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Apple A18 and MediaTek Dimensity 9500s are built for different phone ecosystems, and the published scores do not establish a universal winner. The A18 powers Apple’s iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus; Dimensity 9500s is an Android platform whose phone-level implementation depends on the manufacturer. 91mobiles reports an A18 lead in Geekbench single-core and a Dimensity 9500s lead in multi-core, but its two AnTuTu totals for the MediaTek chip conflict. Treat those results as reference points, not a controlled head-to-head verdict.

At a glance: the chip and phone ecosystems

The A18 arrived with iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus in September 2024. Apple specifies a six-core CPU, five-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine for iPhone 16. Dimensity 9500s is MediaTek’s eight-core Arm platform for Android phones, with an Immortalis-G925 GPU. The actual phone matters: cooling, memory configuration, software and regional model can affect the experience.

Apple identifies iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus as A18 devices. 91mobiles lists POCO X8 Pro Max and OPPO Find X9s as Dimensity 9500s phones, but check the exact regional model and current availability before buying. The chips themselves are not ordinary standalone consumer products.

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CPU configurations and process descriptions

Specification Apple A18 MediaTek Dimensity 9500s
CPU Six-core CPU 1× Cortex-X925 up to 3.73GHz, 3× Cortex-X4, 4× Cortex-A720
Graphics Five-core GPU Immortalis-G925; optional 11- or 12-core GPU configurations
Other processing 16-core Neural Engine 12MB L3 cache and 10MB system-level cache
Process description Apple calls it second-generation 3-nanometer technology MediaTek describes it as a 3nm chip

The process descriptions are manufacturers’ labels; they do not by themselves show that the chips use directly comparable fabrication processes or predict which will perform better.

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MediaTek’s product information also lists LPDDR5X memory, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and support for up to 8K video capture. These are platform capabilities, not a guarantee that every Dimensity 9500s phone implements every feature in the same way.

What the published benchmarks report

The following figures are from 91mobiles’ comparison page, retrieved October 7, 2026. They are third-party reported results, not official scores from Apple or MediaTek.

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Benchmark Apple A18 Dimensity 9500s
Geekbench single-core 3,278 2,673
Geekbench multi-core 7,995 8,483
AnTuTu 1,764,170 3,022,675 in the page summary; 2,801,896 in its comparison table

The Geekbench figures show the A18 ahead on the listed single-core result and Dimensity 9500s ahead on the listed multi-core result. The AnTuTu discrepancy means there is no single consistent Dimensity total to quote from that page.

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91mobiles does not provide enough retrieved test detail to verify that the results use comparable phones, software versions, cooling, benchmark versions or test conditions. A score describes a tested setup, not every phone built around that chip. These figures cannot establish everyday battery life, sustained gaming performance or a definitive overall winner.

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Graphics, ray tracing and gaming

Apple specifies a five-core GPU in iPhone 16 and says A18 supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Apple also claims up to 30% higher sustained gaming performance in the redesigned iPhone 16. That is Apple’s description of its device and chip, not a comparative test against a Dimensity 9500s phone.

MediaTek pairs Dimensity 9500s with Immortalis-G925 graphics and describes ray-tracing capability. Its product page allows for 11- or 12-core GPU configurations, so check the particular phone rather than assuming every model uses the same configuration. MediaTek’s frame-rate and efficiency statements describe platform capabilities and expectations; they are not independent comparative results.

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For a gaming purchase, the phone’s cooling design, game support, display and sustained device-level performance matter alongside GPU specifications. The available results do not provide a controlled gaming comparison between the two chips.

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AI, connectivity and imaging features

Apple lists a 16-core Neural Engine in iPhone 16 and introduced A18 alongside Apple Intelligence. The practical AI experience depends on Apple’s software and the specific supported features, not the core count alone.

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MediaTek highlights AI and imaging capabilities for Dimensity 9500s, as well as Release-17 5G. Its published platform specifications include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and support for up to 8K video capture. Phone makers determine the final feature set and how those capabilities are implemented.

How to choose between A18 and Dimensity 9500s

  • Choose by ecosystem first: A18 means choosing an A18-powered iPhone such as iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Plus. Dimensity 9500s means choosing a particular Android handset.
  • Use benchmark scores as clues, not a verdict: the reported Geekbench results split by single-core and multi-core, and the conflicting AnTuTu totals weaken any simple ranking.
  • Compare the exact phones: verify regional model, memory and GPU configuration, software support, price and availability at the point of purchase.
  • For gaming or long workloads, look for device-level evidence: chip specifications and vendor claims alone do not establish sustained performance or battery life in a specific phone.

Apple’s CPU and GPU comparisons are against A16, not Dimensity 9500s. Apple says A18’s CPU is 30% faster than A16 and can run the same workload using 30% less power; it claims the GPU is up to 40% faster and 35% more efficient. Those manufacturer comparisons do not answer which chip is faster in a comparable phone.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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