The flagship Mobile River silicon airstream has figure its next form , one that will prescribe the trajectory of Android computer hardware manoeuver into 2025 . Merely week after MediaTek wowed us with theDimensity 9400 system on a flake ( SoC ) , Qualcomm also pulled a surprisal with the reveal of theSnapdragon 8 Elite .

But this metre around , the engagement is not as straight . Where MediaTek is working closely with Arm and adopt its in vogue central processing unit and graphics instauration , Qualcomm has firmly put its trust in custom cores . These are no average cores , but a next - gen loop of the same fundamentaltech stack that powers Windows on ARM laptop computer .

MediaTek ’s Dimensity silicon has steady gained mainstream acceptation , at least among the Taiwanese behemoths , owing to an impressive set of generation - over - propagation improvement . In fact , the company has overshadow Qualcomm on legion occasions ( and fronts ) in the preceding yoke of years , including the all important field of AI .

The first wave of phone powered by Qualcomm and MediaTek ’s tardy top - level silicon will shortly hit the ledge . For soulfulness eager to get a smell of how these top - of - the - line processor will perform , here ’s a detailed comparison .

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite vs MediaTek Dimensity 9400: Specs

unbounded real - time Semantic Segmentation

Up to 48 - megapixel triple camera at 30 fps with Zero Shutter LagUp to 108MP undivided television camera at 30 fps with Zero Shutter LagUp to 320MP pic seizure

dense - second video capture at 1080p @ 480 fps

Massive Multi - Frame Noise Reduction with AI

Real - time AI cutis and sky flavour adjustments in 4K60 Federal Protective Service

Peak photographic camera sensor resolve of 320MP

Full - range HDR zoom + smooth video zoom with sustained target focus

100X magnification photos

Generative - AI Super Zoom for gamey - quality picture seizure

4 K 60fps video captureMaximum 8 K video recording8K60 , 10 - turn Video Decode ( HEVC / AVC / VP9 / AV1)8K30 , 10 - snatch Video Encode ( HEVC / AVC)8K60 , 8 - bit HEVC Encode

Wi - Fi 7 ( Peak fastness : 5.8Gbps )

X80 5 G Modem - RF SystemDownlink : Up to 10GbpsUplink : Up to 3.5Gbps

Bluetooth 6.0

Integrated Ultra Wideband ( UWB )

Wi - Fi 7 ( a / b / g / n / actinium / ax / be)Triple striation tripel concurrence with 7.3Gbps peak data pace

5.4 with dual Bluetooth engine

5G/4 G Dual SIM Dual Active , Dual Data ( up to 7Gbps sub-6GHz performance )

MediaTek Xtra Range 3.0MediaTek Wi - Fi Hybrid Power Saving

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite vs MediaTek Dimensity 9400: CPU

With the Snapdragon 8 Elite , Qualcomm is going with a 2 + 6 core bunch data format , with the first two being select effect while the other six are performance cores . Notably , there are no efficiency core on the latest Qualcomm flagship silicon , while each cluster brings an impressive 12 MB L2 cache .

At the helm are a duo of Oryon cores dominate a peak frequency of 4.32GHz . These Oryon heart and soul are limited for multiple reason . The Snapdragon 8 Elite is the first Qualcomm silicon to use the secondly - gen Oryon essence , which succeed the Kryos burden .

These first - gen Oryon heart are already powering the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus chips inside the Windows on Arm machines , with a focus on local AI processing . It ’s remarkable that Qualcomm is using a new - generation central processor core blueprint on a mobile platform forward of computing machines .

Now , it ’s a rare occurrence that a chipmaker claims to topple Apple , especially the company ’s roving silicon check inside iPhones . But with the Snapdragon 8 Elite , Qualcomm is arrogate to upend Apple ’s A18 Pro that comes equip inside theiPhone 16 Promodels . It ’s also quite interesting to see that despite ditching efficiency cores in their entirety , the late and greatest from Qualcomm is still gasconade higher public presentation , as well as higher energy efficiency figure .

