Apple A18 Pro vs Dimensity 9500s
The Apple A18 Pro and the Dimensity 9500s are both flagship chips, made by Apple and MediaTek. In Geekbench 6, the Apple A18 Pro is 3% faster in multi-core (8,744 vs 8,470) and 31% faster in single-core. In 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, a graphics test, the Dimensity 9500s scores 32% higher (2,282 vs 1,731).
Benchmarks head to head
Full chipset rankingMulti-core Geekbench 6
Apple A18 Pro +3%Single-core Geekbench 6
Apple A18 Pro +31%Graphics 3DMark Steel Nomad Light
Dimensity 9500s +32%Higher is better. Bars are relative to the faster chip in each test. A dash means we don’t have a reliable result for that chip yet.
Key facts
Specs from the chip makers. The better result in each benchmark is highlighted.
| Apple A18 Pro | Dimensity 9500s | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Apple | MediaTek |
| Class | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | Sep 2024 | Jan 2026 |
| Process | 3 nm TSMC N3E | 3 nm TSMC N3E |
| CPU | 6 cores 2× 4.05 GHz + 4× 2.42 GHz | 8 cores 1× 3.73 GHz + 3× 3.3 GHz + 4× 2.4 GHz |
| Max CPU speed | 4.05 GHz | 3.73 GHz |
| GPU | Apple 6-core GPU | Immortalis-G925 |
| 5G modem | 5G via a separate modem | Built-in 5G |
| Place in our ranking | #15 of 109 (better) | #16 of 109 |
| Geekbench 6 single-core | 3,504 (better) | 2,670 |
| Geekbench 6 multi-core | 8,744 (better) | 8,470 |
| Graphics (3DMark Steel Nomad Light) | 1,731 | 2,282 (better) |
| Phones in our database | 2 phones | 3 phones |
| Best-rated phone | Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 8.5 | OPPO Find X10 E 8.2 |
| Lowest US launch price | $999 Apple iPhone 16 Pro | — |
| Newest phone | Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Sep 2024 | OPPO Find X10 E Sep 2026 |
Phones with the Apple A18 Pro
2 phones in our database, best rated first.
-
8.5 Discontinued
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
6.9″ 120 Hz, 48 MP camera, 4,685 mAh
From $1,199 + Compare -
8.2 Discontinued
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
6.3″ 120 Hz, 48 MP camera, 3,582 mAh
From $999 + Compare
Phones with the Dimensity 9500s
3 phones in our database, best rated first.
-
8.2
OPPO Find X10 E
6.59″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 7,025 mAh
No US price + Compare -
8.1
POCO X8 Pro Max
6.83″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 8,500 mAh
No US price + Compare -
8.0
OPPO Find X9s
6.59″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 7,025 mAh
No US price + Compare
Apple A18 Pro vs Dimensity 9500s: FAQ
Which is faster, the Apple A18 Pro or the Dimensity 9500s?
In Geekbench 6, the Apple A18 Pro is 3% faster in multi-core (8,744 vs 8,470) and 31% faster in single-core. In 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, a graphics test, the Dimensity 9500s scores 32% higher (2,282 vs 1,731). Real-world speed also depends on how well each phone keeps the chip cool and on its software.
Is the Apple A18 Pro or the Dimensity 9500s better for gaming?
3DMark Steel Nomad Light measures graphics performance, which matters most for games. The Dimensity 9500s scores 32% higher than the Apple A18 Pro (2,282 vs 1,731). Cooling, screen refresh rate and game support also make a difference, so check the phones themselves.
Which is newer, the Apple A18 Pro or the Dimensity 9500s?
The Dimensity 9500s is newer: it was announced in January 2026, while the Apple A18 Pro was announced in September 2024.
Which phones use the Apple A18 Pro and the Dimensity 9500s?
The Apple A18 Pro powers 2 phones in our database, including the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and Apple iPhone 16 Pro. The lowest US launch price with this chip is $999, for the Apple iPhone 16 Pro. The Dimensity 9500s powers 3 phones in our database, including the OPPO Find X10 E, POCO X8 Pro Max and OPPO Find X9s.
Where do these benchmark scores come from?
They are reference results for each chip: the median of several Geekbench 6 runs on retail phones. The 3DMark Steel Nomad Light graphics score is the median of the results for retail phones with the chip in the official ranking of UL, the maker of 3DMark. The same chip can score a little differently from phone to phone, depending on cooling, clock speeds and software.
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