Best Mobile Processor Ranking List 2021

Are you looking for the rankings of mobile processors? Or do you want to make sure that your next smartphone has the best processor?

Then, you’ve arrived at the right place.

A smartphone’s processor is unarguably one of the most important components. The performance of the processor directly impacts the phone’s speed, gaming performance, user experience, and battery efficiency.

A mobile phone with a fast processor will open all your favorite apps in a blink of an eye and your task will be done in no time. But a phone with a weaker processor will result in a bad user experience and may cause issues such as overheating, lag, and poor battery life (despite it having a higher battery capacity).

It also plays a huge role in gaming performance as the GPU is also integrated into the chip itself. This is why the proper term for a mobile chip is a SOC (System-on-chip).

At Tech Centurion, we have developed Centurion Mark which is one of the industry-leading benchmarking techniques to evaluate the performance of a processor. Centurion Mark evaluates the CPU performance, Gaming Performance, and battery efficiency of a chip based on real-world usage and we combine all that data to assign a score to every SOC.

We also have a separate article for gaming performance which you can check out here: Mobile GPU Rankings.

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 December 2020, the best mobile processor is Apple A14 Bionic which powers iPhone 12 Lineup. The second-best processor is Snapdragon 888 followed by Samsung Exynos 2100, A13 Bionic, and Kirin 9000.

Next up, we have Exynos 1080, Kirin 9000E, Snapdragon 870/865+, and MediaTek Dimensity 1200 and 1100. The Apple A12 Bionic is the 14th best SOC and it is slightly better than Snapdragon 855+.

If you’re also looking for the ranking Desktop & Laptop CPUs from Intel & AMD, check out this article.

    Best Mobile Processor List

Here’s the list of Top 30 Smartphone Processors as of April 2021.

Best Mobile Processor April 2021

The iPhone 12’s A14 Bionic chip wins the competition as it has the highest performing CPU (Both in Single-Core and Multi-Core tasks) and the fastest GPU. It is also the most power-efficient chip because it is the first mainstream product to be fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm Process.

Kirin 9000 is also fabricated on TSMC’s 5nm Process while the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 1080 are manufactured using Samsung’s 5nm Process.

