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Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 vs 7 Gen 3: Performance comparison, benchmarks, and more
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 has been a popular choice among mid-range phones for offering excellent performance, power efficiency, and a reliable gaming experience. Its successor, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, takes everything a step ahead with notable advancements to CPU, GPU, and connectivity.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 will offer better performance, but the real question is: how big an upgrade is it? Is it just a new name with minor changes, or are there some serious upgrades? Let’s look at the benchmark scores and key differences to find out.
Here’s the spec sheet to begin with:
| Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | May 2025 | November 2023 |
| Process node | 4nm (TSMC) | 4nm (TSMC) |
| CPU | 1 x 2.8GHz — Cortex-A720 4 x 2.4GHz — Cortex-A720 3 x 1.84GHz — Cortex-A520 | 1 x 2.63GHz — Cortex-A715 3 x 2.4GHz — Cortex-A715 4 x 1.8GHz — Cortex-A510 |
| GPU | Adreno 722 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features | Adreno 720 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features |
| NPU | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU |
| Memory | LPDDR5x, up to 4.2GHz | LPDDR5, up to 3.2GHz |
| Storage | UFS 4.0 | UFS 3.1 |
| Camera | Qualcomm Spectra ISP (Triple AI-ISPs, 12-bit) up to 200MP single camera up to 64MP single camera with zero shutter lag up to 32+21MP dual cameras with zero shutter lag up to 21MP triple cameras with zero shutter lag up to 4K/60fps video recording | Qualcomm Spectra ISP (Triple CV-ISPs, 12-bit) up to 200MP single camera up to 64MP single camera with zero shutter lag up to 32+21MP dual cameras with zero shutter lag up to 21MP triple cameras with zero shutter lag up to 4K video recording |
| Connectivity | Snapdragon 5G modem (sub‑6GHz) download speed: 4.2Gbps (peak speed) Wi-Fi 7 (peak speed: 5.8Gbps) Bluetooth 6.0 | Snapdragon X63 5G modem (sub‑6GHz) download speed: 5Gbps (peak speed) Wi-Fi 6E (peak speed: 2.9Gbps) Bluetooth 5.4 |
Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 vs 7 Gen 3: Benchmark scores
[Note: For the benchmark results, the tests were performed on the Vivo T4 Pro (powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 4) and OnePlus Nord CE 4 5G (powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 3).]
Geekbench score
The Vivo T4 Pro, powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, has achieved 1,252 points in the single-core performance, which is about 8% higher than the 7 Gen 3. The gap widens in the multi-core performance, where the 7 Gen 4 leads with 20% higher score (3620 vs 3018).
| Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | |
| Single core | 1,252 | 1,154 |
| Multi core | 3,620 | 3,018 |
Geekbench results suggest devices powered by Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 will perform better than those powered by 7 Gen 3, especially in tasks that require multiple cores to work together.
AnTuTu score
In the AnTuTu benchmark, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 scores over 1 million, while the 7 Gen 3 scores 819K. That’s a 23% higher score for the newer chip, which also reflects in every single test on the platform.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 delivers 14% higher CPU and 26% higher GPU scores than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. The memory and UX scores also favor the newer chip.
| Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| AnTuTu score | 1,010,864 | 819,655 |
| CPU | 309,273 | 269,334 |
| GPU | 323,797 | 256,584 |
| Memory | 182,776 | 129,961 |
| UX | 195,019 | 163,776 |
Benchmark scores suggest a notable performance boost for the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, but they don’t reveal improvements to the camera, connectivity, or other key areas. So, let’s discuss them in the following section.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 vs 7 Gen 3: What are the upgrades?
CPU, GPU, and NPU
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 features an upgraded (1+4+3) core configuration, which replaces an efficiency core with a performance core. On top of this, the CPU uses a newer instruction set and newer cores, which offer better performance and power efficiency than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3.
Additionally, the prime core in the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 runs at a higher frequency, further improving the chip’s performance. Qualcomm claims a 27% performance uplift in CPU over the 7 Gen 3.
For graphics rendering, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 relies on the Adreno 722 GPU, which brings higher capabilities than the 7 Gen 3’s Adreno 720 GPU. The newer chip also benefits from some additional gaming optimizations, such as Qualcomm Adaptive Performance Engine 4.0 and Snapdragon Adaptive Game Configuration. Qualcomm says the newer GPU does 30% faster rendering.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 also features an upgraded Hexagon NPU, which delivers 65% better AI performance. It’s also the first in the lineup to support Stable Diffusion 1.5, enabling real-time image generation in seconds.
Camera and imaging
The camera specs are largely unchanged, but there are a few upgrades worth paying attention to. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is an AI ISP that enables AI-powered autofocus, auto white balance, and auto exposure.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is the first in the series to feature hardware-enabled electronic image stabilization (EIS) and adds real-time Video Super Resolution. Additionally, it significantly improves multi-frame noise reduction, resulting in clearer, crisper capture.
Connectivity
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 features more robust connectivity, thanks to an upgraded 5G modem that implements the latest 3GPP Release 17 standard. Unfortunately, though, the 7 Gen 4 features a lower peak download speed over 5G. On the plus side, it features twice the download speed over Wi-Fi as the 7 Gen 3.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 also benefits from Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 implementation. It’s the first chip in the series to feature Qualcomm Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology, which keeps earbuds connected over Wi-Fi ultra-clear, untethered audio.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 vs 7 Gen 3: Which is a better choice?
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is a real upgrade rather than a new name slapped to minor improvements. It has a performance-focused CPU and a newer GPU with faster rendering and additional gaming-centric features. The upgraded NPU is faster and more capable.
The newer Snapdragon chip also features an AI-ISP with advanced camera capabilities like hardware-enabled electronic image stabilization (EIS) and real-time Video Super Resolution. It also offers more modern, robust connectivity features, such as Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Qualcomm’s XPAN technology.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 is clearly the better choice here. But it will come with a higher price tag than 7 Gen 3-powered devices. In short, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 gives you an excellent value for money, whereas the newer 7 Gen 4 pushes for higher performance and modern features for a slightly higher price.
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