Apple A12Z Bionic vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple A12Z Bionic CPU1 vs CPU2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
Apple A12Z Bionic Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Apple A12Z Bionic and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the Apple A12Z Bionic 8 core processor released in Q1/2020 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ which has 8 CPU cores and was introduced in Q3/2020.
Apple A series (24) Family Qualcomm Snapdragon (104)
Apple A12/A12X/A12Z (3) CPU group Qualcomm Snapdragon 865/870 (3)
12 Generation 7
A12 Architecture Kryo 585
Smartphone / Tablet Segment Smartphone / Tablet
Apple A10X Fusion Predecessor --
-- Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple A12Z Bionic is a 8 core processor with a clock frequency of 2.49 GHz. The processor can compute 8 threads at the same time. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ clocks with 3.10 GHz, has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.

Apple A12Z Bionic Characteristic Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8 Cores 8
8 Threads 8
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture hybrid (Prime / big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading No
No Overclocking ? No
2.49 GHz
4x Vortex
A-Core 3.10 GHz
1x Kryo 585 Prime
1.59 GHz
4x Tempest
B-Core 2.42 GHz
3x Kryo 585 Gold
-- C-Core 1.80 GHz
4x Kryo 585 Silver

NPU AI performance

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

Apple A12Z Bionic Characteristic Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware Qualcomm AI engine
8 Neural cores @ 5 TOPS AI specifications Hexagon 698 @ 15 TOPS
-- NPU + CPU + iGPU --

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.

Apple A12Z GPU Qualcomm Adreno 650
1.13 GHz GPU frequency 0.25 GHz
-- GPU (Turbo) 0.67 GHz
9 GPU Generation 6
7 nm Technology 7 nm
1 Max. displays 1
32 Compute units 2
512 Shader 512
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
6 GB Max. GPU Memory --
-- DirectX Version 12.0

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

Apple A12Z GPU Qualcomm Adreno 650
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP8 Decode / Encode
No Codec AV1 No
Decode Codec AVC Decode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

Up to 6 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the Apple A12Z Bionic, while the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ supports a maximum of 16 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 44.0 GB/s enabled.

Apple A12Z Bionic Characteristic Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory LPDDR5-5500, LPDDR4X-4266
6 GB Max. Memory 16 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 4 (Quad Channel)
68.2 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 44.0 GB/s
No ECC No
8.00 MB L2 Cache 2.00 MB
-- L3 Cache 3.00 MB
-- PCIe version --
-- PCIe lanes --
-- PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The Apple A12Z Bionic has a TDP of 15 W. The TDP of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ is 10 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Apple A12Z Bionic Characteristic Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 10 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. --

Technical details

The Apple A12Z Bionic has 8.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 7 nm. The cache of Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ is at 5.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 7 nm.

Apple A12Z Bionic Characteristic Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
7 nm Technology 7 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
Armv8-A (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8-A (64 bit)
-- ISA extensions --
-- Socket --
None Virtualization None
No AES-NI No
iOS Operating systems Android
Q1/2020 Release date Q3/2020
-- Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple A12Z Bionic to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.3 stars (39 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.2 stars (6 ratings). Rate now:

Average performance in benchmarks

Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Apple A12Z Bionic (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (90%)
Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
Apple A12Z Bionic (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ (75%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a partial load benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. In the single-core test, only the fastest CPU core is measured. The test run simulates the performance in practice.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
1351 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
1248 (92%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

The practical Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark tests the system's performance under partial load. The processor's maximum power consumption is far from being used up.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
4798 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
3129 (65%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
1124 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
985 (88%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
4718 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
3275 (69%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
Apple A12Z @ 1.13 GHz
1152 (81%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
Qualcomm Adreno 650 @ 0.67 GHz
1418 (100%)

AnTuTu 9 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 9 benchmark is very well suited to measuring the performance of a smartphone. AnTuTu 9 is quite heavy on 3D graphics and can now also use the "Metal" graphics interface. In AnTuTu, memory and UX (user experience) are also tested by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu version 9 can compare any ARM CPU running on Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly comparable when benchmarked on different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 9 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The rating is made up of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the working memory, and the performance of the internal graphics.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
779044 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
716498 (92%)

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 8 Benchmark measures the performance of a SoC. AnTuTu benchmarks the CPU, GPU, Memory as well as the UX (User Experience) by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu can benchmark any ARM CPU that runs under Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly compareable if the benchmark has been performed under different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 8 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The evaluation consists of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the RAM and the performance of the internal graphics.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
717401 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
616032 (86%)

AI performance (NPU)

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
5 (33%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
15 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
991 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Apple A12Z Bionic Apple A12Z Bionic
8C 8T @ 2.49 GHz
4539 (100%)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
8C 8T @ 3.10 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple A12Z Bionic Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
Apple iPad Pro 2020 Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 T870
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 T875
ASUS ZenFone 7 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

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