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

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Rank Processor Name Phone Centurion Mark
#1 Apple A14 Bionic Apple iPhone 12 165
#2 Snapdragon 888 OnePlus 9 158
#3 Exynos 2100 Samsung Galaxy S21 156
#4 Apple A13 Bionic Apple iPhone 11 154
#5 Kirin 9000 Huawei Mate 40 Pro 152
#6 Kirin 9000E Huawei Mate 40 151
#7 Exynos 1080 Vivo X60 Pro 151
#8 Snapdragon 870 Xiaomi Poco F3 151
#9 Snapdragon 865+ Asus ROG Phone 3 150
#10 Dimensity 1200 150*
#11 Snapdragon 865 OnePlus 8 149
#12 Dimensity 1100 Vivo S9 149
#13 Snapdragon 780G Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G 147
#14 Dimensity 1000+ Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra 146
#15 Apple A12 Bionic iPhone XS Max 146
#16 Dimensity 1000 146*
#17 Snapdragon 855+ Asus ROG Phone II 145
#18 Snapdragon 860 POCO X3 Pro 145
#19 Exynos 990 Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 144
#20 Snapdragon 855 OnePlus 7 Pro 144
#21 Kirin 990 5G Huawei Mate 30 Pro 5G 144
#22 Kirin 990 4G Huawei Mate 30 Pro 4G 143
#23 Kirin 990E 5G Huawei Mate 30E Pro 5G 143
#24 Exynos 9825 Galaxy Note 10+ 142
#25 Exynos 9820 Samsung Galaxy S10 140
#26 Dimensity 1000L Oppo Reno3 5G 140
#27 Kirin 985 5G Huawei Honor 30 139
#28 Kirin 980 Huawei Mate 20 Pro 137
#29 Dimensity 1000C T-Mobile LG Velvet 5G 137
#30 Snapdragon 768G Redmi K30 5G Racing 136
#31 Dimensity 820 Redmi 10X Pro 5G 136
#32 Exynos 980 Samsung Galaxy A71 5G 135
#33 Snapdragon 765G Oppo Reno 3 Vitality 134
#34 Dimensity 800U Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 134
#35 Exynos 880 Vivo Y70s 134
#36 Snapdragon 765 Motorola One 5G 133
#37 Dimensity 800 Honor Play 4 133
#38 Snapdragon 750G Motorola Moto G 5G 132
#39 Snapdragon 690 OnePlus Nord N10 5G 131
#40 Dimensity 720 Realme v3 131
#41 Dimensity 700 Realme 8 5G 131
#42 Apple A11 Bionic iPhone X 130
#43 Snapdragon 845 OnePlus 6T 127
#44 Exynos 9810 Samsung Galaxy Note 9 125
#45 Snapdragon 732G Poco X3 125
#46 Snapdragon 730G Oppo Reno 2 124
#47 Kirin 810 Honor 9X 124
#48 Snapdragon 730 Redmi K20 123
#49 Snapdragon 720G Realme 6 Pro 123
#50 Snapdragon 480 Vivo Y31s 122
#51 Kirin 970 Huawei Mate 10 Pro 121
#52 Helio G95 Realme 7 120
#53 Helio G90T Redmi Note 8 Pro 119
#54 Apple A10 Fusion iPhone 7 Plus 118
#55 Helio G90 118*
#56 Snapdragon 835 Google Pixel 2 XL 117
#57 Exynos 8895 Samsung Galaxy S8+ 114
#58 Snapdragon 712 Vivo Z5 114
#59 Snapdragon 710 Xiaomi Mi 8 SE 113
#60 Snapdragon 678 Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 113
#61 Snapdragon 675 Redmi Note 7 Pro 112
#62 Snapdragon 670 Oppo R17 111
#63 Helio P95 Oppo Reno 3 Pro 4G 111
#64 Helio P90 OPPO Reno Z 110
#65 Helio X30 Meizu Pro 7 Plus 109
#66 Apple A9 iPhone 6S Plus 109
#67 Snapdragon 821 OnePlus 3T 108
#68 Snapdragon 820 LG G5 107
#69 Helio G85 Redmi Note 9 107
#70 Exynos 8890 Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 106
#71 Helio G80 Redmi 9 106
#72 Helio G70 Realme C3 105
#73 Helio P65 Vivo S1 105
#74 Kirin 960 Huawei Mate 9 Pro 103
#75 Exynos 9611 Samsung Galaxy M30s 103
#76 Exynos 9610 Samsung A50 102
#77 Snapdragon 660 Xiaomi Mi A2 101
#78 Exynos 9609 Moto One Vision 101
#79 Snapdragon 665 Redmi Note 8 101
#80 Snapdragon 662 Moto G9 101
#81 Helio P70 Realme U1 99
#82 Snapdragon 460 Moto E7 Plus 99
#83 Helio P60 Realme 1 98
#84 Exynos 7885 Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) 98
#85 Kirin 710 Huawei Honor 8X 98
#86 Snapdragon 636 Nokia X6 97
#87 Exynos 7904 Galaxy M20 96
#88 Exynos 850 Samsung Galaxy A21s 96
#89 Snapdragon 632 Meizu Note 8 92
#90 Exynos 7884 Samsung Galaxy A20 92
#91 Exynos 7884A Samsung Galaxy J3 Orbit 91
#92 Kirin 955 Huawei Honor V8 89
#93 Snapdragon 630 Motorola Moto X4 88
#94 Kirin 950 Huawei Mate 8 88
#95 Exynos 7872 Meizu M6s 87
#96 Helio X27 UMIDIGI Z Pro 85
#97 Exynos 7420 Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 81
#98 Helio P35 Infinix Note 6 81
#99 Helio G35 Realme C11 81
#100 Snapdragon 810 OnePlus 2 80
#101 Helio P30 Gionee M7 80
#102 Helio G25 Redmi 9A 80
#103 Helio X23  Lenovo K8 Note 79
#104 Helio P23 OPPO F5 79
#105 Helio A25 Infinix Smart 4 Plus 78
#106 Helio X25 Meizu Pro 6 77
#107 Exynos 7880 Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) 77
#108 Helio X20 Sharp Z2 75
#109 Helio P25  Gionee A1 Plus 75
#110 Snapdragon 653 Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro 74
#111 Helio P20 Sony Xperia XA1 74
#112 Apple A8 iPhone 6 Plus 74
#113 Snapdragon 626 Motorola Moto Z2 Play 72
#114 Snapdragon 625 Xiaomi Mi A1 71
#115 Kirin 659 Huawei Honor 7X 71
#116 Kirin 658 Huawei P10 Lite 71
#117 Snapdragon 650 Redmi Note 3 Pro 70
#118 Kirin 655 Huawei Honor 6X 70
#119 Kirin 650 Huawei Honor 5C 70
#120 Snapdragon 439 Vivo Y93 69
#121 Helio P22  Xiaomi Redmi 6 69
#122 Snapdragon 652 Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro 69
#123 Snapdragon 450 Motorola Moto G6 69
#124 Snapdragon 808 Nexus 5X 68
#125 Exynos 7870 Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) 67
#126 Helio A22 Xiaomi Redmi 6A 66
#127 Kirin 935 Huawei Honor 7 66
#128 Kirin 930 Huawei P8 65
#129 Apple A7 iPhone 5s 65
#130 Snapdragon 429 Nokia 3.2 65
#131 Helio A20 Ulefone Armor X7 63
#132 Exynos 5433 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 61
#133 Helio P18 Nokia 5.1 61
#134 Helio P10  ZTE Nubia N1 59
#135 Snapdragon 435 Moto E5 Plus 59
#136 Helio X10 HTC One E9 59
#137 Exynos 7580 Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) 58
#138 Snapdragon 430 Xiaomi Redmi 3s 57
#139 Snapdragon 617 Motorola Moto G4 Plus 55
#140 Exynos 7570 Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime 53
#141 Snapdragon 616 Huawei Honor 7i 52
#142 Snapdragon 615 Lenovo Vibe P1 51
#143 MT6750T Oppo F3 51
#144 Snapdragon 427 Moto G6 Play 50
#145 MT6739 HTC Desire 12 50
#146 Snapdragon 425 Nokia 2.1 49
#147 MT6738 Alcatel A30 Fierce 49
#148 MT6753 Lenovo K4 Note 49
#149 MT6752 Lenovo K3 Note 48
#150 MT6750 Oppo F1s 48
#151 Qualcomm 215 LG K22 48
#152 Snapdragon 415 Lenovo Vibe K5 47
#153 Kirin 620 Huawei P8 Lite 47
#154 Snapdragon 412 BQ Aquaris X5 46
#155 MT6737T Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime 46
#156 Snapdragon 410 Xiaomi Redmi 2 45
#157 MT6737 Moto E4 Plus 45
#158 MT6735 Meizu M2 42
#159 MT6732 Acer Liquid Jade Z 41

