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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 might outshine Apple M4 in single-core performance, claims reliable tipster

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 might dethrone M4 iPad Pro in single-core performance, thanks to Armv9-A adoption. (Image source: Apple, Qualcomm, edited)
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 might dethrone M4 iPad Pro in single-core performance, thanks to Armv9-A adoption. (Image source: Apple, Qualcomm, edited)
Apple has long held the performance crown for mobile SoCs. However, the tech giant has recently found itself in hot water in the smartphone silicon race, thanks to the strides made by Qualcomm's Snapdragon and MediaTek's Dimensity in recent years. As suggested by a fresh leak, the story is likely to remain much the same next year as well.

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.

The next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 and Dimensity 9500 SoCs will sport commendable performance improvements. (Image source: DCS via Weibo)
The next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 and Dimensity 9500 SoCs will sport commendable performance improvements. (Image source: DCS via Weibo)
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 01 > Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 might outshine Apple M4 in single-core performance, claims reliable tipster
Sambit Saha, 2025-01- 3 (Update: 2025-01- 3)