Huawei Kirin 9030S Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Customized for Galaxy Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks
There are 8 key differences between Huawei Kirin 9030S Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks and Snapdragon 8 Elite Customized for Galaxy Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks.
Key differences
| Huawei Kirin 9030S Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks | Snapdragon 8 Elite Customized for Galaxy Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks | |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrication | Not officially confirmed (independent estimates range from advanced 7nm to 5nm from SMIC) | 3nm |
| Announced | 20 April 2026 (with the launch of Huawei Pura 90 Pro andPro Max) | December 2025 |
| Availability | Available | Exclusive to one phone model |
| CPU cores | 8 cores (some sources cite 12 logical threads via SMT, not officially confirmed) | 8 cores |
| Architecture | ARMv8-A, 64-bit (Huawei's own core design) | Oryon (first generation) |
| GPU | Maleoon 920 (some less consistent sources cite the Maleoon 935; not officially confirmed) | Adreno (customized for the original Elite tier) |
| Key features | 43% better AI colour processing, 110% clearer zoomed video, 30% steadier frame rates in games, 25% better overall performance versus the Pura 80 generation, plus Beidou satellite connectivity | Custom-tuned for running two displays in a tri-folding phone |
| Phones using it | Huawei Pura 90 Pro, Huawei Pura 90 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold |
Huawei Kirin 9030S Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks
A chip that reflects real progress in Huawei's technical independence, with a clear focus on AI imaging improvements and unique satellite connectivity. The lack of full official transparency means final performance should be judged cautiously until more reliable data is available.
- +A real, officially stated improvement in AI image processing
- +Two-way Beidou satellite connectivity — a world exclusive
- +CPU performance approaching Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 level
- −No full official transparency on the CPU and GPU details
- −Independent sources clearly disagree on the exact GPU name
- −Performance still well short of the newest global flagship chips in 2026
Snapdragon 8 Elite Customized for Galaxy Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks
A special variant of the Snapdragon 8 Elite tuned for the power needs of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, Samsung's first tri-folding phone.
- +Custom power tuning accounting for the tri-fold form factor.
- +Supports running two displays simultaneously efficiently.
- +Joint development with Samsung ensures precise device fit.
- −Based on the previous Snapdragon 8 Elite generation, not the newer Gen 5.
- −Exclusive to a single phone model as of this review.
Full specifications
| Huawei Kirin 9030S Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks | Snapdragon 8 Elite Customized for Galaxy Chipset Review — Specifications and Benchmarks | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | ||
| Manufacturer | — | Qualcomm (Samsung-exclusive) |
| Fabrication | Not officially confirmed (independent estimates range from advanced 7nm to 5nm from SMIC) | 3nm |
| Announced | 20 April 2026 (with the launch of Huawei Pura 90 Pro andPro Max) | December 2025 |
| Availability | Available | Exclusive to one phone model |
| CPU | ||
| CPU cores | 8 cores (some sources cite 12 logical threads via SMT, not officially confirmed) | 8 cores |
| Core configuration | 1× Taishan Big clocked above 3.0 GHz + 3× Taishan Mid at ~2.27 GHz + 4× Taishan Little at ~1.72 GHz | — |
| Max clock | ~3.0 GHz | — |
| Architecture | ARMv8-A, 64-bit (Huawei's own core design) | Oryon (first generation) |
| Graphics & AI | ||
| GPU | Maleoon 920 (some less consistent sources cite the Maleoon 935; not officially confirmed) | Adreno (customized for the original Elite tier) |
| GPU clock | Not officially announced | — |
| NPU | A new, improved NPU — 200% better image understanding than the Kirin 9020 (officially announced by Huawei) | — |
| AI performance | Not officially announced by Huawei | — |
| Memory & connectivity | ||
| Supported RAM | No exact official figure (supports up to 16 GB per some sources) | — |
| Max RAM | Not officially announced | — |
| Supported storage | Not precisely announced | — |
| Modem | Integrated 5G, theoretical download up to 3,500 Mbps (some less reliable sources cite higher figures under the "5.5G" label) | — |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | — |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 (depending on the actual device's specifications) | — |
| Benchmarks | ||
| AnTuTu | ~1,614,887 | — |
| Geekbench single-core | ~1,411 | — |
| Geekbench multi-core | ~4,121 | — |
| Extra features | ||
| Key features | 43% better AI colour processing, 110% clearer zoomed video, 30% steadier frame rates in games, 25% better overall performance versus the Pura 80 generation, plus Beidou satellite connectivity | Custom-tuned for running two displays in a tri-folding phone |
| Phones using it | Huawei Pura 90 Pro, Huawei Pura 90 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold |
Other comparisons
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