Introduction

The A17 Pro vs A16 Bionic vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 comparison brings together two Apple processors and Qualcomm’s 2023 flagship Android chipset.

Apple A16 Bionic launched in September 2022 using TSMC’s 4nm process. A17 Pro arrived in September 2023 with a 3nm process, updated CPU cores and a more capable integrated GPU. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 launched in October 2023 using TSMC’s 4nm process, combining a Cortex-X4 CPU with Adreno 750 graphics.

NanoReview’s overall scores are 77 for A17 Pro, 75 for A16 Bionic and 77 for Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. These ratings show that A17 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are tied overall, but their strengths differ: A17 Pro leads CPU performance and efficiency, while Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is stronger in gaming and several graphics benchmarks.

Quick Answer

The Apple A17 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 tie for the highest NanoReview overall score at 77, followed by A16 Bionic at 75. A17 Pro leads CPU performance and battery efficiency, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers the highest gaming rating and AnTuTu 11 result, and A16 Bionic remains strong in single-core CPU performance. The best choice depends on gaming, CPU workloads and the smartphone ecosystem.

Specification Comparison

Source: NanoReview’s individual processor pages. Specifications describe listed chipset capabilities, not necessarily every feature implemented in every phone.

CPU Architecture and Performance

A17 Pro has the highest NanoReview CPU rating, followed by A16 Bionic and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

A17 Pro uses two Apple Everest performance cores at 3.78GHz and four Sawtooth efficiency cores at 2.11GHz. Its 16MB L2 cache and 3nm manufacturing process distinguish it from A16 Bionic.

A16 Bionic uses the same broad six-core arrangement, but its Everest cores run at 3.46GHz and its Sawtooth cores at 2.02GHz. Its 16MB L2 cache remains substantial, helping sustain performance across demanding workloads.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 uses an eight-core arrangement: one Cortex-X4 core at 3.3GHz, three Cortex-A720 cores at 3.15GHz, two Cortex-A720 cores at 2.96GHz and two Cortex-A520 cores at 2.27GHz. It combines high-performance cores with efficiency cores for Android multitasking and intensive applications.

NanoReview’s CPU scores are 82 for A17 Pro, 81 for A16 Bionic and 77 for Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. A17 Pro therefore leads the overall CPU rating, although the A16 remains close behind. Snapdragon’s eight-core layout provides more cores and strong multicore capability, but NanoReview’s CPU aggregate rating favors Apple’s newer custom CPU design.

GPU and Gaming Performance

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 leads NanoReview’s gaming rating and several 3DMark tests, while A17 Pro has a stronger GPU compute result in NanoReview’s Metal-based benchmark.

A17 Pro integrates Apple’s A17 GPU, listed at 2147.2 GFLOPS. A16 Bionic’s GPU reaches 1789.4 GFLOPS, while Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s Adreno 750 is listed at 2774 GFLOPS.

Their gaming scores are:

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the gaming-rating winner. Its Adreno 750 has strong reported results in 3DMark Steel Nomad Light, Solar Bay and Wild Life Extreme. A17 Pro still improves GPU capability over A16 Bionic and includes hardware-accelerated ray-tracing features, but the NanoReview gaming rating favors Qualcomm.

Theoretical FLOPS should not be treated as a direct prediction of frame rates. GPU architecture, graphics drivers, API support, game optimization and thermal management affect practical performance. Benchmark results also differ between Metal on Apple devices and Vulkan or other APIs on Android.

Manufacturing and Battery Efficiency

A17 Pro has the highest NanoReview battery score at 96, followed by A16 Bionic at 95 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 at 91.

A17 Pro uses TSMC’s 3nm process, while A16 Bionic and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 use 4nm processes. NanoReview gives battery scores of 96, 95 and 91, respectively.

A17 Pro therefore leads this efficiency rating. The one-point difference between A17 Pro and A16 Bionic is small, however, and should not be interpreted as a guaranteed battery-life advantage in every iPhone.

Actual endurance depends on the phone’s battery capacity, screen, radio conditions, software and battery health. The scores are useful for comparing NanoReview’s ratings, not predicting exact hours of use.

RAM, Memory and Storage

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has substantially higher listed memory bandwidth and maximum RAM capacity than either Apple processor.

A17 Pro supports LPDDR5 memory at 3200MHz, with 51.2GB/s bandwidth and a listed maximum of 8GB RAM. A16 Bionic uses the same memory type and frequency, but NanoReview lists a maximum of 6GB RAM. Both use NVMe storage.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 supports LPDDR5X at 4800MHz, with up to 76.8GB/s bandwidth and a maximum of 24GB RAM. It also supports UFS 4.0 and UFS 4.1 storage.

These specifications favor Qualcomm in raw memory bandwidth, maximum RAM and listed storage compatibility. Apple’s memory architecture and software are different, so maximum RAM capacity alone does not determine app responsiveness or multitasking performance.

AI and NPU

A17 Pro has the highest explicitly listed neural-processing throughput among these processors.

NanoReview lists the Apple Neural Engine at 35 TOPS for A17 Pro and 17 TOPS for A16 Bionic. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 uses Qualcomm’s Hexagon AI hardware, but the cited NanoReview page does not provide an equivalent TOPS figure.

A17 Pro therefore leads the published numeric specifications. However, TOPS figures alone do not establish real-world AI performance. Model support, precision, memory use, application frameworks and operating-system integration all influence results.

Camera, ISP and Video

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has the strongest listed video-recording capability and highest maximum camera-resolution specification.

