Best Mobile Processor Ranking List 2019

The processor or the SOC is unarguably one of the most critical components of a mobile device.
The performance of the processor directly correlates with the phone’s speed and user experience.

A smartphone with a fast processor will open all your favorite apps in a blink of an eye, and your
tasks will be done in no time. But a phone with a weak processor will result in bad user
experience and may cause issues such as overheating and lagging. The SOC also becomes the
major of the phone if you’re into mobile gaming.

To test and rank processors, Tech Centurion has developed Centurion Mark which evaluates
the performance of a processor.

“Centurion Mark is a lot more than just raw benchmark. We also take the real-world
performance into account while ranking the SOCs.“

Centurion Mark not only considers the raw benchmarks but also takes real-world performance
into account. This not only makes it highly accurate, but it makes it easy for consumers to
understand a phone’s performance without going much into technical details.

As of November 2019, the best mobile processor is Apple A13 Bionic which powers the iPhone
11 Lineup. Among Android devices, the Snapdragon 855+ is currently the best processor
followed by Kirin 990 5G, Snapdragon 855, Kirin 990 4G & Exynos 9825. The HiSilicon Kirin
980 is the 9th best chipset for Android devices after the Exynos 9820.
 Best Mobile Processor List
Here’s the list of Top 30 Smartphone Processors.

Here’s the table that has the ranking of all the processors alongside the Centurion Mark.

