A18 VS Dimensity 8550
We are comparing the A18 ( Apple ) head-to-head with the Dimensity 8550 ( MediaTek ) . You’ll get the key pros and cons of each chipset, in-depth specs, and benchmarking scores.
Note: This comparison of A18 vs. Dimensity 8550 is based on Comparigon's analysis and is for informational purposes only.
Last Updated: August 12, 2026
KEY DIFFERENCES OF A18 AND Dimensity 8550
Here’s how A18 and Dimensity 8550 stack up against each other in their most impactful areas. Use these bullets to see at a glance which chipset excels where.
Reasons to consider the A18
-
95% higher Single-Core Geekbench score (3433 vs 1761)
-
22% higher Multi-Core Geekbench score (8692 vs 7148)
-
19% higher CPU frequency (4050 MHz vs 3400 MHz)
Reasons to consider the Dimensity 8550
-
27% higher AnTuTu V11 score (2429134 vs 1918031)
-
1.3× more CPU cores (8 vs 6)
-
28% higher memory frequency (4800 MHz vs 3750 MHz)
-
28% higher memory bandwidth (76.8 GB/s vs 60 GB/s)
-
1.6× more GPU pipelines (8 vs 5)
SPECIFICATION TABLE COMPARISON OF A18 AND Dimensity 8550
Below is the detailed specification table comparing A18 and Dimensity 8550.
Note: Highlighted specs mean that SoC wins that spec row.
If neither side is highlighted, it is a tie or there is not enough data for both specs.
| Specification | A18 | Dimensity 8550 |
|---|---|---|
|
General Information
|
||
| Name: | A18 | Dimensity 8550 |
| Brand: | Apple | MediaTek |
| Class: | High-End | Mid-range |
| Release Date: | September 9, 2024 | May 27, 2026 |
| Foundry: | TSMC | TSMC |
| Instruction Set: | ARMv9.2-A | ARMv9.2-A |
|
CPU
|
||
| CPU Cores: | 6 | 8 |
| CPU Architecture: | 2x 4.04 GHz, 4x 2.42 GHz | 1x 3.4 GHz Cortex-A725, 3x 3.2 GHz Cortex-A725, 4x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A725 |
| CPU Frequency: | 4050 MHz | 3400 MHz |
|
Graphics (GPU)
|
||
| GPU Model: | Apple A18 GPU | Mali-G720 MP8 |
| Graphics Architecture: | Apple Bionic | 5th gen |
| GPU Frequency: | 1490 MHz | 1508 MHz |
| GPU Pipelines: | 5 | 8 |
| Shading Units: | 128 | 128 |
| GPU FLOPS: | 1907 Gigaflops | 3088.4 Gigaflops |
|
Memory Subsystem
|
||
| Memory Type: | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| Max Memory Size: | 8 GB | 24 GB |
| Memory Frequency: | 3750 MHz | 4800 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth: | 60 Gb/s | 76.8 Gb/s |
| Memory Bus Width: | 4x 16 Bit | 4x 16 Bit |
|
Benchmark Scores
|
||
|
GEEKBENCH
|
||
| Single-Core (V6) | 3433 | 1761 |
| Multi-Core (V6) | 8692 | 7148 |
| GPU (V6) | — | 15891 |
| Asset Compression | 286.8 MB/sec | — |
| HTML 5 Browser | 184.2 pages/sec | — |
| PDF Renderer | 201.2 Mpixels/sec | — |
| Image Detection | 297.2 images/sec | — |
| HDR | 279.1 Mpixels/sec | — |
| Background Blur | 36.2 images/sec | — |
| Photo Processing | 90 images/sec | — |
| Ray Tracing | 8.68 Mpixels/sec | — |
|
ANTUTU SCORE
|
||
| Overall (AnTuTu V11) | 1918031 | 2429134 |
| CPU | 601640 | 612932 |
| GPU | 587216 | 952016 |
| MEM | 164895 | 394012 |
| UX | 564280 | 470174 |
| Overall (AnTuTu V10) | 1683923 | — |
| CPU | 452290 | — |
| GPU | 690909 | — |
| MEM | 179383 | — |
| UX | 361341 | — |
|
Connectivity & I/O
|
||
| Cellular Download Speed: | Up to 10000 Mbps | — |
| Wi-Fi Version: | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth Version: | 5.3 | 5.4 |
|
AI & Acceleration
|
||
| Neural Processor: | Neural Engine | MediaTek NPU 880 |
| NPU Theoretical Performance: | 35 TOPS | — |
Tip: ▲ indicates a higher-is-better spec advantage, while ▼ indicates a lower-is-better advantage.
PERFORMANCE CHART COMPARISON OF A18 AND Dimensity 8550
The charts below visualize how A18 and Dimensity 8550 stack up in key performance metrics.
Radar Chart Comparison
Bullet Chart Comparison
Release Timeline of A18 and Dimensity 8550
A18 was released 1 year, 8 months, 18 days earlier than Dimensity 8550.
Domain Score Summary
Note: Scores (0 to 100) are generated by Comparigon’s scoring algorithm and are intended as a high-level guide. They may not map 1-to-1 with the individual spec-by-spec comparisons shown in the table.
Our Verdict
In conclusion, the Dimensity 8550 edges out overall compared to the A18. Its strongest advantages are in Graphics and Memory. The A18 is the better fit if your top priority is Benchmark and CPU.
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