*The performance of processors marked with a star is estimated based on their specification, leaked benchmarks, speculation, and the data 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 125

The processors that scored above 125 in 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 100-125

High performance is General use as well as gaming. If you’re buying a mid-range phone, then you should pick a phone whose chipset falls in this range.

Between 70-100

In this range, performance is above average. But you’re unlikely to observe any lagging or other 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 55-70

The general performance of these chips is below average. But it is still acceptable in 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 usually avoid them in 2021 unless you’re buying an extremely low-end phone whose price is below $100.

    Snapdragon 888 vs A14 Bionic vs Kirin 9000 vs Exynos 2100 vs Dimensity 1200

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 A14 Bionic
  2. Exynos 2100
  3. Snapdragon 888
  4. Dimensity 1200
  5. Kirin 9000

In both Single-Threaded and Multi-Threaded CPU performance, the A14 Bionic is far ahead of the rest of the chips. Following the A14 Bionic, we have the Exynos 2100 and Snapdragon 888 that feature the powerful Cortex-X1 derived CPU Core.

Next up, we have Dimensity 1200 that has a Cortex-A78 CPU and Kirin 9000 is at last with its Cortex-A77 CPU.

GPU Performance
  1. Apple A14 Bionic
  2. Snapdragon 888
  3. Kirin 9000
  4. Exynos 2100
  5. Dimensity 1200

Apple’s A14 Bionic continues to dominate the GPU performance while Snapdragon 888 is not too far away. Next comes the Kirin 9000 and Exynos 2100 with their Mali-G78 based GPU. At last, we have the Dimensity 1200 which features a Mali-G77 based GPU.

Fabrication Node
  1. Apple A14 Bionic & Kirin 9000
  2. Snapdragon 888 & Exynos 2100
  3. Dimensity 1200

A14 Bionic and Kirin 9000 are fabricated using TSMC’s 5nm process (N5) which is superior to the rest. Exynos 2100 and Snapdragon 888 use Samsung’s 5nm LPE process which comes next. At last, we have the MediaTek’s 1200 chip that is manufactured using TSMC’s 6nm (N6) which is a derivation of their 7nm and is not a full node shrink. TSMC’s 5nm Process has a higher transistor density & power efficiency when compared to the rest as you can see in this article.

AI Performance
  1. Kirin 9000
  2. Apple A14 Bionic
  3. Exynos 2100
  4. Dimensity 1200
  5. Snapdragon 888

In AI-related computation, Kirin 9000 is at the top followed by A14 Bionic and Exynos 2100. The Dimensity 1200 and Snapdragon 888 are not too far away either.

Modem
  1. Snapdragon 888
  2. Kirin 9000
  3. Exynos 2100
  4. Dimensity 1200
  5. Apple A14 Bionic

The above rankings depend on Networking Technologies, Internet Speeds, and Features. All the 5 chipsets support 5G.

User Experience
  1. Apple A14 Bionic
  2. Snapdragon 888
  3. Exynos 2100, Kirin 9000, Dimensity 1200

We rate user experience by evaluating the performance in day-to-day usage. All the five SOCs are pretty close in this segment.

    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 favor any particular brand or processor. We also do not accept sponsored reviews by a smartphone or semiconductor manufacturer.