In fact , the increase across the board represent the most dramatic shift we ’ve seen in years . The prize Oryon kernel , which promises an telling peak relative frequency of 4.32 gigahertz , spearheads a massive 45 % boost in bleak CPU firepower compared to its predecessor .

Yet , at the same clock time , Qualcomm is exact a leap of 44 % in magnate efficiency . That render into a higher battery output signal despite pushing the silicon . Qualcomm claim a roughly 27 % power nest egg , which translates to around 2.5 hour worth of play plot .

MediaTek is no slouch either . The Dimensity 9400 SoC , just like its Qualcomm opposite number , is also based on the 3 micromillimeter fabrication process . exchangeable to Qualcomm , MediaTek is also suffice an all - big - core intention , skipping low - power core in their entirety .

The tri - core cluster on the Dimensity 9400 SoC is led by a premier center establish on Arm ’s latest Cortex - X925 design , which itself commands a 36 % jump in single - core performance and is based on the unexampled Arm v9.2 architecture . MediaTek also exact a 15 % cost increase in pedagogy per clock ( IPC ) execution compared to the previous - gen Cortex - X platform .

Next , we have a cluster of three Arm Cortex - X4 performance cores , ride alongside four Arm Cortex - A720 essence . conjointly , they have serve raise the multi - core turnout on the Dimensity 9400 SoC by 28 % .

Now , Qualcomm is n’t the only political party reaping the benefits of a next - gen fabrication lymph node . MediaTeksaysits new silicon delivers a jump worth 44 % in vim efficiency , just 4 % scant of what Qualcomm has achieve on its rival wandering silicon .

Just like Qualcomm , MediaTek has also doubled the L2 cache for its young flagship , while also lifting the L3 memory cache weight by a 50 % margin . Notably , MediaTek claims that despite the CPU being fully occupied , program cold launch focal ratio has still gone up by a sound 35 % margin .

Now , there ’s one crucial remainder . Where Qualcomm is relying more on the chops of its Hexagon neuronal processing whole ( NPU ) for AI process , MediaTek ( thanks to Arm ’s approaching ) is more heavily reliant on the mainframe for a majority of AI tasks .

“ Arm staff we spoke to desire to see 80 % to 90%of AI illation running on the CPU gist , ” notesThe Register , adding that the Armv9.2 Cortex core natively extend AI quickening at the C.P.U. layer owe to the pedagogy sets baked at their sum .

There is another benefit to this approach . Since AI acceleration is inherently offer at the fundamental level on Arm ’s new Cortex cores , third - company applications can fully tap into their potential , while an NPU - first access ( like that of Qualcomm ) is geared toward first - party AI task execution .

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite vs MediaTek Dimensity 9400: graphics

The biggest haul of Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon is doubtlessly the Oryon CPU cores , but there ’s something special brewing up in the graphics department as well . Qualcomm notes that its premier silicon harnesses the big businessman of its first - ever Adreno GPU with shredded architecture .

The next - gen Adreno GPU allocates a dedicated memory segment to each graphics fade , which brings melioration in raw functioning , as well as energy efficiency . The number are not belittled , to put it mildly .

Qualcomm lay claim that at AAA play , we are looking at up to 40 % mellow performance and a 40 % amplification in energy efficiency . The Snapdragon 8 Elite also marks the first time that an Adreno graphics locomotive engine is gaining support for Unreal Engine 5.3 Nanite and Unreal ’s Chaos Physics Engine .

For gaming and related scenario , Qualcomm is also serving in - house goodies such as real - time computer hardware - accelerated ray of light trace with global elucidation , Snapdragon Game Super Resolution , Adreno Frame Motion Engine 2.1 , Snapdragon Game Post Processing Accelerator , and shadow denoiser , among others .

The over\arching theme , this meter around , is that Qualcomm is chase after console - tier up in - plot visuals , promising “ film - quality 3D environments ” and hyperrealistic visuals in games for scenario like case drive , construction destructions , and more .

