Kirin 710 vs Snapdragon: Which Equivalent Is Right for You?

Understanding the Kirin 710 Landscape

The Kirin 710 landed in Huawei’s mid‑range lineup back in 2018, positioning itself as a solid all‑rounder for everyday tasks. It pairs an octa‑core CPU—two Cortex‑A73 cores at 2.2 GHz and six Cortex‑A53 cores at 1.7 GHz—with a Mali‑G51 MP4 GPU. On paper, that sounds decent, but the real question many buyers face today is: what is the Kirin 710 equivalent Snapdragon that offers comparable performance while fitting modern budgets?

Snapdragon Counterparts Worth Considering

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon family has a few chips that sit near the Kirin 710’s performance envelope. The most frequently mentioned are:

• Snapdragon 660 – an 8‑core Kryo 260 (4× Gold @ 2.2 GHz, 4× Silver @ 1.8 GHz) paired with an Adreno 512 GPU.
• Snapdragon 670 – a slightly newer 8‑core Kryo 360 (2× Gold @ 2.0 GHz, 6× Silver @ 1.7 GHz) with an Adreno 615 GPU.
• Snapdragon 662 – a 2020 entry‑level chip (8× Cortex‑A73/A53) that mirrors the Kirin 710’s core mix but runs at a modest 2.0 GHz peak.

Each of these SoCs shares a similar core count and manufacturing node (usually 10 nm or 11 nm), which makes direct performance comparisons more meaningful than simply looking at clock speeds.

CPU Muscle: Benchmarks and Real‑World Use

When you line up synthetic scores, the Snapdragon 660 tends to edge out the Kirin 710 by a narrow margin—often 5‑10 % higher in Geekbench 5 multi‑core tests. The Snapdragon 670 pushes that gap a bit further, especially in single‑core workloads, thanks to its newer Kryo 360 cores and slightly higher efficiency.

In day‑to‑day scenarios—browsing, social media, light photo editing—the difference feels almost negligible. You’ll notice a tiny boost when opening heavy apps or multitasking with many tabs, but the Kirin 710 still holds its own for most casual users.

Graphics and Gaming: Who Wins the Race?

The Mali‑G51 MP4 GPU in the Kirin 710 is competent for UI rendering and simple games, yet it falls behind the Adreno 512 in the Snapdragon 660. In popular benchmarks like 3DMark Sling Shot, the 660 scores roughly 15‑20 % higher, translating to smoother frame rates in titles such as Asphalt 9 or Genshin Impact at 720p.

The Snapdragon 670’s Adreno 615 adds another modest bump, delivering better texture handling and lower power draw during extended gaming sessions. If mobile gaming is a priority, the 660 or 670 would feel noticeably snappier than the Kirin 710.

AI and Camera Processing

Both Huawei’s Kirin line and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips include dedicated AI accelerators. The Kirin 710’s NPU (Neural Processing Unit) can handle basic portrait‑mode blurs and voice‑assistant tasks, but it’s not as aggressive as the Snapdragon 660’s Hexagon 680 DSP, which supports more advanced on‑device ML models.

For camera‑centric phones, the Snapdragon 660 typically pairs with a more versatile ISP (Image Signal Processor), enabling higher‑resolution sensors (up to 48 MP) and better low‑light performance out of the box. The Kirin 710 can still produce respectable photos, especially with Huawei’s software tuning, but the Snapdragon side generally offers a broader feature set.

Battery Life and Power Efficiency

Power efficiency often boils down to the process node and how the chip handles idle states. The 10 nm Snapdragon 660 and the 11 nm Kirin 710 are close, but the Snapdragon series usually benefits from Qualcomm’s aggressive power‑gating techniques.

In real‑world tests, phones with Snapdragon 660 tend to eke out an extra hour of screen‑on time compared to Kirin 710 devices of similar battery capacity. The Snapdragon 670 improves this further, thanks to a refined 10 nm architecture that balances performance and consumption more deftly.

Price, Availability, and Ecosystem

Since Huawei’s recent restrictions on Google services, the Kirin 710 has become a niche find outside of Chinese markets. Conversely, Snapdragon‑based devices enjoy a global supply chain, broader carrier support, and regular software updates from Android OEMs.

If you’re hunting for a new phone in 2024, a Snapdragon 660 or 670 model will likely be easier to locate, often at a comparable price point to older Kirin‑powered handsets. Moreover, the Snapdragon ecosystem includes a wealth of accessories—cases, wireless chargers, and developer tools—that are sometimes scarce for Kirin devices.

Which Chip Should You Choose?

Here’s a quick decision matrix:

• If you already own a Huawei phone with a Kirin 710 and are satisfied with its performance, there’s little incentive to upgrade solely for a marginal speed gain.
• For gamers or heavy multimedia users, the Snapdragon 660 offers a clear advantage without a steep price hike.
• When future‑proofing matters, the Snapdragon 670’s newer cores and better AI support make it the more forward‑looking pick.
• If you value a clean Android experience and timely updates, any Snapdragon‑based device will generally outshine the Kirin 710’s fragmented software path.

In short, the Snapdragon 660 is the most direct Kirin 710 equivalent, delivering a modest bump in CPU and GPU performance while staying budget‑friendly. The Snapdragon 670 steps up the game a bit more, especially for AI and efficiency, and may be worth the extra few dollars if you can find a good deal.

FAQ

Is the Kirin 710 still a decent choice for a new phone?

It can handle everyday tasks comfortably, but limited software support and lower resale value make it less attractive than newer Snapdragon alternatives.

Which Snapdragon chip matches the Kirin 710’s performance the closest?

The Snapdragon 660 is widely regarded as the closest match, offering slightly better CPU and GPU scores while staying in the same price tier.

Should I prioritize AI capabilities when choosing between Kirin 710 and Snapdragon?

Snapdragon’s Hexagon DSP generally outperforms the Kirin 710’s NPU in on‑device AI tasks, so if AI‑driven features matter to you, a Snapdragon model is the safer bet.