The current evidence does not show which chip is faster. Qualcomm and MediaTek publish specifications and vendor performance claims, and the only Dimensity 6360 Apex benchmark scores available come from real phones. No Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 score was tested under the same conditions, so any winner would be a guess. This article explains what each company documents, where the numbers can and cannot be compared, and how to judge the phones built on these chips.
What the manufacturers document
Both companies publish official product pages for these platforms. Those pages describe what each chip is designed to support, not how a specific phone performs. The table below sets out the documented values side by side.
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| Area | Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 | Dimensity 6360 / Apex | What the difference means |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Kryo CPU, 64-bit, clock speed up to 2.4 GHz (Qualcomm product page). The core layout is not listed on the page. | 2 × Arm Cortex-A76 up to 2.4 GHz plus 6 × Cortex-A55 up to 2.0 GHz (MediaTek product page). | A peak clock figure does not tell you how fast apps run. Core layout and sustained clocks matter more. |
| GPU | Adreno GPU. Qualcomm claims over 30% better graphics rendering than Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. | Arm Mali-G57 MC2 (MediaTek product page). | Each vendor compares against its own earlier chip. Neither claim is a head-to-head result. |
| Process node | 4 nm (Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Series comparison table). | 6 nm (listed by 91mobiles for the Apex). | A node label alone does not establish battery life or sustained performance. |
| Memory and storage | Qualcomm’s product page footnote says LP5X parts are supported up to an LP5 maximum frequency of 3.2 GHz. It tells buyers to check the phone maker’s specifications. | LPDDR4x at 2133 MHz and UFS 2.2 (MediaTek product page). | The chip sets a ceiling. The phone decides the actual RAM and storage. |
| Camera and display | Triple ISP; single-shot capture up to 200 MP (Qualcomm product page). | Camera ISP up to 108 MP; maximum display resolution 2520×1080; refresh rate up to 120 Hz (MediaTek product page). | These are supported maximums. Sensor, optics and tuning decide photo and screen quality. |
| Connectivity | Peak download up to 2.9 Gbps; Wi-Fi 6E; global 5G Multi-SIM (Qualcomm product page). | Peak download up to 3.3 Gbps; Wi-Fi 5; 5G features including carrier aggregation (MediaTek product page). | Peak figures assume ideal conditions. Bands and Wi-Fi support depend on the handset. |
Qualcomm states that Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 comes in multiple variants and that specifications vary by platform version and part number. Handset makers decide how each chip is implemented, so the same chip can appear in phones with very different memory, cooling, displays and modems.
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MediaTek is specific about the Dimensity 6360. It pairs two Cortex-A76 cores, which are the faster, higher-power design, with six Cortex-A55 efficiency cores. Qualcomm lists a 2.4 GHz maximum for Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 but does not enumerate its cores on the product page, so a core-by-core comparison is not possible from the vendor material alone.
#1 Best Overall
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Even where the layouts are known, peak clock speed does not predict app speed. Sustained performance depends on how long the phone can hold high clocks before thermal limits reduce them, and that is decided by the handset’s cooling design and software.
GPU and gaming claims
MediaTek names the Mali-G57 MC2 in the Dimensity 6360. Qualcomm names an Adreno GPU but does not give a model number in the product material. Because the two companies use different GPU architectures and report different metrics, the GPU specifications cannot be compared directly.
MediaTek’s Dimensity 6360 page claims up to 57% faster gaming performance and up to 19% better gaming power efficiency. The page compares against unnamed “direct alternative smartphone chipsets,” so it does not say which chips were measured. Qualcomm’s claim of over 30% better graphics rendering is measured against Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. Neither claim can be used to rank the two chips against each other.
Rank #2
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Tracfone plan required, activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- DISPLAY: Immersive viewing on a 6.7-inch super-bright 120Hz display with powerful stereo speakers and Bass Boost for cinematic entertainment.
- CAMERA SYSTEM: Advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera captures sharp, detailed photos and videos in any lighting condition
- PERFORMANCE: Lightning-fast 5G connectivity paired with a powerful processor and RAM Boost for smooth multitasking.
- BATTERY LIFE: Long-lasting 5000mAh battery with TurboPower charging technology delivers hours of power in minutes.
Manufacturer performance and efficiency claims
The following figures are vendor claims. They are not independent tests.
- Qualcomm, Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 product page: up to 10% CPU performance improvement and over 30% better GPU rendering, both versus Snapdragon 6 Gen 1.
- Qualcomm, Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 product page: over 20% better AI performance versus the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 platform.
- MediaTek, Dimensity 6360 product page: up to 57% faster gaming performance and up to 19% better gaming power efficiency versus unnamed alternative chipsets.
