In a smartphone, the GPU (graphics processing unit) is a central part of the system hardware. It differs from the CPU by handling the visual rendering elements of a phone's display, whereas the CPU is the brain of the device, handling all the heavy computation and logic behind the screen.
Combined, both have a dramatic effect on the performance capabilities of a given device. In desktop computers, they're usually two distinct parts of the internal setup, allowing each to be replaced or upgraded individually. In smartphones, however, restrictions in space have led to the GPU/CPU being combined into a System On Chip, which cuts out the need for additional connectors between such components where space is so limited. The image above, for example, is a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, which combines CPU, GPU, memory controller, connectivity (Bluetooth, WiFi, LTE), a Digital Signal Processor, as well as some other vital pieces of a functioning phone's infrastructure.
Why is GPU awareness important?
Whether you're offering resource-heavy content such as HD video, animations or interactive elements, scaling back where a visitor's device lacks the computational ability to handle it can save them from a potentially frustrating experience, which wouldn't help your business either.
On the other hand, when you can confirm a device's chipset and hardware has the power to process the most impressive visual elements you can offer, go ahead and serve the full immersive experience.
The most common smartphone GPUs
Below are the most common GPUs found in some of the most popular smartphones in use today.
| Smartphone | GPU model |
|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 7 | PowerVR Series7XT Plus |
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple A11 Bionic GPU |
| Apple iPhone X | Apple A11 Bionic GPU |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 - USA and China | ARM Mali-G71 MP20 |
| Samsung Galaxy S9 - EMEA | ARM Mali-G72 MP18 |
| Google Pixel | Qualcomm Adreno 530 |
| Google Pixel XL | Qualcomm Adreno 530 |
| Google Pixel 2 | Qualcomm Adreno 540 |
| Sony Xperia XZ Premium | Qualcomm Adreno 540 |
| Sony Xperia XZ 2 | Qualcomm Adreno 630 |
| LG G6 | Qualcomm Adreno 530 |
| LG G7 ThinQ | Qualcomm Adreno 630 |
| HTC U11 | Qualcomm Adreno 540 |
| HTC Desire 12 | PowerVR GE8100 |
| Huawei P10 | ARM Mali-G71 MP8 |
| Huawei Honor 10 | ARM Mali-G72 MP12 |
| Xiaomi Mi 6 | Qualcomm Adreno 540 |
| Xiaomi Mi 8 | Qualcomm Adreno 630 |
| Oneplus 6 | Qualcomm Adreno 630 |
Worldwide GPU Usage
Below are the top 20 most used GPUs we see across all countries in our dataset.
Smartphone GPU by country
Here, we've looked at 21 countries, and listed the most used GPUs for Q2 2018, according to our data from our network of partner sites.
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Argentina
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 | Adreno 306 | 14.26% |
| Argentina | 2 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 12.82% |
| Argentina | 3 | Mali-T830 MP2 | 7.82% |
| Argentina | 4 | Mali-400 MP2 | 6.8% |
| Argentina | 5 | PowerVR GT7600 | 6.38% |
Australia
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 14.58% |
| Australia | 2 | Mali-G71 MP20 | 11.92% |
| Australia | 3 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 10.37% |
| Australia | 4 | PowerVR GX6450 | 8.89% |
| Australia | 5 | Adreno 530 | 8.86% |
Brazil
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 1 | Adreno 306 | 12.58% |
| Brazil | 2 | PowerVR GT7600 | 7.26% |
| Brazil | 3 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 6.79% |
| Brazil | 4 | Mali-T720 | 6.73% |
| Brazil | 5 | Mali-400 MP2 | 5.72% |
Canada
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 23.02% |
| Canada | 2 | PowerVR GT6450 | 12.12% |
| Canada | 3 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 12.07% |
| Canada | 4 | Mali-T880 MP12 | 7.21% |
| Canada | 5 | PowerVR Series 7XT | 5.28% |
Colombia
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 1 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 13.24% |
| Colombia | 2 | Adreno 306 | 8.85% |
