The battle for the top Android Smartphone in 2025 is set, and both Qualcomm and MediaTek have introduced their most advanced mobile platforms yet. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 uses its custom Oryon CPU cores, while MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 goes full bore on Arm’s latest architecture and the bounds of on-device AI efficiency.
Both chips are fabricated on TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm N3P process, setting the stage for a razor-thin competition across performance, efficiency, and features.
But, which are the differencies? And which one takes the crown?
CPU architecture
The CPU is a brain in the phone for general computing tasks. This year, the big difference is at the core design, as Qualcomm continues investing in custom cores, whereas MediaTek utilizes ARM’s latest innovations to create very different ways of achieving maximum speed and efficiency.
| Feature | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| Architecture | 3rd-Gen Qualcomm Oryon™ CPU (Custom) | 3rd-Gen All Big Core (Arm C1-series) |
| Configuration | 8-core: 2x Prime (up to 4.60GHz) + 6x Performance (3.62GHz) | 8-core: 1x C1-Ultra (4.21GHz) + 3x C1-Premium + 4x C1-Pro |
| Key Takeaway | Qualcomm is seeing a significant return on its investment in custom Oryon cores, which are designed for peak single-threaded performance and greater multi-core efficiency under load. | MediaTek’s “All Big Core” design utilizes Arm’s latest cores for impressive performance at a slightly lower peak clock speed, aiming for a balance of power and efficiency. |
GPU & gaming
Performance in mobile gaming is on a relentless march toward console quality, with graphics processing units (GPUs) being the engine. Both the Adreno 840 and the Mali-G1 Ultra MC12 show significant architectural leaps, especially in ray tracing and sustained high-frame-rate rendering, to promise the smoothest mobile gaming experience yet.
| Feature | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno™ 840 (Custom) | Arm Mali-G1 Ultra MC12 |
| Performance Claim | 23% graphics performance increase; 20% higher power efficiency. | 33% peak performance increase; 42% improved power efficiency. |
| Ray Tracing | Enhanced Ray Tracing support (25% improved) and Mesh Shading. | 119% improved Ray Tracing performance; first to support 120FPS ray-traced mobile gaming. |
| Gaming Tech | Snapdragon Elite Gaming, support for Unreal Engine 5. | Collaboration with studios, native support for Unreal Engine 5.5 (Nanite) and 5.6 (MegaLights). |
| Key Takeaway | While the Adreno 840 typically holds a lead in peak rasterization benchmarks, the Dimensity 9500 is making an aggressive push in ray tracing features and efficiency, leveraging the latest Arm Mali architecture. | |
Performance benchmarks (Geekbench & AnTuTu)
Synthetic benchmarks like Geekbench (CPU-focused) and AnTuTu (all-around system performance) offer the clearest early indicators of raw speed. While somewhat conflicting, depending on the implementation on a given device, early results consistently show that the gap between the two top chips has narrowed to its smallest margin in years.
| Benchmark | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (Typical Leak/Reference) | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (Official/Leak) | Winner |
| Geekbench Single-Core | approx. 3,830 – 3,860 | approx. 3,470 – 4,000 | Snapdragon (Generally more consistent higher peak score) |
| Geekbench Multi-Core | approx. 12,170 – 12,600 | approx. 10,940 – 11,220 | Snapdragon (Clear, but marginal lead) |
| AnTuTu V11 (Total) | approx. 4.1 million | approx. 3.9 – 4.0 million | Snapdragon (Marginally) |
| Performance Summary | The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 maintains a consistent lead in both single-core and multi-core CPU performance, largely attributed to the custom Oryon cores. | The Dimensity 9500 is extremely competitive, with single-core performance sometimes trading blows, but it generally trails by a small margin (around 2-4% multi-core). Both chips cross the critical 4 million AnTuTu threshold. |
NPU and AI capabilities
Artificial Intelligence is the defining feature of this generation, moving both chips from basic acceleration to enabling “agentic” AI assistants that learn and anticipate what users need. The improvement in speed and, more importantly, efficiency, in Neural Processing Units (NPUs), is enormous in these chips.
| Feature | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| AI Engine | Qualcomm Hexagon™ NPU | MediaTek NPU 990 |
| Performance Claim | 37% faster performance (claimed). | 2x compute power (claimed). |
| Key AI Features | Agentic AI assistants, on-device learning, real-time sensing, personalized recommendations, Personal Knowledge Graph. | Super Efficient NPU with Compute-in-Memory (industry first for continuous, low-power AI), BitNet 1.58-bit large model processing, 4K image generation. |
| Key Takeaway | Both are powerful, but the Dimensity 9500’s inclusion of a Super Efficient Compute-in-Memory NPU is a significant architectural move for sustained, background AI processing, potentially giving it an efficiency edge for always-on features. | |
Power efficiency
Achieving higher performance while maintaining low heat levels and extending battery life is the ultimate goal, a feat made possible by TSMC’s 3nm manufacturing process. While both manufacturers claim huge efficiency gains over the previous generation, independent tests highlight the difference in sustained power management between the custom and standard core designs.