- MediaTek, Dimensity 6360 product page: up to 30% better power efficiency under typical 5G sub-6 GHz connectivity versus unnamed competing solutions.
Benchmark evidence for Dimensity 6360 Apex
91mobiles reports scores from phones powered by the Dimensity 6360 Apex, including the OnePlus N6 5G. Those results come from real devices, not a controlled laboratory comparison, and the page does not give test conditions, app versions or firmware builds.
- AnTuTu: 588,319 (benchmark table value).
- Geekbench 6: 788 single-core and 1,993 multi-core.
The same page’s summary gives an AnTuTu score of 588,702, which does not match its table. Use the table value only with that discrepancy in mind.
Rank #3
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
No Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 benchmark was tested under the same conditions in the sources reviewed, so these scores cannot be placed against a Snapdragon result. Benchmark scores from different test versions, phone models, firmware builds or thermal conditions are not directly comparable.
Dimensity 6360 or Dimensity 6360 Apex?
MediaTek’s official product page uses “Dimensity 6360.” Its Open Resource Architecture page lists “Dimensity 6360 APEX” within the Dimensity 6000 series. 91mobiles uses the Apex name for the device-based scores. The sources do not document a hardware difference between the two names, so this article treats them as the same platform.
How to choose between two phones
Because the chip-level evidence is incomplete, a phone’s own specifications and tests are more useful than the platform name. Compare the handsets you are considering on these points:
Rank #4
- PRIVACY DISPLAY: Automatically hide your screen from those beside you. The built-in privacy display can be preset¹ to turn on when receiving notifications, typing passwords, or using specific apps
- TYPE IT IN. TRANSFORM IT FAST: Enhance any shot in seconds on your smartphone by using Photo Assist² with Galaxy AI.³ Add objects, restore details, or apply new styles by simply typing or tapping
- NIGHTS, CAPTURED CLEARLY: From gigs to city lights, record and capture moments after dark with clarity using Nightography so your photos and videos stay crisp and clear on your Samsung Galaxy
- MAKE IT. EDIT IT. SHARE IT: Turn everyday moments into something personal with creative tools built right into your mobile phone, whether it’s a special contact photo, custom wallpaper, an invitation or more⁴
- HELP THAT KEEPS UP: Stay in the moment while Now Nudge with Galaxy AI helps you respond faster and stay organized with smart suggestions⁵ that appear exactly when you need them on your phone
- Sustained performance and thermals. Look for long-run gaming or stress tests that report frame rates or clock behaviour over time, not only short benchmark bursts.
- Battery capacity and observed endurance. Compare the battery size in mAh and independent battery tests from the same reviewer.
- Display. Check resolution, refresh rate, brightness and panel type in the handset’s own specifications, not the chip’s maximum.
- Camera. Check the main sensor model, lens design and video modes. The chip’s ISP limit is a ceiling only.
- Regional 5G and Wi-Fi. Confirm the bands supported in your country, carrier aggregation support and the Wi-Fi standard the phone uses. A chip’s peak download figure assumes conditions the phone may not meet.
- Memory, storage and software. Confirm the RAM and storage configuration, the number of major Android updates and security patches promised, and the price in your market.
If two phones you are considering use these chips, compare their reviews on the same points above. Test results for the specific handset are a better guide than either platform’s marketing figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is established and what is not
Established: the two companies document different CPU layouts, GPU families, memory limits and connectivity maximums, and the Dimensity 6360 Apex has device-based benchmark figures from 91mobiles. Not established: which chip performs better under matched conditions, how either chip sustains performance inside a phone, and how the vendor gaming and efficiency claims hold up against each other.
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The absence of a matched test means there is no fair benchmark winner in the sources reviewed. Readers who want to rank these chips will need test results from the same phone models, under the same conditions, with the same software versions.
Best Value
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- ACTIVATION Promotion: Includes 1500 min, 1500 texts & 1500 MB Data + add more as you need it
- CAMERA SYSTEM: 50MP Quad Pixel camera. Capture sharper, more vibrant photos day or night with 4x the light sensitivity.
- PERFORMANCE: Blazing-fast Qualcomm performance. Get the speed you need for great entertainment with a Snapdragon 680 processor and 4GB of RAM.
- 64GB built-in storage. Get plenty of room for photos, movies, songs, and apps. Made for US
Related reading: see our guides on how to read smartphone chipset specifications and how to compare phone battery and display tests.
Source references: MediaTek’s Dimensity 6360 product page; Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 Mobile Platform page and Snapdragon 6 Series Mobile Platforms comparison table; MediaTek’s Open Resource Architecture page for the Dimensity 6000 series; and 91mobiles’ Dimensity 6360 Apex specifications and benchmark article, accessed in 2026.
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