Centurion Mark

By giving almost 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, Battery Efficiency, 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 chips seems unbelievably good, the performance difference in the real-world is not too 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

Best Flagship Mobile Processor

High-End

Top High-end Smartphone SOCs

Mid-Range

Best Mid-range Mobile Chips

Low-Budget

Best Budget Processors

    Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Which is the best chipset?
Answer: Apple A14 Bionic is currently the best Mobile Chipset. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 comes next, and it is followed by Kirin 9000, A13 Bionic, and Kirin 9000E. Next, we have the Exynos 1080 and Snapdragon 865+ chipsets.

Question: Which is the best processor for smartphones?
Answer: For Apple iPhones, A14 Bionic is the best processor, and for Android smartphones, Snapdragon 888 is the best processor. While both these Processors have exceptional gaming and Multi-Threaded Performance, the A14 Bionic leads in Single-Core Performance.

Question: What is the fastest smartphone?
Answer: iPhone 12 is the fastest phone in the world. Among Android phones, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro, Asus ROG Phone III, and OnePlus 8 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 888 outperforms Kirin 9000 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 2020?
Answer: The iPhone 12’s Apple A14 Bionic is the fastest processor in 2020. It is fabricated using TSMC’s 5nm 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 865+ is slightly better than MediaTek Dimensity 1000+. 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.




122 thoughts on “Best Mobile Processor Ranking List 2021”

  1. This has been the most useful list in the internet for me and I have used it so many times.

    Would it be too much to ask if you could include SD600, SD800, SD801, SD805, E5410, E5420 and E5430 or atleast some of them? Or just give some rough estimate about their scores here in comments?

    Thanks for your effort to maintain this list, keep up the good work!

    Reply
  2. Hi,
    I would like your comment on the change of chipset for the Planet Astro Slide.

    The initial plan was to use a MediaTek Dimensity 1000 processor with 6 GB of RAM and that it will now be a MediaTek Dimensity 800 processor with 8 GB of RAM. Assuming one does not buy a phone with a qwerty keyboard to play games but more likely for office applications, email and video calls (MS Teams comes in mind) will there be a noticeable difference in performance due to this change in processor taking into account the upgrade in RAM?

    Further the battery might be a 3500 mAh instead of a 4000 mAh battery (although that is not sure yet, there is a poll out for the backers). The claim is that the runtime of the phone with the 3500 mAh battery will be the same due to the lower power consumption of the MediaTek Dimensity 800 compared to the Dimensity 1000 processor. Can you comment on that claim?

    Reply
  3. Hi,
    Another question in regard to the MediaTek Dimensity 800 vs. 1000 processor just came to my mind:
    If I want to connect the Astro Slide to an external screen (monitor or television) using the usb-c video-out option would the different GPU make a noticeable difference in real life situations?

    Reply
  4. im really shocked that the 2018s a12 bionic actually outperforms majority new chipsets thats later introduced in these days, while the a14 chipset is just a real solid compared to the other chipset, maybe thats why even older models of apple iphone can still be used for a long time..

    Reply
    • When comparing and ranking phones based on flagship, high-end, midrange and low end devices, I noticed snapdragon 860 was missing. Surely it falls under high-end or midrange?

      Reply
  5. Update your site completely. Some portions are years old or have not been updated for a long time. Like the comparison of chipsets separately (ai and gpu vise etc)

    Reply
  6. I have been using this list for couple of years now, but I failed to notice if the list was getting updated as the SoC is being added or on a timely basis?
    Btw, thanks for retaining the CnetMark for old SoCs, it helps in comparing how good the newer chipsets will be (without considering other factors like Benchmark Apps revisions, new HSP, DSP, ISP, AIE of SoCs)

    Reply
  7. I have a Motorola g play 4G smartphone and I tried to find what kind of CPU unit it has if you could help me and find out information about the CPU unit and if it’s worth having or should I buy a better smartphone I don’t do a lot of gaming or web browsing

    Reply
  8. Can you write a detailed description on the mediatek dimensity series. Mainly the comparison between 800u and snapdragon 765g and 768g and the other competition like you did on snapdragon 720g and mediatek helio g95t

    Reply
  9. Why don’t you make detailed comparisons of chips anymore like you did on mediatek helio g90t and snapdragon 720 etc. I would love to see more detailed comparisons. I have been waiting for a long time for this. Especially on mediatek dimensity 800U and snapdragon 765g and similar chips like you added snapdragon 730g and 730 with 720g. Also, dimensity 1000l and 1000c with snapdragon 768g and 765g along with the upcoming dimensity 900.

    Reply
  10. I noticed that the newest A15 Bionic is missing along with some newer Android processor information. Will this site continue to be updated with the latest?

    Reply

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