Apple A18 vs Dimensity 9400+
The Apple A18 and the Dimensity 9400+ are both flagship chips, made by Apple and MediaTek. In Geekbench 6, the two chips are nearly level in multi-core (8,023 vs 8,195), but the Apple A18 is 24% faster in single-core. In 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, a graphics test, the Dimensity 9400+ scores 46% higher (2,329 vs 1,596).
Benchmarks head to head
Full chipset rankingMulti-core Geekbench 6
Nearly levelSingle-core Geekbench 6
Apple A18 +24%Graphics 3DMark Steel Nomad Light
Dimensity 9400+ +46%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 | Dimensity 9400+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Apple | MediaTek |
| Class | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | Sep 2024 | Apr 2025 |
| Process | 3 nm TSMC N3E | 3 nm TSMC N3E |
| CPU | 6 cores 2× 4.04 GHz + 4× 2.2 GHz | 8 cores 1× 3.73 GHz + 3× 3.3 GHz + 4× 2.4 GHz |
| Max CPU speed | 4.04 GHz | 3.73 GHz |
| GPU | Apple 5-core GPU | Immortalis-G925 MC12 |
| 5G modem | 5G via a separate modem | Built-in 5G |
| Place in our ranking | #19 of 110 | #17 of 110 (better) |
| Geekbench 6 single-core | 3,288 (better) | 2,657 |
| Geekbench 6 multi-core | 8,023 | 8,195 |
| Graphics (3DMark Steel Nomad Light) | 1,596 | 2,329 (better) |
| Phones in our database | 3 phones | 3 phones |
| Best-rated phone | Apple iPhone 16 Plus 7.4 | vivo X200T 8.6 |
| Lowest US launch price | $599 Apple iPhone 16e | — |
| Newest phone | Apple iPhone 16e Feb 2025 | Blackview Xplore 6 Mar 2026 |
Phones with the Apple A18
3 phones in our database, best rated first.
-
7.4 Discontinued
Apple iPhone 16 Plus
6.7″ 60 Hz, 48 MP camera, 4,674 mAh
From $899 + Compare -
7.1
Apple iPhone 16
6.1″ 60 Hz, 48 MP camera, 3,561 mAh
From $799 + Compare -
6.8 Discontinued
Apple iPhone 16e
6.1″ 60 Hz, 48 MP camera, 4,005 mAh
From $599 + Compare
Phones with the Dimensity 9400+
3 phones in our database, best rated first.
-
8.6
vivo X200T
6.67″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 6,200 mAh
No US price + Compare -
8.6
Xiaomi 15T Pro
6.83″ 144 Hz, 50 MP camera, 5,500 mAh
No US price + Compare -
Announced
Blackview Xplore 6
6.73″ 120 Hz, 50 MP camera, 12,000 mAh
No US price + Compare
Apple A18 vs Dimensity 9400+: FAQ
Which is faster, the Apple A18 or the Dimensity 9400+?
In Geekbench 6, the two chips are nearly level in multi-core (8,023 vs 8,195), but the Apple A18 is 24% faster in single-core. In 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, a graphics test, the Dimensity 9400+ scores 46% higher (2,329 vs 1,596). Real-world speed also depends on how well each phone keeps the chip cool and on its software.
Is the Apple A18 or the Dimensity 9400+ better for gaming?
3DMark Steel Nomad Light measures graphics performance, which matters most for games. The Dimensity 9400+ scores 46% higher than the Apple A18 (2,329 vs 1,596). Cooling, screen refresh rate and game support also make a difference, so check the phones themselves.
Which is newer, the Apple A18 or the Dimensity 9400+?
The Dimensity 9400+ is newer: it was announced in April 2025, while the Apple A18 was announced in September 2024.
Which phones use the Apple A18 and the Dimensity 9400+?
The Apple A18 powers 3 phones in our database, including the Apple iPhone 16 Plus, Apple iPhone 16 and Apple iPhone 16e. The lowest US launch price with this chip is $599, for the Apple iPhone 16e. The Dimensity 9400+ powers 3 phones in our database, including the vivo X200T, Xiaomi 15T Pro and Blackview Xplore 6.
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.
More chipset comparisons
Pick any two chips, or open a popular comparison.