On the coronary heart of each Apple machine is an Apple processor. Apple has been utilizing its personal chips in its iPhones and iPads for a while, whereas the Mac lineup has accomplished its transition away from Intel chips. Each product Apple makes is powered by a home-grown chip.
What’s exceptional about Apple silicon is its efficiency and energy effectivity. However all chips aren’t created equally. Understanding the efficiency variations between every chip will assist together with your shopping for choices, particularly once you’re deciding between iPhone 16 or MacBook fashions. Figuring out how every chip performs offers you a greater concept of what merchandise to purchase and whether or not or not it’s price your cash to step as much as a better mannequin.
Let’s check out how the brand new processors evaluate with the remainder of the processors within the iPhone, iPad, and Mac lineup and see how every performs and what which means to you. For the sake of consistency, we’ve used Geekbench 6 benchmarks. Right here’s each chip and the way the benchmarks evaluate with one another.
Replace October 10, 2024: Added benchmarks for the A18 Professional and A18 for the brand new iPhone 16 lineup.
Each present processor in contrast
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are quicker. Chips on this chart are presently obtainable in Apple gadgets.
Earlier than we get into the person processors, let’s let the chips fall the place they might. Within the above chart, we’ve solely included chips which are in Apple’s present product lineups for the sake of retaining the chart manageable. The Mac part under consists of the entire chips, from the M1 to the present chip. Should you’re in search of scores of chips which are now not being utilized in Apple’s lively iPhone or iPad lineups (such because the A12 Bionic), take a look at the Geekbench Browser.
It’s a considerably predictable chart, with the quickest Mac chips on the prime, adopted by a mixture of iPads and iPhones. However there are nonetheless some fascinating outcomes: house owners of the iPad Professional can say their pill is about as quick as a MacBook Air and that wouldn’t be a lot of a attain. And the distinction between the $399 iPhone SE and the $899 iPhone 14 isn’t as big as their value distinction signifies.
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Examine how Apple’s M1 and M2 processors evaluate to Intel in our Mac processor information.
iPhone processors
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are quicker. Chips on this chart are presently obtainable in Apple gadgets.
Let’s take a look at the specs of the iPhones presently in Apple’s lineup so we will perceive the variations between them.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A18 Professional | 2 at 4.04GHz | 4 at 2.2GHz | 6 | 16-core | 8GB | 10W | iPhone 16 Professional iPhone 16 Professional Max |
| A18 | 2 at 4.04GHz | 4 at 2.2GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 9W | iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus |
| A16 Bionic | 2 at 3.46GHz | 4 at 2.02GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 6W | iPhone 15 |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 6W | iPhone 14 |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 4 | 16-core | 8GB | 6W | iPhone SE |
Not surprisingly, the A18 Professional within the iPhone 16 Professional is the quickest. The distinction between the A18 Professional and the A18 within the iPhone 16 is that the A18 has one fewer GPU core.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone SE each have an A15 Bionic processor, however the iPhone 14 has yet one more GPU core than the iPhone 13, so it presents higher graphics efficiency.
iPad processors
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are quicker. Chart consists of chips in discontinued Apple gadgets.
The staggered launch of Apple’s iPad lineup creates an odd-looking efficiency order of CPU and its machine.
| Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 at 4.4GHz | 6 at 2.85 | 10 | 16-core | 16GB | 28 billion | 20W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Professional |
| 3 at 4.4GHz | 6 at 2.85 | 10 | 16-core | 8GB | 28 billion | 20W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Professional |
| 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 9 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13″ & 11″ iPad Air |
| 2 at 2.93GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | iPad mini |
| 2 at 3.1GHz | 4 at 1.8GHz | 4 | 16-core | 6GB | 11.8 billion | 6W | iPad (Tenth gen) |
| 2 at 2.66GHz | 4 at 1.6GHz | 4 | 8-core | 4GB | 8.5 billion | 6W | iPad (ninth gen) |
The M4-equipped iPad Execs are the quickest fashions, and the hole between them and the iPad and iPad mini is important. Moreover, the M4 is 1.5 instances quicker than the M2 that it changed within the earlier iPad Execs and is within the present iPad Air.
The brand new Tenth-gen iPad that was launched within the fall of 2022 has an A14 Bionic, an improve from the A13 Bionic within the earlier mannequin. Apple says the brand new Tenth-gen iPad presents a 20 % CPU increase and a ten % graphics improve.
Mac processors
Outcomes are scores. Greater scores/longer bars are quicker. Chart consists of chips in discontinued Apple gadgets.
With Apple’s M-series of chips for the Mac, the corporate’s launch schedule entails the bottom model within the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Professional, Mac mini, and iMac. Apple then modifies it to create higher-end variations.
The newest M-Sequence chip is the M3, which was launched with the brand new iMac and the MacBook Professional within the fall of 2023. The M3 Professional and Max had been additionally launched within the MacBook Professional, changing the M2 Professional and Max in these laptops. The M3 Extremely has not been launched, so the Mac Studio and Mac Professional nonetheless use the M2 Extremely.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Base reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 Extremely | 16 at 3.49GHz | 8 at 2.4GHz | 76 | 32-core | 64GB | 134 billion | 60W | Mac Studio, Mac Professional |
| M2 Extremely | 16 at 3.49GHz | 8 at 2.4GHz | 60 | 32-core | 64GB | 134 billion | 60W | Mac Studio, Mac Professional |
| M3 Max | 12 at 3.7GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 40 | 16-core | 36GB | 92 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional |
| M3 Max | 10 at 3.7GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 30 | 16-core | 36GB | 92 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional |
| M2 Max | 8 at 3.7GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 38 | 16-core | 32GB | 67 billion | 30W | Mac Studio |
| M2 Max | 8 at 3.7GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 30 | 16-core | 32GB | 67 billion | 30W | Mac Studio |
| M3 Professional | 6 at 3.7GHz | 6 at 2.4GHz | 18 | 16-core | 18GB | 37 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional |
| M3 Professional | 5 at 3.7GHz | 6 at 2.4GHz | 14 | 16-core | 18GB | 37 billion | 30W | 14″ MacBook Professional |
| M3 | 4 at 3.7GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 10 | 16-core | 8GB | 25 billion | 15W | iMac, 14″ MacBook Professional |
| M3 | 4 at 3.7GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 25 billion | 15W | iMac |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13″ MacBook Air |
The M2 Extremely is a beast of a chip, blazing in each CPU and GPU efficiency. The M2 Extremely is within the Mac Professional, which has PCIe growth slots. Should you don’t want such slots, you possibly can go for an M2 Extremely Mac Studio. The M2 Max Mac Studio presents a pleasant mixture of value and efficiency.
The chip that began all of it, the great ol’ M1, could appear gradual in comparison with Apple’s extra present chips—however that’s to not undermine Apple’s unique Mac processor. Bear in mind, the M1 blows previous the Intel processors it changed, leading to a major value/efficiency worth.