I tested Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 — 16% faster CPU and huge AI-infused gaming upgrades, but Apple’s A20 Pro pulls ahead in some areas

In a recent benchmarking session, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 was tested against Apple's A20 Pro in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The Extreme Gen 6 showcases a 16% faster CPU speed and major AI-infused gaming enhancements, but Apple's chip proves to be a strong contender in certain areas. While the Qualcomm Reference Designs (QRDs) used in the testing weren't the final hardware, they provided a largely representative experience.

The Prime Cores within the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 can operate at 5GHz, marking a world's first for smartphones. However, despite this significant boost, Apple's CPU in the A20 Pro still outperforms in single-core performance. Multicore results are also relatively close, with only a slight gap between the two chips. Real-world usage tests revealed that the snappiness of the Extreme Gen 6 was not significantly affected by the CPU gap.

When it comes to gaming, the two chips perform almost evenly on paper. However, Qualcomm's Adreno Neural Fusion (ANF) technology provides a distinct advantage. ANF is an AI-based upscaling and frame generation technique that offers better power efficiency during long-term gaming sessions compared to Apple's MetalFX technology. The ANF also led to reduced wattage consumption in Traverse benchmarks, contributing to improved detailing and frame rates.

A notable differentiator between the two chips is Qualcomm's emphasis on "agentic AI" with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. This chip boasts a 50% larger shared memory and supports a vast range of expert models for on-device AI, positioning it for future smartphone applications that can work for users rather than just with them. The AI benchmarks revealed a substantial improvement in large language model (LLM) performance when compared to previous generations.

The extreme battery capacity of 4,400mAh in the benchmarked device doesn't perfectly align with what future models may offer, but it does demonstrate the chip's capability in handling power-intensive tasks. During testing, the battery experienced a 6% decrease and a 59°F temperature increase during the benchmarking process. Although this may not be fully representative of the final product, the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 clearly demonstrates its superiority over Apple's A20 Pro in multiple aspects, including CPU speed, AI capabilities, and gaming performance.