There is no universal winner: in Tom’s Guide’s 2025 comparison, the A19-powered iPhone 17 scored higher in Geekbench 6 single-core and finished its video-transcoding task sooner, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Galaxy S25 scored higher in Geekbench 6 multi-core and 3DMark Wild Life Original Unlimited. Those are results from two specific phones, not isolated measurements that prove one chip will be faster in every handset or workload.
Specifications: two different integrated phone platforms
The A19 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are processors within broader mobile platforms. They are not drop-in components to upgrade a phone: to use either one, you buy a handset built around it. The surrounding device—including cooling, firmware, memory and power limits—also helps determine real-world performance.
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| Specification | Apple A19 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU configuration | Six cores: two performance cores and four efficiency cores, according to Apple’s iPhone 17 specifications. | Qualcomm lists one prime core up to 3.4 GHz and five performance cores up to 3.2 GHz in its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 product brief. Qualcomm notes that CPU versions can vary and directs readers to device makers for handset speeds. |
| GPU | Five-core GPU with Neural Accelerators; Apple lists hardware-accelerated ray tracing in the iPhone 17 specifications. | The cited Qualcomm product brief is the source for the processor platform, but it does not establish a directly comparable GPU-core count or ray-tracing specification. |
| Neural/AI hardware | 16-core Neural Engine, per Apple’s iPhone 17 specifications. | Not stated in the cited Qualcomm product brief in a directly comparable form. |
| Manufacturing process | Apple says A19 uses third-generation 3-nanometer technology in its iPhone 17 launch announcement. | A directly comparable manufacturing-node claim is not established by the cited sources. |
These specification descriptions do not by themselves predict which phone will feel faster. Core counts and advertised clock limits are not interchangeable measures, and Qualcomm’s listed maximum frequencies should not be assumed for every Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 handset.
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Tom’s Guide tested an iPhone 17 with A19 and a Galaxy S25 identified in its comparison as using Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The figures below belong to those phones and that publication’s test setup; they are not guaranteed results for every device with either platform.
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| Test or workload | iPhone 17 (A19) | Galaxy S25 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) | Higher/faster result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 single-core | 3,701 | 2,916 | iPhone 17 |
| Geekbench 6 multi-core | 9,460 | 9,886 | Galaxy S25 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Original Unlimited | 130.97 fps | 158.02 fps | Galaxy S25 |
| Adobe Premiere Rush video transcoding | 0:22 | 0:53 | iPhone 17 |
Source for all four comparisons: Tom’s Guide’s iPhone 17 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 comparison (2025). Scores are whole-device results, and the transcoding time measures a particular software workflow rather than a pure CPU benchmark.
What the results say about CPU performance
Single-core: iPhone 17 leads in this Geekbench 6 test
The iPhone 17 scored 3,701 against 2,916 for the Galaxy S25 in Tom’s Guide’s Geekbench 6 single-core test. Single-core results can help indicate performance in work that relies heavily on one CPU core, but this pair of phone scores does not establish a universal advantage across apps or Snapdragon devices.
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Multi-core: Galaxy S25 edges this comparison
In the same Geekbench 6 comparison, the Galaxy S25 recorded 9,886 versus 9,460 for the iPhone 17. That result gives the Snapdragon-powered phone the lead in this test’s aggregate multi-core score; it does not mean every parallel task will run faster on every 8 Gen 3 handset.
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Tom’s Guide reported 158.02 fps for the Galaxy S25 and 130.97 fps for the iPhone 17 in 3DMark Wild Life Original Unlimited. This is a named graphics test on those devices. It is useful evidence for that workload, but it does not establish frame rates in particular games or how either phone performs during long sessions.
Rank #3
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Sustained gaming depends on more than a peak benchmark result. Cooling design, firmware, power limits, software and the phone’s operating conditions can affect performance over time. The cited comparison does not establish matched long-duration thermal results for the two chips, so the 3DMark numbers should not be treated as a complete gaming comparison.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Neural and AI features: hardware counts are not an app comparison
Apple specifies a 16-core Neural Engine in the A19-powered iPhone 17 and Neural Accelerators in its five-core GPU. The cited specifications do not provide a like-for-like Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 AI measurement or establish how quickly the two phones complete the same AI task. Hardware descriptions alone cannot show which phone’s AI features are more useful or faster; the available software and the task matter.
Rank #4
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- Rear Camera: 50MP, f/1.8 + 8MP, f/2.2 + 5MP, f/2.4, Front Camera: 12MP, f/2.2, 5000mAh Battery, Bluetooth 5.4
Efficiency and battery life: these results do not pick a winner
The benchmark comparison does not establish which processor is more power-efficient or which phone lasts longer on a charge. Battery life is a whole-phone outcome shaped by the display, battery capacity, radio use, software, workload and power management as well as the processor. A fair answer would require comparable battery testing of named handsets, rather than an inference from CPU or graphics scores.
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Apple says the A19’s six-core CPU is 1.5 times faster and its five-core GPU more than twice as fast as the A15 Bionic in iPhone 13. That is Apple’s own comparison against A15, not a result against Snapdragon 8 Gen 3; it should not be used to rank the A19 against Qualcomm’s chip. See Apple’s iPhone 17 launch announcement.
Which phone should you choose?
Choose between actual handsets, not processor names in isolation. The iPhone 17 is a real A19 phone; the Galaxy S25 is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 example in the cited benchmark comparison. The figures do not establish a current price or regional configuration advantage, so check the exact model and local listing before buying.
- For the cited single-core and video-transcoding results: the iPhone 17 led these two Tom’s Guide workloads.
- For the cited multi-core and graphics results: the Galaxy S25 led these two tests.
- For gaming, battery life, AI features or overall value: compare the specific handset experience and reliable tests for the workload you care about; these benchmark figures do not settle those questions.
How to check newer benchmark submissions
Benchmark databases change as new devices and submissions appear. Geekbench’s mobile benchmark chart and iPhone chart can help readers inspect newer results. Compare entries from the same Geekbench generation and check the device identity; do not combine scores from different versions or testing protocols into a single ranking.
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