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    • Every Apple iPhone and Mac chip is rated
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    Every Apple iPhone and Mac chip is rated

    Online Niel Posted on

    At the heart of every Apple device is an Apple processor. Apple has been using its own chips in its iPhones and iPads for more than a decade, while Apple’s silicon in Macs is already in its fourth generation.

    What’s remarkable about Apple’s silicon is its performance and power efficiency. But all tokens are not created equal. Understanding the performance differences between each chip will help you with your purchasing decisions, especially when deciding between the iPhone 16 or MacBook models. Knowing how each chip works gives you a better idea of ​​which products to buy and whether or not it’s worth your money to upgrade.

    Let’s take a look at how the new processors compare to the rest of the iPhone, iPad and Mac lineup, and see how each performs and what that means for you. For the sake of consistency, I used Geekbench 6 benchmarks. Here’s each chip and how the benchmarks compare.

    Update November 13, 2024: Added benchmarks for M4 chips.

    Compare every current processor

    Results are scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. The chips in this chart are currently available in Apple devices.

    Before we get into the individual processors, let’s let the chips fall where they may. In the chart above, I’ve only included the chips that are in Apple’s current product lineup for the sake of keeping the chart manageable. The Mac section below includes all chips from M1 to the current chip. If you’re looking for dozens of chips that are no longer used in Apple’s active iPhone or iPad lineup (like the A12 Bionic), check out Geekbench Browser.

    It’s a somewhat predictable chart, with the fastest Mac chips at the top, followed by a mix of iPads and iPhones. But there are still some fascinating results: iPad Pro owners can say their tablet is as fast as a MacBook Air, and it wouldn’t be too out of hand. And the difference between the $399 iPhone SE and the $899 iPhone 14 isn’t as big as their price difference suggests.

    If you don’t see all the bar chart labels, it may be because your browser’s font is set larger than the default, or your browser is zoomed in. You will need to set the font size and browser view to default values ​​to see all the chart labels.

    Read about how Apple’s M-series processors compare to Intel in our Mac processor guide.

    iPhone processors

    Results are scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. The chips in this chart are currently available in Apple devices.

    Let’s look at the specifications of the iPhones currently in Apple’s lineup so that we can understand the differences between them.

    Processor Performance cores Cores of efficiency Graphics cores Neural engine Memory Design thermal power Instruments
    A18 Pro 2 to 4.04 GHz 4 to 2.2 GHz 6 16-core 8GB 10W iPhone 16 Pro
    iPhone 16 Pro Max
    A18 2 to 4.04 GHz 4 to 2.2 GHz 5 16-core 8GB 9W iPhone 16
    iPhone 16 Plus
    A16 Bionic 2 to 3.46 GHz 4 at 2.02 GHz 5 16-core 8GB 6W iPhone 15
    A15 Bionic 2 to 3.22 GHz 4 at 1.82 GHz 5 16-core 8GB 6W iPhone 14
    A15 Bionic 2 to 3.22 GHz 4 at 1.82 GHz 4 16-core 8GB 6W iPhone SE
    Specifications of the chips used in current Apple iPhones.

    Unsurprisingly, the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro is the fastest. The difference between the A18 Pro and the A18 in the iPhone 16 is that the A18 has one less GPU core.

    The iPhone 14 and iPhone SE both have an A15 Bionic processor, but the iPhone 14 has one more GPU core than the iPhone 13, so it offers better graphics performance.

    iPad processors

    Results are scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. Chart includes chips from discontinued Apple devices.

    The staggered launch of Apple’s iPad lineup creates an odd performance pecking order for its processor and device.