| Metric | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| Official Claims | 20% better single-core CPU performance; overall approx. 35% CPU efficiency improvement. | 55% lower ultra core power consumption at peak; 30% more power efficient while multitasking. |
| Independent Analysis | Early tests suggest the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 generally shows superior performance-per-watt efficiency, especially under heavy, sustained gaming loads, often running cooler. | While very efficient, the Dimensity 9500 has occasionally shown higher power draw and less stable sustained performance in early stress tests of certain devices. |
Camera and video capabilities
The Image Signal Processor (ISP) and video engine are the most important components that enable advanced computational photography, support for high-resolution sensors, and high-quality cinematic video capture. Both chips achieved major generational leaps; the Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 focused on professional-grade codecs, while the Mediatek Dimensity 9500 focuses on high-frame-rate capture and portrait processing.
The Image Signal Processor (ISP) and video engine are critical components enabling advanced computational photography, high-resolution sensor support, and cinematic video capture. Both chips offer major generational leaps, with the Snapdragon focusing on professional-grade codecs and the Dimensity on high-frame-rate capture and portrait processing.
| Feature | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| ISP | Qualcomm Spectra 20-bit Triple ISP | MediaTek Imagiq 1190 |
| Max Photo Resolution | Up to 320MP sensors supported. | Up to 200MP sensors supported. |
| Video Features | Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec (World’s first mobile support); 8K playback @ 60 FPS; AI-powered semantic segmentation. | 8K video capture @ 60 FPS; 4K @ 60 FPS cinematic portrait video; RAW-domain pre-processing. |
| Key Takeaway | The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 enables broader sensor support (320MP) and targets content creators with the APV codec. The Dimensity 9500 focuses on real-time computational features like 4K portrait video and is extremely capable with high-resolution multi-frame capture. | |
Connectivity
Connectivity is handled by the dedicated 5G modem, which dictates both network speed and coverage. Both chips differ quite a bit, particularly in the inclusion of the faster, but less common, millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G technology in the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
| Feature | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| 5G Modem | Snapdragon X85 5G Modem (up to 12.5 Gbps download). | MediaTek Release 17 5G Modem (up to 7.4 Gbps download). |
| 5G Support | Full global 5G (Sub-6 GHz and likely mmWave). | Sub-6 GHz only (in standard configurations). |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. | Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. |
| Key Takeaway | The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 has a clear advantage with its superior X85 modem, offering much higher theoretical peak speeds and, critically, supporting the faster mmWave 5G standard often used by U.S. carriers. | |
Announced devices
The ultimate validation of a flagship chip is not the power or the capabilities. The quality and market fit are proven by the implementation and adoption rate of the major smartphone manufacturers. Both SoCs will power up the biggest names in Android, with the Snapdragon chip seeing wider usage across global regions, particularly in North America and Korea.
| Chipset | Initial/Expected Devices | Release Window |
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Xiaomi 17 series (Pro Max), OnePlus 15, Honor Magic 8, Samsung Galaxy S26 series (selected regions), iQOO, ROG. | Launching immediately (October 2025) and into early 2026. |
| MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | Vivo X300/Pro, OPPO Find X9 Pro. | Flagship devices are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025. |
Price (OEM cost)
The wholesale cost of a chip to a smartphone manufacturer is a crucial business metric that influences final retail prices and profit margins. The gap in pricing this year is substantial, leading to a strong business argument for the Dimensity 9500 despite the Snapdragon’s marginal performance edge.
| Metric | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| Estimated Cost per Unit | approx. $280 | approx. $180 – $200 |
| Market Impact | The higher cost is attributed to the complex custom Oryon cores. This premium price may lead some global OEMs to use the chip only in their highest-tier “Ultra” or “Pro Max” models. | The lower price makes the chip highly attractive for OEMs seeking high-end performance while maintaining better profit margins or aiming for a more competitively priced flagship. |
Final verdict: Which chip brings the most value?
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the chip for peak, uncompromising performance and power user features. It maintains the Android crown for raw CPU and GPU horsepower and offers a better connectivity solution.
The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 is the most competitive alternative ever. It closes the performance gap to single-digit percentages while innovating in AI efficiency (Compute-in-Memory) and offering a much lower cost per unit. It is the smart choice for flagships aiming for an excellent all-around experience at a more accessible price point.
The future will tell the ultimate winner!
