The flagship smartphone chipset race continues to intensify, and two of the most talked-about processors in 2025 are the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and the Dimensity 9300 Plus. Both are built for premium devices and promise exceptional performance, advanced AI processing, improved gaming, and next-generation connectivity.
While they share similarities such as a 4nm manufacturing process and ray tracing support, their architectures and optimization strategies differ significantly. Understanding these differences can help determine which chipset delivers the best experience depending on user needs.
Both chipsets are fabricated using TSMC’s advanced 4nm (N4P) process, which balances performance and power efficiency. This manufacturing node allows for improved thermal efficiency and sustained performance under heavy workloads.
Since both use the same process, real-world efficiency differences will depend more on architecture design and software optimization rather than fabrication technology.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 features an octa-core configuration built around one Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3.21GHz, supported by multiple Cortex-A720 performance cores arranged at different frequency tiers. This layered approach is designed to balance power efficiency with performance scaling.
In contrast, the Dimensity 9300 Plus adopts a more aggressive performance-centric design. It includes one Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3.4GHz, three additional Cortex-X4 cores running at 2.85GHz, and four Cortex-A720 cores for efficiency tasks. By deploying multiple high-performance cores, MediaTek prioritizes sustained peak performance, making the chip especially strong for multitasking and heavy workloads.
This architecture gives the Dimensity 9300 Plus a potential advantage in raw multi-core processing power, while the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 focuses on balanced efficiency and responsiveness.
Graphics performance is crucial for gaming and high-frame-rate applications. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 features the Adreno 825 GPU, which includes hardware ray tracing and Snapdragon Elite Gaming features designed to enhance frame stability, visual realism, and power efficiency.
Meanwhile, the Dimensity 9300 Plus uses the Mali-G720 Immortalis MP12 GPU, also supporting hardware ray tracing. MediaTek enhances gaming performance through its Adaptive Gaming Technology (MAGT), which optimizes power usage and frame delivery during extended gaming sessions.
Both chips are capable of delivering console-like visual effects and high refresh rate gaming. Snapdragon tends to have stronger developer optimization and consistent performance, while MediaTek’s GPU excels in sustained graphics workloads and power balancing.
Artificial intelligence processing has become central to modern smartphones. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 integrates Qualcomm’s Hexagon NPU, enabling on-device AI tasks such as image enhancement, voice recognition, and intelligent power management.
The Dimensity 9300 Plus features the MediaTek NPU 790, designed for advanced generative AI, real-time translation, and image processing. MediaTek’s AI engine focuses heavily on on-device intelligence and multi-modal AI tasks.
Both platforms are highly capable, though MediaTek emphasizes AI throughput while Qualcomm focuses on efficiency and integration across apps and camera systems.
Both chipsets support LPDDR5X memory with speeds up to 4.8GHz, ensuring fast multitasking and responsive performance. However, the Dimensity 9300 Plus also supports LPDDR5T, offering additional bandwidth advantages in certain high-performance scenarios.
Storage support is modern on both platforms. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 supports UFS 4.0 storage, while the Dimensity 9300 Plus includes UFS 4 with MCQ (Multi-Circular Queue) technology, which improves data handling efficiency during parallel operations.
Camera processing is powered by advanced image signal processors. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 uses the Qualcomm Spectra triple AI-ISP system with 18-bit processing, enabling support for up to a 320MP single camera sensor and real-time semantic segmentation with up to 250 layers. It also supports 4K video recording at 60fps.
The Dimensity 9300 Plus integrates the Imagiq 990 ISP, also featuring 18-bit processing and support for 320MP sensors. It includes an AI Semantic Analysis Video Engine capable of recognizing multiple scene categories and supports video recording up to 8K at 30fps.
For photography enthusiasts and videographers, MediaTek offers higher video resolution capability, while Qualcomm focuses on advanced AI image processing and real-time scene optimization.
Connectivity is another area where both platforms excel. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 includes the Snapdragon X75 5G modem supporting sub-6GHz networks with download speeds up to 4.2Gbps. It also supports Wi-Fi 7 with peak speeds of 5.8Gbps and Bluetooth 6.0.
The Dimensity 9300 Plus integrates a MediaTek 5G Release 16 modem supporting both mmWave and sub-6GHz networks, with peak download speeds reaching up to 7Gbps. It also supports Wi-Fi 7 with peak speeds up to 6.5Gbps and Bluetooth 5.4.
MediaTek holds an advantage in peak connectivity speeds and mmWave support, while Qualcomm offers newer Bluetooth standards and strong global modem optimization.
Choosing between the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 and Dimensity 9300 Plus depends largely on user priorities.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is ideal for users seeking balanced performance, efficient power management, advanced AI imaging features, and optimized gaming performance. It is likely to deliver consistent real-world performance across a wide range of applications.
The Dimensity 9300 Plus, on the other hand, is built for raw performance and next-level connectivity. Its multi-X4 core architecture, faster modem speeds, LPDDR5T support, and 8K video recording capabilities make it particularly appealing for power users, gamers, and content creators.
Both chipsets represent the cutting edge of mobile processing in 2025. With similar fabrication technology but distinct architectural philosophies, they cater to slightly different performance priorities.
The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 emphasizes efficiency, stability, and AI-enhanced imaging, while the Dimensity 9300 Plus pushes boundaries in raw performance, connectivity speeds, and video capabilities. As smartphone manufacturers adopt these platforms in upcoming flagship devices, users can expect faster, smarter, and more capable mobile experiences than ever before.
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