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Centurion
Rank Processor Name Phone
Mark
#1 Apple A13 Bionic iPhone 11 Pro Max 152
#2 Apple A12 Bionic iPhone XS Max 146
#3 Snapdragon 855+ Asus ROG Phone II 145
#4 Snapdragon 855 OnePlus 7 Pro 144
#5 Kirin 990 5G Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G 144
#6 Kirin 990 4G Huawei Mate 30 Pro 4G 143
#7 Exynos 9825 Galaxy Note 10+ 142
#8 Exynos 9820 Samsung Galaxy S10 140
#9 Kirin 980 Huawei Mate 20 Pro 137
#10 Apple A11 Bionic iPhone X 130
#11 Snapdragon 845 OnePlus 6T 127
#12 Exynos 9810 Samsung Galaxy Note 9 125
#13 Snapdragon 730G Oppo Reno 2 124
#14 Kirin 810 Honor 9X 124
#15 Snapdragon 730 Redmi K20 123
#16 Kirin 970 Huawei Mate 10 Pro 121
#17 Helio G90T Redmi Note 8 Pro 119
#18 Apple A10 Fusion iPhone 7 Plus 118
#19 Helio G90 118*
#20 Snapdragon 835 Google Pixel 2 XL 117
#21 Exynos 8895 Samsung Galaxy S8+ 114
#22 Snapdragon 712 Vivo Z5 114
#23 Snapdragon 710 Xiaomi Mi 8 SE 113
#24 Snapdragon 675 Redmi Note 7 Pro 112
#25 Snapdragon 670 Oppo R17 111
#26 Helio P90 OPPO Reno Z 110
#27 Helio X30 Meizu Pro 7 Plus 109
#28 Apple A9 iPhone 6S Plus 109
#29 Snapdragon 821 OnePlus 3T 108
#30 Snapdragon 820 LG G5 107
#31 Exynos 8890 Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 106
#32 Kirin 960 Huawei Mate 9 Pro 103
#33 Exynos 9611 Samsung Galaxy M30s 103
#34 Exynos 9610 Samsung A50 102
#35 Helio P65 Vivo S1 102
#36 Snapdragon 660 Xiaomi Mi A2 101
#37 Exynos 9609 Moto One Vision 101
#38 Snapdragon 665 Redmi Note 8 100
#39 Helio P70 Realme U1 99
#40 Helio P60 Realme 1 98
#41 Exynos 7885 Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) 98
#42 Kirin 710 Huawei Honor 8X 98
#43 Snapdragon 636 Nokia X6 97
#44 Exynos 7904 Galaxy M20 96
#45 Snapdragon 632 Meizu Note 8 92
#46 Kirin 955 Huawei Honor V8 89
#47 Snapdragon 630 Motorola Moto X4 88
#48 Kirin 950 Huawei Mate 8 88
#49 Exynos 7872 Meizu M6s 87
#50 Helio X27 UMIDIGI Z Pro 85
#51 Exynos 7420 Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 81
#52 Helio P35 Infinix Note 6 81
#53 Snapdragon 810 OnePlus 2 80
#54 Helio P30 Gionee M7 80
#55 Helio X23 Lenovo K8 Note 79
#56 Helio P23 OPPO F5 79
#57 Helio X25 Meizu Pro 6 77
#58 Exynos 7880 Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) 77
#59 Helio X20 Sharp Z2 75
#60 Helio P25 Gionee A1 Plus 75
#61 Snapdragon 653 Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro 74
#62 Helio P20 Sony Xperia XA1 74
#63 Apple A8 iPhone 6 Plus 74
#64 Snapdragon 626 Motorola Moto Z2 Play 72
#65 Snapdragon 625 Xiaomi Mi A1 71
#66 Kirin 659 Huawei Honor 7X 71
#67 Kirin 658 Huawei P10 Lite 71
#68 Snapdragon 650 Redmi Note 3 Pro 70
#69 Kirin 655 Huawei Honor 6X 70
#70 Kirin 650 Huawei Honor 5C 70
#71 Snapdragon 439 Vivo Y93 69
#72 Helio P22 Xiaomi Redmi 6 69
#73 Snapdragon 652 Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro 69
#74 Snapdragon 450 Motorola Moto G6 69
#75 Snapdragon 808 Nexus 5X 68
#76 Exynos 7870 Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) 67
#77 Helio A22 Xiaomi Redmi 6A 66
#78 Kirin 935 Huawei Honor 7 66
#79 Kirin 930 Huawei P8 65
#80 Apple A7 iPhone 5s 65
#81 Snapdragon 429 Nokia 3.2 65
#82 Exynos 5433 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 61
#83 Helio P18 Nokia 5.1 61
#84 Helio P10 ZTE Nubia N1 59
#85 Snapdragon 435 Moto E5 Plus 59
#86 Helio X10 HTC One E9 59
#87 Exynos 7580 Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) 58
#88 Snapdragon 430 Xiaomi Redmi 3s 57
#89 Snapdragon 617 Motorola Moto G4 Plus 55
#90 Exynos 7570 Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime 53
#91 Snapdragon 616 Huawei Honor 7i 52
#92 Snapdragon 615 Lenovo Vibe P1 51
#93 MT6750T Oppo F3 51
#94 Snapdragon 427 Moto G6 Play 50
#95 MT6739 HTC Desire 12 50
#96 Snapdragon 425 Nokia 2.1 49
#97 MT6738 Alcatel A30 Fierce 49
#98 MT6753 Lenovo K4 Note 49
#99 MT6752 Lenovo K3 Note 48
#100 MT6750 Oppo F1s 48
#101 Snapdragon 415 Lenovo Vibe K5 47
#102 Kirin 620 Huawei P8 Lite 47
#103 Snapdragon 412 BQ Aquaris X5 46
#104 MT6737T Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime 46
#105 Snapdragon 410 Xiaomi Redmi 2 45
#106 MT6737 Moto E4 Plus 45
#107 MT6735 Meizu M2 42
#108 MT6732 Acer Liquid Jade Z 41

*The performance of processors marked with a star is estimated based on their specification, and
the knowledge gained during the testing of previous-gen processors. These scores may change
once we have tested phones based on these SOCs.

How to make use of this data?

Processors having the same or a close score can be considered as equivalent or similar in
performance. This data can help you to determine which processor from a particular brand
(Qualcomm Snapdragon, Samsung Exynos, Huawei HiSilicon, MediaTek, and Apple) is
equivalent or comparable to the other.

