Snapdragon 865 vs. Snapdragon 7s Gen 4: How Much Faster Is the New Chip?

The Snapdragon 865 was released roughly six years before the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, but the performance gap between them is small. The 2019 flagship Snapdragon 865 is still close to the newer Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 in speed, and the two chips produce virtually identical results in Geekbench 6 Multi-Core. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 uses a 4 nm process, Cortex-A720 and Cortex-A520 cores, and a newer graphics architecture.

Key Differences

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 uses newer CPU cores and a 4 nm process. The Snapdragon 865 belongs to Qualcomm’s flagship lineup and features an Adreno 650, a fast memory controller, and broader video-recording capabilities.

Benchmark Comparison

In benchmark results, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is faster in AnTuTu 10 and slightly stronger in single-core Geekbench 6. In Geekbench 6 Multi-Core, the results differ by approximately 1%.

The newer Cortex-A720 cores give the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 a slight single-core advantage. In the multi-threaded test, the difference is about 1%, so this upgrade does not provide a noticeable increase in CPU performance.

Results in Specific Smartphones

Performance differs between devices with the same SoC because of cooling, power limits, memory, and software version.

The table below uses AnTuTu 11. Its results cannot be directly compared with the AnTuTu 10 scores in the table above because the scoring scales in AnTuTu 10 and AnTuTu 11 are different.

The prices are provided as a reference for September 2026. For smartphones with the Snapdragon 865, prices for refurbished devices are listed because these models are practically no longer sold new. Current retail prices are shown for the new models.

Smartphones with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 generally score more than one million points in AnTuTu 11, but devices with the Snapdragon 865 are not far below that mark. In Geekbench 6, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 has no clear advantage: the OnePlus 8 outperforms the POCO M8 Pro and Redmi Note 15 Pro+ in Multi-Core, while the Fairphone 6 Plus posts the best result in the table.

What Happens with Graphics

The Adreno 650 was designed for the flagship Snapdragon 865 and even now falls only slightly behind the Adreno 810 in synthetic tests. In AnTuTu 11, the graphics performance of the OnePlus 8 and Galaxy S20 FE 5G reaches around 170,000-172,000 points.

The POCO M8 Pro and Redmi Note 15 Pro+, with the Adreno 810, score approximately 184,000-188,000 points. The Adreno 810 is faster, but the difference is small.

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the Snapdragon 865 is limited to Vulkan 1.1. The newer Vulkan version also improves compatibility with modern graphics APIs.

Power Efficiency

The Snapdragon 865 is manufactured on a 7 nm process and uses Cortex-A77 and Cortex-A55 cores, while the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 has moved to 4 nm, Cortex-A720, and Cortex-A520.

The 4 nm process and newer cores could potentially reduce the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4’s power consumption, but actual power consumption depends on the specific smartphone, power limits, and cooling.

Battery-life comparisons must also account for the age of smartphones with the Snapdragon 865. These devices are already several years old, so battery wear may have a greater impact on runtime than the difference between the SoCs themselves.

Where the Snapdragon 865 Is Still Stronger

The Snapdragon 865 still outperforms the 7s Gen 4 in some capabilities. It supports video recording at 8K and 30 FPS and 4K and 60 FPS, while the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is limited to 4K at 30 FPS.

The Snapdragon 865’s theoretical maximum 5G speed with the X55 modem is also higher.

Which Processor Is Better in 2026?

For a new smartphone, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is preferable: the platform is newer, and devices based on it will receive software support for longer.

The difference in CPU performance is small. In Geekbench 6 Multi-Core, the Snapdragon 865 is practically on par with the 7s Gen 4 and remains close to it in graphics tests.

The age of the devices themselves is also important when buying a smartphone. Models with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 are significantly newer, so they have fewer problems related to battery wear and more software updates ahead of them. Smartphones with the Snapdragon 865 are mainly interesting on the used market, where former flagships cost significantly less.

For owners of a working Snapdragon 865 device, switching solely for the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 will provide only a small speed increase. When buying a new smartphone, the 7s Gen 4 is preferable because of its newer platform and longer support.

Conclusion

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is faster in AnTuTu and Geekbench 6 Single-Core, and it also uses a 4 nm process and newer Adreno 810 graphics. However, the gap in CPU and GPU performance remains small.

The Snapdragon 865 is practically on par in Geekbench 6 Multi-Core, while the Adreno 650 remains close to the Adreno 810 in AnTuTu 11 results. Even after roughly six years, the Snapdragon 865 falls only slightly behind the newer mid-range chip.