However, the roles reverse with single-core performance; Apple's latest A18 Pro chip takes a healthy 18% lead over our first 8 Elite handset. The upgraded performance even sees the latest iPhone take a more noticeable 8% lead over Qualcomm's reference phone too. We'll have to wait and see if other Android phones come closer to Qualcomm's projection, but given the Realme GT7 Pro's high temperatures, this seems unlikely.

When it comes to graphics performance, the Snapdragon 8 Elite showcases a massive advantage, whether you're looking at single-run or sustained performance metrics. That said, our first commercial 8 Elite handset runs pretty hot, as does the iPhone 16 Pro. It looks like we're facing some pretty toasty temperatures if we want to benefit from the absolute pinnacle of mobile graphics performance.

Between a boost for the latest iPhones and slightly underwhelming handset performance compared to Qualcomm's optimistic performance point, the Snapdragon 8 Elite's new Oryon CPU architecture doesn't quite have the edge on Apple that it first appeared to. Even so, the CPU gap has undoubtedly closed to the point where meaningful differences for apps will be few and far between.