Above 120

The processors that scored above 110 is Centurion Mark deliver excellent performance in
Gaming as well as Heavy usage. Selecting a phone with a processor from this category is highly
recommended for the best user experience.

Between 90-120
High performance is General use as well as gaming. If you’re buying a mid-range phone, then
you should target this range.

Between 65-90
In this range, performance is just average. But you’re unlikely to observe any lags or any other
significant issues. But some older chips like Snapdragon 810 having poor thermal performance
might also fall into this category. If you have a low budget, try to get a phone that fits in this
category.

Between 55-65

The general performance of these chips is below average, but it is acceptable in the lower end
phones. These can suffer from occasional lags as well as throttling issues.

Below 55
The performance of these chips is below par, and you should avoid them unless you’re buying an
extremely cheap phone with a budget lower than $100.

Snapdragon 855 vs A12 Bionic vs Kirin 980 vs Exynos

9820
I understand that a single-digit score doesn’t tell the whole story. Therefore, here’s a detailed
ranking of the current generation flagship SOCs in different aspects.

CPU Performance

1. Apple A12 Bionic

2. Exynos 9820
3. Snapdragon 855
4. Kirin 980

In Single-Threaded CPU performance, A12 Bionic is far ahead of the rest of the chips. But in the
Multi-Core test, the performance of all the four CPUs is quite similar.

GPU Performance

1. Apple A12 Bionic

2. Snapdragon 855
3. Exynos 9820
4. Kirin 980
Apple’s A12 Bionic continues to dominate the GPU performance while Snapdragon 855 is not
far behind. However, both Exynos 9820 and Kirin 980 are quite behind. Even with the GPU
Turbo Mode, Huawei’s Kirin 980 has the worst Gaming Performance in this list.

AI Performance

1. Snapdragon 855
2. Apple A12 Bionic
3. Kirin 980
4. Exynos 9820

In AI-related computation, Snapdragon 855 takes the crown followed by A12 Bionic. Huawei
has talked a lot about the Dual NPU of Kirin 980. But sadly, it isn’t as impressive as they say.

Fabrication Node

1. Apple A12 Bionic, Snapdragon 855, Kirin 980

2. Exynos 9820

A12 Bionic, Snapdragon 855, and Kirin 980 are fabricated using TSMC’s 7nm FinFET Process.
While Exynos 9820 is manufactured using Samsung’s 8nm Process. TSMC’s 7nm Process has
higher transistor density as compared to Samsung’s 8nm Process as you can see in this article.

Modem

1. Snapdragon 855
2. Exynos 9820
3. Kirin 980
4. Apple A12 Bionic

The above rankings depend on Networking Technologies, Internet Speeds, and Features. Though
none of the chips have an Integrated 5G Modem, an external 5G Modem can be added on
SD855, Exynos 9820, and Kirin 980.

User Experience

1. Apple A12 Bionic

2. Snapdragon 855
3. Kirin 980
4. Exynos 9820

The day-to-day usage experience is great and pretty close for all the four SOCs.

Centurion Mark and its Significance

We not only test the raw performance but also check whether it is as good as per its
specification. When a processor suffers from throttling/overheating on extended usage or lags
frequently during general use or gaming, we deduct its score. But when a processor performs
better than expected, we make sure to give it higher points.

Adding the User Experience section is essential to remove the high dependency on the raw
performance scores. The scores are unbiased, and we do not favour any particular brand or
processor. We also do not accept sponsored reviews by a smartphone or semiconductor
manufacturer.

By giving almost the equal weight to the Real-World Performance as the Raw score, Centurion
Mark is one of the most accurate ways to judge the performance of a SOC. Here are some of the
significant factors that influence the Centurion Mark.

