There is no denying that Apple's M4 SoC is an incredible performer in both single-core and multi-core CPU benchmarks, in no small part thanks to its support for the SME instruction set. However, if a recent leak is anything to go by, it appears that Apple's desktop-class M4 SoC has some serious competition nipping at its heels, considering that Qualcomm's and MediaTek's next-generation smartphone SoCs, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 and the Dimensity 9500, are expected to boast impressive improvements.
According to a recent tidbit shared by the prominent leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 and Dimensity 9500 SoCs will likely feature SME support and leverage TSMC's N3P process. This lines up neatly with a previous rumor by @Junkanlosreve, who made an identical claim, and added that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 will utilize a mix of Samsung's 2nm SF2 node and TSMC's 3nm N3P.
But here's where it gets spicier - with the adoption of Armv9-A and its SME support, and coupled with cranked-up clock speeds, the next-generation flagship smartphone SoCs are expected to near the 4,000 points barrier in Geekbench 6's single-core test, which will allow them to outshine Apple's M4-powered iPad Pro. Now, of course, it's no shock that Apple won't be sitting idle, and by the time the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 hits the scene, Apple will have already made headlines with its M5 SoC, which is expected to ship in a refreshed iPad Pro sometime in mid-2025.
Regardless, it is clear that Apple is about to face some serious heat in the smartphone silicon department from both Qualcomm and MediaTek. This year's Snapdragon 8 Elite and Dimensity 9400 have already snatched the multi-core performance crown from Apple, and if the Cupertino giant fails to pull off something spectacular with its A19 SoC, something similar may happen next year as well.
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