On the coronary heart of each Apple gadget is an Apple processor. Apple has been utilizing its personal chips in its iPhones and iPads for a while, whereas the Mac lineup has lastly 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 along with your shopping for choices, particularly once you’re deciding between iPhone 14 or MacBook fashions. Understanding how every chip performs offers you a greater thought of what merchandise to purchase and whether or not or not it’s value your cash to step as much as the next 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 6.1 benchmarks. Right here’s each chip and the way the benchmarks evaluate with one another.
Replace 10/17/23: Added benchmarks for the iPhone 15 Professional’s A17 Professional processor.
Each processor in contrast
Earlier than we get into the person processors, let’s let the chips fall the place they could. For the iPhone and iPad, we’ve solely included chips which can be in Apple’s present product lineups for the sake of protecting the charts manageable. In case you’re in search of scores of chips which can be not being utilized in Apple’s energetic iPhone or iPad lineups (such the A12 Bionic), try the Geekbench Browser.
It’s a considerably predictable chart, with the quickest Mac chips on the high, 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 large 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
Let’s take a look at the specs of the iPhones presently in Apple’s lineup so we are able to perceive the variations between them.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A17 Professional | 2 at 3.78GHz | 4 at 2.11GHz | 6 | 16-core | 8GB | 19 billion | 8W | iPhone 15 Professional, iPhone 15 Professional Max |
| A16 Bionic | 2 at 3.46GHz | 4 at 2.02GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 16 billion | 6W | iPhone 15 |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | iPhone 14 |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 4 | 16-core | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | iPhone 13, iPhone SE |
Not surprisingly, the A17 Professional within the iPhone 15 Professional is the quickest. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 each have an A15 Bionic processor, however the iPhone 13 has one fewer GPU core than the iPhone 14, so it presents higher graphics efficiency.
Apple nonetheless sells the iPhone SE, which has an A15 Bionic. It presents the identical efficiency because the iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic, however the SE is a smaller cellphone. The SE has the identical CPU efficiency because the iPhone 14, however the 14 is quicker with graphics as a result of it has another GPU core.
iPad processors
The staggered launch of Apple’s iPad lineup creates an odd-looking efficiency order of CPU and its gadget.
| Processor | Efficiency cores | Effectivity cores | Graphics cores | Neural Engine | Reminiscence | Transistors | Thermal Design Energy | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 10 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 12.9″ & 11″ iPad Professional |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 16 billion | 14W | iPad Air |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 2.93GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | iPad mini |
| A14 Bionic | 2 at 3.1GHz | 4 at 1.8GHz | 4 | 16-core | 6GB | 11.8 billion | 6W | iPad (Tenth gen) |
| A13 Bionic | 2 at 2.66GHz | 4 at 1.6GHz | 4 | 8-core | 4GB | 8.5 billion | 6W | iPad (ninth gen) |
The M2-equipped iPad Execs are the quickest fashions, and the hole between them and the iPad and iPad mini is critical. Moreover, the M2 is 15 % sooner than the M1 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 enhance.
Mac processors
With Apple’s M-series of chips for the Mac, the corporate’s launch schedule includes 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 most recent M-Collection chip is the M2, which was launched with the brand new 13-inch MacBook Professional and the MacBook Air in the summertime of 2022, proper after WWDC. The M2 replaces the M1 in these Macs, however Apple retains round a $999 M1 MacBook Air as a low-cost possibility. In January 2023, Apple launched the M2 Professional within the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional and Mac mini, and M2 Max within the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional together with an M2 Mac mini.
| 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 |
| M2 Max | 8 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 38 | 16-core | 32GB | 67 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional, Mac Studio |
| M2 Max | 8 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 30 | 16-core | 32GB | 67 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional, Mac Studio |
| M2 Professional | 8 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 19 | 16-core | 16GB | 40 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Professional |
| M2 Professional | 6 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 16 | 16-core | 16GB | 40 billion | 30W | 14″ MacBook Professional |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 10 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13″ MacBook Professional, 13″ & 15″ MacBook Air |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13″ MacBook Air |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 16 billion | 14W | iMac |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 7 | 16-core | 8GB | 16 billion | 14W | MacBook Air, iMac |
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. In case you don’t want such slots, you’ll be able to go for an M2 Extremely Mac Studio. The M2 Max Mac Studio presents a pleasant mixture of value and efficiency.
Apple’s Max chips have the identical CPU configuration because the Professional variations; the important thing distinction is the GPU. The Max can have double the GPU cores because the Professional, so its graphics efficiency is far improved.
The chip that began all of it, the great ol’ M1, could seem sluggish 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.