| Colombia | 3 | Mali-400 MP | 7.68% |
| Colombia | 4 | Mali-T720 | 7.16% |
| Colombia | 5 | Mali-400 MP2 | 6.05% |
Egypt
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 1 | Mali-400 MP2 | 7.86% |
| Egypt | 2 | PowerVR GT7600 | 7.69% |
| Egypt | 3 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 7.10% |
| Egypt | 4 | PowerVR GX6450 | 6.25% |
| Egypt | 5 | Adreno 306 | 5.14% |
France
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 16.00% |
| France | 2 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 10.23% |
| France | 3 | PowerVR GX6450 | 9.27% |
| France | 4 | Mali-G71 MP20 | 6.12% |
| France | 5 | Adreno 530 | 4.77% |
Germany
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 12.15% |
| Germany | 2 | Adreno 530 | 8.34% |
| Germany | 3 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 7.88% |
| Germany | 4 | Mali-G71 MP20 | 7.03% |
| Germany | 5 | PowerVR GX6450 | 6.64% |
India
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1 | Adreno 306 | 8.15% |
| India | 2 | Mali-T720 | 7.83% |
| India | 3 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 6.97% |
| India | 4 | Mali-400 MP2 | 5.17% |
| India | 5 | Adreno 505 | 4.93% |
Ireland
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 22.54% |
| Ireland | 2 | PowerVR GX6450 | 13.22% |
| Ireland | 3 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 12.02% |
| Ireland | 4 | PowerVR G6430 | 5.91% |
| Ireland | 5 | Adreno 530 | 5.40% |
Italy
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 10.45% |
| Italy | 2 | Mali-T830 MP2 | 9.15% |
| Italy | 3 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 7.74% |
| Italy | 4 | PowerVR GX6450 | 7.10% |
| Italy | 5 | Adreno 306 | 5.97% |
Japan
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 23.03% |
| Japan | 2 | PowerVR GT7600 | 22.53% |
| Japan | 3 | PowerVR GX6450 | 10.38% |
| Japan | 4 | PowerVR Series 7XT | 9.06% |
| Japan | 5 | Adreno 530 | 5.76% |
Malaysia
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 1 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 16.55% |
| Malaysia | 2 | Adreno 306 | 15.35% |
| Malaysia | 3 | Mali-400 MP2 | 9.04% |
| Malaysia | 4 | Mali-T830 MP2 | 5.99% |
| Malaysia | 5 | Mali-T830 | 4.97% |
Nigeria
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 1 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 8.69% |
| Nigeria | 2 | PowerVR GX6450 | 8.52% |
| Nigeria | 3 | Mali-400 MP2 | 7.99% |
| Nigeria | 4 | Mali-400 MP | 6.76% |
| Nigeria | 5 | PowerVR GT7600 | 5.72% |
Poland
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 1 | Mali-T830 MP2 | 12.01% |
| Poland | 2 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 6.64% |
| Poland | 3 | Adreno 306 | 6.56% |
| Poland | 4 | PowerVR GT7600 | 6.11% |
| Poland | 5 | Adreno 505 | 4.93% |
Russia
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 11.34% |
| Russia | 2 | PowerVR GX6450 | 8.36% |
| Russia | 3 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 7.65% |
| Russia | 4 | PowerVR G6430 | 6.85% |
| Russia | 5 | Mali-T720 MP2 | 6.01% |
South Africa
Spain
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 8.89% |
| Spain | 2 | Mali-T830 MP2 | 8.43% |
| Spain | 3 | Adreno 306 | 8.40% |
| Spain | 4 | PowerVR GX6450 | 6.40% |
| Spain | 5 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 5.58% |
Sweden
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 18.14% |
| Sweden | 2 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 13.82% |
| Sweden | 3 | PowerVR GX6450 | 10.45% |
| Sweden | 4 | Mali-G71 MP20 | 6.69% |
| Sweden | 5 | Adreno 530 | 6.11% |
United Kingdom
United States
| Country | Position | GPU Name | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | PowerVR GT7600 | 18.92% |
| United States | 2 | PowerVR GT7600 Plus | 14.25% |
| United States | 3 | PowerVR Series 7XT | 11.78% |
| United States | 4 | Adreno 540 | 10.48% |
| United States | 5 | PowerVR GX6450 | 9.77% |
Detect a smartphone's GPU
With a DeviceAtlas local detection solution, you can identify a device's GPU, as well as CPU, chipset model, Total RAM, number of SIM slots and many more hardware properties.
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