A17 Pro and A16 Bionic list camera support up to 48MP and video capture at 4K60. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 supports cameras up to 200MP, with recording up to 8K at 30fps and 4K at 120fps.

Qualcomm therefore has the stronger listed maximum capture specification. However, maximum sensor resolution does not guarantee better photographs. Sensor quality, lens design, stabilization, image signal processing and phone-specific camera tuning determine the final result.

Display and Connectivity

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 has the highest listed 5G download speed, maximum display resolution and newest Wi-Fi standard.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 supports displays up to 3840×2160, compared with 2796×1290 for A17 Pro and A16 Bionic. Its listed peak 5G download speed is 10Gbps, with upload up to 3.5Gbps. Both Apple processors list download speeds up to 7.5Gbps and upload up to 3.5Gbps.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, while the Apple chips list Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. These are theoretical chipset capabilities; the actual wireless experience depends on modem implementation, antennas, network availability and the phone design.

Benchmark Comparison

A17 Pro leads Geekbench CPU performance, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 leads AnTuTu 11 and the listed 3DMark tests, and A16 Bionic remains competitive in Geekbench.

Source: NanoReview’s individual and comparison pages. Geekbench GPU Compute results use different APIs (Metal on Apple and OpenCL on Snapdragon) and are not directly comparable.

AnTuTu results from iOS and Android are not directly comparable, as NanoReview explicitly warns. Thus, the higher Snapdragon result should not be taken as a direct measure of how much faster it feels than A17 Pro in everyday use.

Geekbench shows a different pattern. A17 Pro leads the listed single-core and multicore results, while Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 leads the listed 3DMark tests. This illustrates why CPU scores, gaming ratings and overall scores should be evaluated separately.

The sample sizes are not equal either: NanoReview lists 32 Geekbench CPU tests for A17 Pro, 24 for A16 Bionic and 139 for Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. These are reported averages rather than results from identical devices under perfectly controlled conditions.

Real-World Performance

A17 Pro is strongest for CPU-heavy workloads and efficiency, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is best for gaming and Android flagship features, and A16 Bionic remains capable but is the oldest of the three.

A17 Pro has the highest CPU rating, strong single-core and multicore benchmarks, and a battery score of 96. It is a good choice for demanding iOS applications and workloads that benefit from Apple’s custom CPU design.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 stands out for gaming, high memory bandwidth, 8K video capture, 4K120 recording, Wi-Fi 7 and a high listed cellular download rate. Its Adreno 750 platform and strong 3DMark results make it the gaming choice under NanoReview’s current ratings.

A16 Bionic remains strong in CPU performance but does not match A17 Pro’s performance ratings or Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s gaming and hardware feature set. For a real device purchase, software support, battery condition, cooling, camera implementation and price matter as much as the processor score.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Apple A17 Pro

Strengths

• Highest CPU rating.
• Highest Geekbench 6 single-core and multicore scores.
• Battery rating of 96.
• 3nm TSMC manufacturing.
• Apple Neural Engine rated at 35 TOPS.
• Strong custom CPU architecture.

Weaknesses

• Lower gaming rating than Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
• Lower memory bandwidth than Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
• Maximum RAM listed at 8GB.
• Wi-Fi 6 rather than Wi-Fi 7.

Apple A16 Bionic

Strengths

• CPU rating of 81.
• Strong Geekbench performance.
• Battery rating of 95.
• Apple Neural Engine rated at 17 TOPS.
• NVMe storage and integration with iOS.

Weaknesses

• Lowest overall rating of the three.
• Older 4nm process.
• Maximum RAM listed at 6GB.
• Lower gaming rating than both rivals.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Strengths

• Overall score tied for first.
• Highest gaming rating.
• Highest listed AnTuTu 11 score.
• 76.8GB/s memory bandwidth.
• Up to 24GB RAM.
• 8K30 and 4K120 video capture.
• Wi-Fi 7 and 10Gbps listed 5G download.

Weaknesses

• CPU rating below A17 Pro and A16 Bionic.
• Battery score of 91, below both Apple chips.
• Geekbench CPU results below A17 Pro.
• Higher theoretical GPU compute does not guarantee better performance in every game.

Best Processor for Different Users

Final Verdict and Ranking

A17 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 tie for first place overall, while A16 Bionic ranks third by NanoReview’s composite score.

#1 Apple A17 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 — Overall Tie

Both processors score 77 overall, but their advantages are different. A17 Pro leads CPU performance, Geekbench CPU results and battery efficiency. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 leads the gaming rating, AnTuTu 11 and listed 3DMark tests, while providing higher memory bandwidth, more maximum RAM, Wi-Fi 7 and more advanced listed video capture.

#2 Apple A16 Bionic

The A16 Bionic scores 75, two points behind the other processors. It remains strong in CPU performance and efficiency, but A17 Pro improves on its CPU rating and battery score. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 offers stronger gaming and broader hardware capabilities.

Winner Summary

Final Ranking

1. Apple A17 Pro — 77
2. Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 — 77
3. Apple A16 Bionic — 75

The central conclusion is that A17 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are effectively tied overall, but excel in different areas. A17 Pro is the stronger CPU and efficiency choice, while Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers higher gaming ratings and a more extensive listed multimedia and connectivity feature set. A16 Bionic remains capable, but the newer processors have the advantage in the overall comparison.

Sources: NanoReview pages for Apple A17 Pro, Apple A16 Bionic, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Data checked October 10, 2026.