    Processor Performance cores Cores of efficiency Graphics cores Neural engine Memory Transistors Design thermal power Instruments
    M4 4 to 4.4 GHz 6 to 2.85 10 16-core 16 GB 28 billion 20W iPad Pro 13″ and 11″
    M4 3 to 4.4 GHz 6 to 2.85 10 16-core 8GB 28 billion 20W iPad Pro 13″ and 11″
    M2 4 to 3.49 GHz 4 at 2.06 GHz 9 16-core 8GB 20 billion 15W 13″ and 11″ iPad Air
    A17 Pro 2 to 3.78 GHz 4 at 2.11 GHz 5 16-core 8GB 19 billion 8W iPad mini
    A14 Bionic 2 to 3.1 GHz 4 to 1.8 GHz 4 16-core 6 GB 11.8 billion 6W iPad (10th generation)
    A13 Bionic 2 to 2.66 GHz 4 to 1.6 GHz 4 8-cores 4GB 8.5 billion 6W iPad (9th generation)
    Specifications of the chips used in current Apple iPads.

    The M4-equipped iPad Pros are the fastest models, and the gap between them and the iPad and iPad mini is significant. In addition, the M4 is 1.5 times faster than the M2 it replaced in previous iPad Pros and is in the current iPad Air.

    The 10th generation iPad that was released in the fall of 2022 has an A14 Bionic, an upgrade from the A13 Bionic in the previous model. Apple says the new 10th generation iPad offers a 20 percent increase in processor and a 10 percent increase in graphics.

    Mac processors

    Results are scores. Higher scores/longer bars are faster. Chart includes chips from discontinued Apple devices.

    With Apple’s M series of chips for Macs, the company’s release schedule involves the entry-level version in the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac. Apple then modifies it to create superior versions.

    The latest M-series chip is the M4, which was released with the new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro in fall 2024. The M4 Pro and Max were also released in the MacBook Pro, replacing the M3 Pro and Max. in those laptops. The M3 Ultra was not released, so Mac Studio and Mac Pro still use the M2 Ultra. The MacBook Air uses the M3 chip.

    Processor Performance cores Cores of efficiency Graphics cores Neural engine Core memory Transistors Design thermal power Device
    M2 Ultra 16 at 3.49 GHz 8 at 2.4 GHz 76 32-core 64 GB 134 billion 60W Mac Studio, Mac Pro
    M2 Ultra 16 at 3.49 GHz 8 at 2.4 GHz 60 32-core 64 GB 134 billion 60W Mac Studio, Mac Pro
    M4 Max 12 at 4.52 GHz 4 at 2.59 GHz 40 16-core 48 GB 70W 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro
    M4 Max 10 at 4.52 GHz 4 at 2.59 GHz 32 16-core 36 GB 62W 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro
    M2 Max 8 at 3.7 GHz 4 to 2.4 GHz 38 16-core 32 GB 67 billion 30W Mac Studio
    M2 Max 8 at 3.7 GHz 4 to 2.4 GHz 30 16-core 32 GB 67 billion 30W Mac Studio
    M4 Pro 10 at 4.52 GHz 4 at 2.59 GHz 20 16-core 24 GB 46W 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro. Mac mini
    M4 Pro 8 at 4.52 GHz 4 at 2.59 GHz 16 16-core 24 GB 38W 14-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini
    M4 4 to 4.41 GHz 6 at 2.59 GHz 10 16-core 16 GB 28 billion 22W iMac, 14-inch MacBook Pro
    M4 4 to 4.41 GHz 4 at 2.59 GHz 8 16-core 16 GB 28 billion 20W iMac
    M2 4 to 3.49 GHz 4 to 2.4 GHz 8 16-core 16 GB 20 billion 15W 13-inch MacBook Air
    Specifications of the chips used in current Apple Macs.

    The M4 Max is a beast of a chip, blazing in both CPU and GPU performance. The M2 Ultra is in the Mac Pro, which has PCIe expansion slots. If you don’t need such slots, you can opt for an M2 Ultra Mac Studio. The M2 Ultra is fast, but it’s a two-year-old chip, now superseded by the M4 Pro and Max. The Mac Pro and Mac Studio are rumored to get the new M4 Ultra chip in 2025.

    The chip that started it all, the old M1, may seem slow compared to Apple’s more current chips, but that shouldn’t detract from Apple’s original Mac processor. Remember, the M1 outperforms the Intel processors it replaced, resulting in significant price/performance value.

    Online Niel
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