MediaTek Helio G100 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3: 4G Practicality vs More Powerful 5G Platform

MediaTek Helio G100 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 are not direct competitors at the same level. The Helio G100 is aimed at affordable 4G smartphones with good battery life, Full HD+ displays up to 120 Hz, and cameras up to 200 MP. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a more advanced mid-range 5G platform with a stronger CPU, significantly better graphics, Wi-Fi 6E support, LPDDR5 memory, and 4K HDR video capabilities.

Key Differences

The main difference lies not in camera support or display refresh rate, but in the class of the platform. Helio G100 is a practical 4G chip for budget devices. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is significantly stronger in CPU, GPU, memory, connectivity, and multimedia capabilities.

Examples of Smartphones

To make the comparison more tangible, it’s worth looking at not just the specifications of the chips, but also the actual smartphones. MediaTek Helio G100 was featured in devices like the Tecno Spark 30 Pro and Infinix Hot 50 Pro+. This showcases the typical positioning of Helio G100: affordable 4G models focused on display, battery life, and price.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is found in more expensive 5G models, such as Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2025) and Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G. Motorola officially lists Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, 8 GB LPDDR4X, 5G, and Wi-Fi 6. Similarly, the Redmi Note 15 5G also officially lists Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, indicating the higher class of this platform.

CPU Performance

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 has a more modern CPU configuration: four performance cores up to 2.4 GHz and four efficiency cores up to 1.8 GHz. The Helio G100 only has two performance Cortex-A76 cores up to 2.2 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores up to 2.0 GHz. This immediately explains why the Snapdragon is stronger not only in short tests but also in multitasking.

For a more illustrative comparison, let’s take real devices: Tecno Spark 30 Pro with Helio G100 and Redmi Note 15 5G with Snapdragon 6 Gen 3.

These numbers should not be interpreted as identical results for all smartphones using these processors. It is especially important to be cautious when comparing AnTuTu scores between different devices: the final score is heavily influenced by memory, cooling, firmware, and test version. However, the trend is clear: Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is significantly faster in both CPU and overall system performance.

Graphics and Gaming

In gaming, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 also takes the lead. Its Adreno 710 is significantly more powerful than the Mali-G57 MC2 in Helio G100. This is evident in AnTuTu: the Tecno Spark 30 Pro scores around 47,983 points in the GPU section, while the Redmi Note 15 5G scores around 127,197 points. The difference is quite noticeable, especially for demanding games.

The Helio G100 is suitable for casual games, MOBAs, simple shooters, and less demanding projects. In heavy games, it often requires lower to medium settings. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 offers more headroom and stability, yet it is still a mid-range product, not a gaming flagship.

Connectivity and Wireless Capabilities

Here, the advantage of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is particularly obvious. The Helio G100 is limited to 4G LTE and Wi-Fi 5. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, and peak Wi-Fi speeds of up to 2.9 Gbps as per platform specifications.

If 5G isn’t necessary in your region, the Helio G100 is still a good choice. However, for a smartphone that needs to last a few years, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 seems more reliable: it is better suited for modern networks, operates faster with wireless connections, and ages slower.

Cameras and Multimedia

Both chips support cameras up to 200 MP, so choosing a processor solely based on this criterion is not advisable. It’s more important to look at video and image processing capabilities. The Helio G100 supports video recording up to 2K at 30 FPS, while the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is significantly more interesting: it supports 4K HDR Video Capture up to 30 FPS and features a Triple 12-bit ISP.

In practice, the quality of photos depends on the sensor, optics, and manufacturer algorithms. However, when comparing the platforms specifically, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 offers greater capabilities for video, HDR, and computational image processing.

Battery Life and Heating

The Helio G100 is manufactured using a 6-nm process and is well-suited for smartphones where price, battery life, and moderate heating are important. It has lower performance but also simpler cooling requirements.

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 uses a 4-nm process and is noticeably faster. In mixed tasks, it can be more efficient as it finishes loads quicker and returns to power-saving mode faster. However, overall battery life depends not only on the processor but also on the battery, display, firmware, and the specific smartphone.

Which to Choose

Choose MediaTek Helio G100 if you need an affordable smartphone without 5G, with decent speed for everyday tasks, good battery life, and a 120 Hz display. This is a practical platform for the budget and lower mid-range segment.

Choose Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 if you value 5G, higher performance, better graphics, Wi-Fi 6E, support for LPDDR5, potentially faster storage, and future-proofing for a few years. It significantly outperforms Helio G100 in nearly all key areas.

Conclusion

MediaTek Helio G100 is a good 4G chip for affordable smartphones. Its strengths are price, battery life, support for 120 Hz displays, and cameras up to 200 MP. It is sufficient for messaging apps, browsers, YouTube, navigation, and simple games.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a more powerful and promising platform. It is approximately 40% faster in CPU benchmarks, significantly stronger in graphics, supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, LPDDR5, and video recording up to 4K HDR at 30 FPS. If the price difference between smartphones is small, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a more advantageous choice.