MediaTek , on the other hand , is reap the benefit of Arm ’s 12 - heart Immortalis - G925 GPU . Interestingly , the ship’s company is once again going toe - to - toe with the variety of amplification Qualcomm has manage to attain .

With the Dimensity 9400 , MediaTek is claiming a 41 % jump in raw graphics performance , while simultaneously accomplish a 44 % cost increase in power efficiency . The companionship , which was among the first to brag computer hardware - accelerated irradiation trace for mobile devices , allege ray of light - tracing output has also seen a 10 % gain .

MediaTek is also serving its own set of play - centrical goody . For deterrent example , the Opacity Micromaps ( OMM ) system essentially does ocular upscaling in games , resulting in dramatically sharper details such as foliage and realism in mirrored surface . you may chequer out a abbreviated demonstration below .

Then we have a fistful of ego - descriptive in - business firm systems such as MediaTek Frame Rate Converter , HyperEngine Super Resolution , and MediaTek Adaptive Gaming Technology 3.0 — all of which collectively predict a sustained high frames - per - second gear ( fps ) gambling experience with improved free energy consumption and thermal direction .

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite vs MediaTek Dimensity 9400: camera

allow ’s move the comparison to camera capableness . With the Snapdragon 8 Elite , Qualcomm is shifting to a treble 18 - bit AI ISP . One of the biggest reward of this picture - processing engine is limitless layers of semantic division for medium seizure . So far , Qualcomm silicon has only been able to perform 12 stratum of segmentation .

The last result is a deeper understanding of objects in the physical body , which open up the doors to improved algorithmic processing to achieve more exact and detailed images . Other capability include extremist - lowlight video capture and 1080p slo - mo video capture at 480 fps frame of reference charge per unit .

For single - lens image seizure , the ISP supports 320MP range sensors and three-fold 48MP capture with Zero Shutter Lag ( ZSL ) enabled . For 4 K telecasting recorded at 60fps , the Snapdragon 8 Elite ’s ISP will perform on - equipment AI - assist changes such as tweaking the sky color and fixing the peel tone .

Samsung is also leveraging the smartness of Qualcomm ’s update ISP with a system called Chrome QPD for its ISOCELL tv camera sensor . Qualcomm claims that the whole implementation improves the “ perceived ” resolving by a border of 20 % , while simultaneously hike the autofocus truth by a astounding 122 % margin .

The Imagiq 1090 ISP aboard the Dimensity is also impressive . This one also equalize the individual - genus Lens 320MP capture of its challenger . MediaTek claim that the Dimensity 9400 will also enable full - range of mountains HDR soar without losing the dependent focus .

Another notable capacity is generativeAI super zoom , which entails the usage of AI to enhance the quality of long - range shots using healthy pixel prediction and filling . The unexampled Gen - AI Super Zoom tech will be able-bodied to weave its magic trick in photos at up to 100x enlargement level .

If you are capturing video using the telephoto camera , the next - gen ISP also ensures that HDR is apply across the entire rapid growth chain , which theoretically means consistent and colour - rich sharp videos .

Notably , the company add that while capturing 4 K 60fps telecasting , the power uptake has been reduced by 14 % this time around . Now , depending on the repositing condition , users can also shoot 4 K videos of up to three hours duration in one go .

MediaTek also relies on AI for sectionalisation , similar to Qualcomm , but the former sound out it has manage to shrink the tycoon draw by up to 60 % for the new Imagiq ISP .

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite vs MediaTek Dimensity 9400: AI

The next major avenue for the smartphone battle is AI , or more specifically AI - drive experiences . Qualcomm ’s multimodal AI engine was already capable of processing inputs in multiple format , but now it can sympathise the world around it , seen through a telephone set ’s camera .

Apple has already roll out a lineament call Visual Intelligence with the late iOS 18 update that deploys openAI ’s language modelling to make gumption of what ’s appearing in the camera frame and also picks up the necessary data .

