For a while, Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon series was the de-facto choice for flagship Android smartphones. But in recent years, the landscape has shifted with chips from its rival, MediaTek, posing a direct channel on every segment. While the Snapdragon was often found in flagship smartphones, recent premium models even carry the latest Dimensity SoCs. So if you’re eyeing a flagship Android phone without Snapdragon, here’s what you can expect and what trade-offs you might need to consider.

Snapdragon vs Dimensity: Performance

Historically, Snapdragon chips have excelled in sustained single-thread performance and optimized multi-core throughput. This basically translated to faster app launches, snappy multitasking, and stable performance under heavy loads. So even Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 continues this tradition with strong single-core and multi-core scores in benchmarks.

Yet MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 isn’t far behind, and in some tests even edges out Snapdragon in certain metrics. For example, early Geekbench 6 scores show the Dimensity can slightly outperform the Snapdragon chip in single-core tasks, while multi-core results are tightly matched. Meaning, both chips are capable of delivering flagship level performance. So, regardless of which side you pick, everyday use or intense workloads isn’t a compromise on either side.

Gaming & Graphics

Gaming is where the chipset battle gets interesting. Snapdragon’s Adreno GPU traditionally excels at raw graphical throughput and stable framerates, backed by Qualcomm’s “Elite Gaming” suite and optimizations tailored to top Android titles. This can mean slightly better peak performance in games, especially at higher resolutions or demanding settings.

On the other hand, the Dimensity 9500’s Mali-G1 Ultra GPU delivers very strong performance for most gaming scenarios and has shown impressive gains in GPU scores in benchmarks. Some real-world tests even highlight smoother sustained performance during long gaming sessions, thanks to better thermal behavior and power distribution.

However, certain aspects like thermal throttling are also related to the brand’s optimization and cooling solutions. If your priority is maxing out graphics, Snapdragon phones could still have an edge. But the difference in minimal and the Dimensity powered devices are holding their own with balanced performance and efficiency.

Power Efficiency & Thermals

Efficiency isn’t just about benchmarks, it’s about how long your phone can last during everyday use. Dimensity 9500’s architecture emphasizes a mix of high-performance and efficiency cores, often resulting in cooler operation and lower power draw during sustained tasks like gaming or video editing. This can translate to better real-world battery life, especially over extended use.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm designed its flagship Snapdragon chips with higher clock speeds and custom Oryon cores, which deliver slightly better burst performance. But this can come with increased heat under load that can trigger thermal throttling in some scenarios. Some users have even reported that Snapdragon-equipped phones run warmer during extended gaming or benchmarking sessions compared to Dimensity-powered counterparts.

AI, Camera, & Connectivity Features

AI performance and camera processing are increasingly important in flagship devices. Both Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500 support advanced NPUs and modern ISP pipelines capable of AI-driven photography and on-device intelligence. Qualcomm typically edges ahead with its Hexagon NPU and camera ISP tuning, which can benefit high-end videography and computational photography workflows.

However, Dimensity’s NPU also shows strong results and, in some benchmarks, uses lower power for similar tasks. In terms of connectivity, Snapdragon often leads with slightly faster 5G modem speeds and mature signal handling, but Dimensity isn’t far behind with robust 5G support and Wi-Fi advancements.

Verdict: More Choices, Not Compromises

High-end Android phones without Snapdragon aren’t second-class anymore. They are competitive flagship choices that reflect how far Android chip competition has come. With Samsung also revitalizing its Exynos lineup of chips, the competition is getting stiffer. So if you need top tier performance, excellent battery life, and great gaming experience, a Dimenity powered device is absolutely worth considering and offers no real trade offs when compared to Snapdragon equipped flagships.

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The post Snapdragon vs Dimensity: Is a non-Snapdragon flagship phone worth it in 2025? appeared first on Gizmochina.