Parameters that Influence Centurion Mark

There are more than 20 parameters on which we judge a processor’s performance. But the most
significant ones are:

 User Experience
 Real-World Performance (Gaming, Social Media, Browsing, and general phone usage)
 Raw CPU Performance
 Raw GPU Performance
 Features and Technologies

Things to Note
• Processors made by Apple run on a completely different OS and Apple doesn’t reveal the full
specification. There is no real way to determine whether an Apple Processor will perform the
same when running another OS such as Android. There’s also a difference in APIs, Kernal, and
Programming Language. Even though the raw performance of an Apple’s chip seems
unbelievably good, the performance difference in real-world is not significant. Lastly, the
sustained performance of Apple chips isn’t as good as Qualcomm chips.

That’s why the Centurion Mark of Apple Processors is determined in a slightly different way and
there’s a possibility of an error between 0 to 5%. But still, it is worth noting that Apple
Processors are top-notch and the A13 Bionic is the best mobile processor as of now.

• Because we determine Centurion Mark based on over 20 different parameters, one SOC with a
better CPU but a weaker GPU can have the same Centurion Mark as another SOC with a weaker
CPU but a better GPU. Thus, make sure to look at our GPU Benchmarks to find out which SOC
has a better Graphics Processor. You are also free to ask any questions in the comment section or
message us on our social media pages.

• Custom UIs or skins may also affect the user experience of a device. UIs such as Samsung
Experience, MIUI, and EMUI may improve or degrade the experience when compared to Stock
Android. We do not take this factor into consideration. You can always flash a Custom ROM to
improve the experience.

• These scores may change whenever we change our algorithm and benchmarking process.

Best Processors in Each Price Segment

This list contains the best processors in each price segment. Depending on your budget, try to get
a phone with one of the best processors available.

Flagship
High-End

Mid-Range
Budget

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Which is the best chipset?
Answer: Apple A13 Bionic is currently the best Mobile Chipset and A12 Bionic is the second-
fastest. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ comes next, and it is followed by Snapdragon 855,
Kirin 990, and Exynos 9825. Next, we have the Exynos 9820 and HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipsets.

Question: Which is the best processor for smartphones?

Answer: For Apple iPhones, A13 Bionic is the best processor, and for Android smartphones,
Snapdragon 855+ is the best processor. While both these Processors have exceptional gaming
and Multi-Threaded Performance, the A13 Bionic leads in Single-Core Performance.

Question: What is the fastest smartphone?

Answer: iPhone 11 Pro Max is the fastest phone in the world. Among Android phones, the Asus
ROG Phone II and OnePlus 7T Pro are the fastest.

Question: Which is better processor Kirin or snapdragon?

Answer: Processors from both Kirin and Snapdragon are excellent, but if we compare their top
Processors, the Snapdragon 855+ outperforms Kirin 980 by a significant margin. The major
performance difference is because most Snapdragon chips have a better GPU compared to that
of Kirin.

Question: Which mobile processor is best in 2019?

Answer: The iPhone 11’s Apple A13 Bionic is the fastest processor in 2019. It is fabricated
using TSMC’s 7nm+ EUV Technology and has made improvements in multiple dimensions.

Question: Which chipset is best MediaTek or snapdragon?

Answer: Most of the top Snapdragon processors outperform their MediaTek alternatives, and so
does their flagship chipsets. The Snapdragon 855+ is miles better than MediaTek Helio G90T. A
huge contributing factor to this difference is that Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs are comparatively
better than that of MediaTek Mali GPUs.

Final Words
I hope this list helps anyone looking to purchase a new smartphone. I’ll constantly be updating
the list of best mobile processors as new devices launch. If you have questions on why a
particular SOC is better, feel free to ask in the comments. I’ll get back to you as early as
possible.

How much priority should you give to Centurion Mark?

Centurion Mark covers three significant aspects of a phone: General Performance, User
Experience, and Gaming. A general consumer should give a high priority to Centurion Mark,
followed by the factor that matters the most to you (Camera/Battery/Features/Design/UI).

An in-depth review of a particular smartphone will always give a better idea than just
benchmarks. So, you shouldn’t only consider the Centurion Mark to judge a phone. It’s not
always about choosing a phone with the best mobile processor, but the one that fulfills all your
requirements.