The nominal window and context of use comprehension have also expanded to the extent that the onboard AI can suffice user queries by parsing entire books and give out reply based on the eruditeness cloth . These capabilities are already available to users of Google ’s Gemini models .

As far as figures go , Qualcomm enunciate the former looping of its Hexagon NPU delivers a 45 % cost increase in speeds , and also offers an evenly large leap in raw execution per W . The in - house Qualcomm Sensing Hub will also be able-bodied to make sense of activity context and offer actionable proffer .

On the AI side of thing , Qualcomm is also taking attention of the legitimacy site . It ’s no secret that social medium has already been flood with AI imagination , and in a healthy crew of scenario , they do a misleading intention instead of bolster creative expression .

To that end , Qualcomm is stretch out the Truepic with C2PA ( coalescency for Content Provenance and Authenticity ) tech to video recording and audio files as well , after originally introducing it for photograph .

To put it simply , theauthenticity tech stackessentially creates what Qualcomm name a “ cryptographic seal ” for media . The estimate here is to add markers in image metadata that will help verify whether AI was used to manipulate an epitome , adding young metadata - level details to coexist alongside entropy such as positioning , date , and meter .

This AI genuineness credential is conveyable , which mean if AI - generate or AI - modified photos are shared , the background data will persist entire and will help prove its authenticity .

The in - house NPU aboard the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 is the fellowship ’s 8th - generation fashion model , and it is claimed to birth an impressive 80 % performance gain in large language theoretical account ( LLM ) prompt functioning . track alongside the saltation in performance is a 35 % increase in the efficiency figures .

MediaTek also mentions that the update NPU is the first chipset direct at roving chopine to tender on - gadget LoRA training . For the unaware , Low - Rank Adaptation ( LoRA ) is basically a proficiency that allows the deployment of AI models , but in a condensed format with few ( but selected ) parametric quantity , which at long last reduces the mannikin size and the tension on local resources .

MediaTek was already among the first smartphone brands to offer on - equipment image generation . Now , the company is upping the ante with the Dimensity 9400 SoC by allowing on - twist television generation . Do keep in idea that , so far , no major AI thespian — think OpenAI , Google , or Meta — have released a commercial product that allows AI picture generation .

The biggest AIpromiseserved atop the Dimensity 9400 phonograph record is keep for what MediaTek refer to as Agentic AI . At the most basic level , it ’s an AI system that has a sure degree of autonomy and is capable of performing multistep tasks , instead of relying on user inputs every time to handle a task .

The companionship claims these agents can understand the context of a drug user ’s activity , and based on what is inferred , it would provide suggestions and even take a unmediated step on behalf of smartphone user . Think of it as creating a crosscut , but letting an AI handle it using natural language commands and activity comprehension .

MediaTek notes that it is working with developer so that these Agentic AI tools can be integrate within third - party apps as well . The NPU also double the diffusion generation gait , and materialise to be a world ’s first in terms of offer a dedicated Agentic AI engine to developers .

Real-world tests forthcoming

It is hard to judge who is going to win the smartphone Si race go into 2025 , and sure as shooting not without a side - by - side comparison . To a sure extent , it may not even matter given the horizontal surface of performance each chip is affecting , which are dramatically higher than an average smartphone user would ever need to tap into .

But flashy presentations do n’t always translate into real - earthly concern experience , and what weigh even more is just how useful and practical the unexampled set of advancements will demonstrate to be for an fair smartphone user .

Qualcomm is reach an altogether different level of performance across the board , be it processing firepower or camera capabilities . MediaTek is n’t too far behind in the airstream and even surpass Qualcomm in a few surface area , particularly AI capability .

The first waving of phones powered by Qualcomm and MediaTek ’s top - tier up Si is just about to hit the shelf . We will before long put together a comprehensive compare of how these two fare when pitted against each other in benchmarks , as well as in tangible - world functioning tests , so stay tuned for that .