Processors are the core “engine” of computing devices like cell phones, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, PCs, and more. They come in different shades that include performance, features, compatibility, and price. As such, mobile processor ranking is done based on these general considerations.
Performance is generally regarded as the most important factor to consider when ranking phone processors. Everyone likes a smartphone that is powerful, and only the best performing processors make this happen. As such, we are basing our mobile processor rankings in this article primarily on performance. Of course, the better performing a processor is, the higher the price of the phone it is used in.
The premium smartphone chipsets and processors ranking list in this article lets you see the top 10 cell phone processors available today, as at Janauary 2024, and which smartphones they are used in. We also include two other mobile processor ranking lists, covering mid-range devices.
The data used in this mobile processor ranking is publicly available from benchmark services. We know you don’t want the technical jargon, so we are listing only the performance of the CPU. Think of that as the raw power of the processor, on a scale of 1 to 100. Let’s start by looking at the 10 most powerful processors first. And it is an interesting list.
Table of Contents
Best Mobile Processor Ranking List: The Top 20 Most Powerful Smartphone Chipsets in 2024
- Apple A17 Bionic: found in iPhone 7 Pro and 7 Pro Max.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3: found in Xiaomi 14 series and OnePlus 12.
- Dimensity 9300: found in the Vivo X100 and X100 Pro.
- Dimensity 9200 Plus: found in smartphones like Xiaomi 13T Pro and Vivo X90S.
- Apple A16 Bionic: found in Apple iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
- Apple A15 Bionic (99): found in Apple iPhone 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, and SE 2022.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2: found in Nubia Z50, Xiaomi 13 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
- Dimensity 9200: found in Vivo X90 and X90 Pro.
- Dimensity 9000+: found in iQOO Neo 7.
- Qualcom Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (89): found in Motorola Edge 30 Pro, Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro.
- Dimensity 9000 (93): found in Vivo X80 and OPPO Find X Pro.
- Apple A14 Bionic (88): found in Apple iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini.
- Exynos 2200 (87): used in Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Plus (86): found in Black Shark 4S Pro.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (85): Xiaomi 11T Pro, OPPO Find X5, OnePlus 9 RT.
- Google Tensor (84): found in Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
- Kirin 9000 (83): used in Huawei P50 and P50 Pro.
- Dimensity 8100 (83): found in Realme GT Neo3
- Tensor G2: found in Pixel 7a.
- Mediatek Dimensity 1100.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 870.
Not too long ago, MediaTek was an underdog in the smartphone world, manufacturing budget processors to power cheap and entry-level Android smartphones. But here we are with a MediaTek chipset ranking 2nd place above the best from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and Samsung’s Exynos. How the times have changed.
We have seen the top 10 mobile processor ranking list. It features the most powerful chipsets in the market and are found only in top flagship smartphones and devices. Directly below the top 10 exist a number of capable processors that offer near-flagship performance and capabilities at lower costs.
In 2024, you do not have to buy a flagship phone to enjoy exceptional performance. Just buy a phone that uses one of the following processors. Let’s have a look at the best mid-range mobile processor ranking.
Best Mid-range Mobile Processor Ranking List
This category of chipsets are used in some of the phones that aspire to flagship performance without premium flagship prices. You will find them in smartphones that are classified as flagship killers. Some of these processors are found in premium flagships from years gone by. They are usually available now at discounted prices.
- Dimensity 8200
- Dimensity 8100
- Dimensity 7200
- Dimensity 8050:
- Dimensity 8020: found in Infinix Zero 30 5G.
- Exynos 2100 (81)
- A13 Bionic (85)
- Kirin 9000E
- Snapdragon 870
- Exynos 1080
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus (76)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (74)
- Dimensity 7200.
- Dimensity 8050: found in TECNO Camon 20 Premier.
- Dimensity 1200
- Dimensity 1100
- Dimensity 1000 Plus
- Apple A12 Bionic
- Snapdragon 860
- Exynos 990 (67)
Decent Mid-range Mobile Processor Ranking List
The phones that use the chipsets in this category do not provide exceptional performance. They are not even close. But they are decent performers in the mid-range segment. They get the job done without any fuss. These are rock solid budget phones that you can depend on without annoying lags or sluggishness.
- Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
- Snapdragon 782G
- Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
- Snapdragon 778G Plus (61)
- Kirin 990 5G
- Snapdragon 780
- Snapdragon 855
- Snapdragon 778G (58)
- Kirin 990
- Exynos 9825
- Dimensity 1000
- Exynos 9820
- Dimensity 920
- Dimensity 1000L
- Kirin 985
- Kirin 980
- Kirin 820
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G
- Dimensity 900
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 695
- Exynos 9810
- Apple A11 Bionic
- Exynos 980
- Snapdragon 765G (44)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 765
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 Plus
- Dimensity 810
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G
- Dimensity 800U
- Kirin 810
- Exynos 880
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G
- Dimensity 800
- Dimensity 720
- Snapdragon 690 (40)
- Snapdragon 720G
- Dimensity 700
- MediaTek Helio G90
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
- MediaTek Helio G95
- Snapdragon 835
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 730
- MediaTek Helio G96
- MediaTek Helio G90T
- Snapdragon 480 5G (36)
You will notice that some numbering of these processors do not follow. For example, Helio G90 is more powerful than G95, which is more powerful than G95. It doesn’t make sense to us either, and MediaTek needs to stop messing around like that. But Qualcomm is also a culprit: the Snapdragon 695 is more powerful than 765, 750, and 730 series. Snapdragon 480 Plus also stands above the 750 and 730 series.
From the above mobile processor ranking lists, you can have a fair idea of how powerful your smartphone is, once you know what processor it uses. Don’t blame us if by now, you are nursing a desire to upgrade your phone to something more powerful.