Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 specs just leaked — and they could blow away iPhone 16

(Image credit: Qualcomm)

A recent leak has revealed some of the Geekbench scores for the upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4. These numbers, if accurate, could put it leagues ahead of Apple’s A18 chip.

Qualcomm has stated that it will launch the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 this October. While we have only seen tentative details about the specs of the chip, this new leak gives a much clearer picture of what we can expect from the next generation of Snapdragon.

According to the rumors, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 achieves a Geekbench single-core score in the region of 3,500. This is higher than Apple’s A18 chip and matches the max score that was reported for the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro chip. While there were no actual figures for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Multi-core and GPU tests in the leak, they supposedly exceed the A18 by a fair margin.

If these numbers are true, then this might be the first time that Qualcomm will manage to exceed Apple’s chip capabilities in the single-core test. In our fastest phones of 2023, Apple outstripped the Android models with relative ease. This was somewhat countered by the release of the Galaxy S24 series powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which manages to shorten the gap between the single-core scores and show off higher multi-core scores.

However, while those numbers might be fantastic, there is some bad news in the report as well. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4’s prime core could be clocked at 4.3 GHz, with a potential power draw of 1.3V. These numbers would mean that the chip would run very hot and are beyond many smartphones’ current capabilities.

When it comes to Geekbench leaks, it is important to note that the numbers are not always gospel. Several factors can change the base numbers, or they could have been misrepresented. However, if we take these numbers as fact, then it is good news for products that want to make use of the next generation of Snapdragon chips, if they can run it. We will only know for certain if the chip is as good as reported when we get a chance to test it ourselves.

To get a good idea of the power of Snapdragons’ other chips it is worth checking out our fastest phones of 2023 list, which had both the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate in the top 4. Alternatively, one of the biggest strengths of the Snapdragon chip is its power management, with phones that run it often holding their charge for much longer. To see what I mean then check out our longest-lasting phones list to see the incredible difference between some of the models.

More from Tom’s Guide

• Nothing to allow discreet call recordings according to CEO — here’s what we know
• New iPhone 16 Pro renders just revealed two major upgrades
• Samsung Galaxy A55 is official, with some specs that beat the Galaxy S24

Josh is a staff writer for Tom’s Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer.