Apple’s iPhone chips have led the industry in single-threaded speed for years, and the A19 Pro inside the iPhone 17 Pro Max continues that tradition. But a new Geekbench 6 benchmark suggests the gap is tightening fast, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra reportedly powered by an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy that’s now close enough to seriously challenge Apple’s long-running advantage.
In the latest Geekbench 6 results, the iPhone 17 Pro Max posts a single-core score of 3,894 with the A19 Pro. The Galaxy S26 Ultra lands at 3,761, putting Apple ahead by only about 3.5%. In other words, for tasks that rely heavily on one fast core—like opening apps quickly, snappy UI interactions, or certain lightly-threaded workloads—Apple still technically leads, but not by much.
Where the Galaxy S26 Ultra really flexes is multi-core performance. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy reaches 11,454 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, compared to 9,741 for the A19 Pro. That’s a sizable 17.6% advantage for Samsung’s upcoming flagship in workloads that can use many cores at once, such as heavy multitasking, some productivity workloads, and certain creation tasks.
A key detail is the boosted clock speed on the Snapdragon chip. The performance cores are reportedly running at 4.74GHz, up from an earlier 4.61GHz figure. That extra frequency, combined with the platform’s core configuration, appears to be helping the Galaxy S26 Ultra stretch its legs in multi-core testing while also closing the single-core gap.
It’s also worth noting that these new numbers look improved compared to a previous Galaxy S26 Ultra run. Earlier Geekbench 6 results reportedly trailed behind scores seen on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 device like the REDMAGIC 11 Pro. In that comparison, the REDMAGIC posted 3,696 single-core and 11,654 multi-core, while the Galaxy’s new single-core score is higher and its multi-core result remains highly competitive. That points to ongoing software and performance tuning as launch approaches—something that often happens as firmware matures.
Still, benchmarks like Geekbench 6 only capture part of the story. Peak scores don’t always reflect how a phone performs after several minutes of gaming, recording video, navigation, or other sustained workloads. An overclocked chip typically draws more power and produces more heat, which can lead to throttling if thermals aren’t kept under control. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is said to include a vapor chamber cooling system, but the real question will be how well it maintains these speeds over longer sessions.
If these results hold up in final retail units, they set the stage for a much tighter flagship race. Apple may retain a narrow single-core edge, while Qualcomm—and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra—could be positioned as the more multi-core-heavy performance option. And with the next generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro already being discussed as a potential turning point, this could be the year the long-standing performance narrative starts to shift.
