choice is between the example phones represented in the Geekbench chart, the iPhone 17/A19 has the higher listed single-core score and the Galaxy S25 Ultra/Snapdragon 8 Elite the higher listed multi-core score. For graphics, the cited 3DMark result favors the Snapdragon entry, but it is not a controlled chip-only comparison. These benchmarks do not settle which phone is better for you: display, cameras, battery life, software support, operating system, and price require phone-specific evidence beyond processor scores.
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