The heart of every Apple device is the Apple processor. Apple has used its own chips in iPhones and iPads for a while, but the Mac lineup has nearly completed the transition away from Intel chips. Apple now has far more devices with its own silicon than Intel’s, leaving only the Mac Pro. By the end of 2023, every product manufactured by Apple could feature a homegrown chip.
What’s remarkable about Apple silicon is its performance and power efficiency. But not all chips are created equal. Understanding the performance differences between each chip can help you make a buying decision, especially when deciding between iPhone 14 and MacBook models. Knowing how each chip works can give you a better idea of which product to buy and whether it’s worth stepping up to a higher model.
Let’s take a look at how the new processor compares to the rest of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac lineup, how each one performs, and what it means for you. to the geek bench 5 benchmark. Here are all the chips and how the benchmarks compare to each other.
Compare all processors
Before we discuss the individual processors, let’s see where the chips are. We only included chips from Apple devices that are still on sale. This is a somewhat predictable chart with the fastest Macs on top, followed by iPads and iPhones. But there are also some interesting results. An iPad Pro owner can say his tablet is nearly as fast as his MacBook Air, and that’s no exaggeration. Also, the difference between the $399 iPhone SE and the $899 iPhone 14 isn’t as big as the price difference suggests.
read about Compare Apple’s M1 and M2 Processors to Intel’s Mac Processor Guide.
iPhone processor
Let’s take a look at the specifications so that you can understand the differences between them.
| processor | performance core | efficiency core | graphic score | neural engine | memory | transistor | thermal design power | device |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A16 Bionic | 2 at 3.46GHz | 4 at 2.02GHz | Five | 16 cores | 8GB | 16 billion | 6W | iPhone 14 Pro |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | Five | 16 cores | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | iPhone 14 |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | Four | 16 cores | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | iPhone 13, iPhone SE |
| A14 Bionic | 2 at 3.1 GHz | 4 at 1.8GHz | Four | 16 cores | 6GB | 11.8 billion | 6W | iPhone12 |
Now let’s look at the performance of each processor. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 14 Pro’s A16 Bionic is the fastest. Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 he has the A15 Bionic processor, but the iPhone 13 has one less GPU core than the iPhone 13 Pro, resulting in better graphics performance.
Apple continues to sell iPhone 12 with A14 Bionic. In fact, it’s no slower than his A15 Bionic on the iPhone 13. The specs of the two processors are virtually identical, with the A15 Bionic’s performance core having slightly higher clock speeds and more RAM. Consider the iPhone 12 over the iPhone 13 if price is your top priority over cameras and other features.
The difference in speed is more pronounced between the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 and the chip in the iPhone 14 model. This could be the last big bang for the A14 Bionic, as the iPhone 12 will replace the 13 as a lower-cost option in Apple’s next major iPhone rollout, but we’ll move on to the next Apple TV revision. There is likely to be.
iPad processor
The staggered releases of Apple’s iPad lineup create a strange-looking performance order for CPUs and their devices.
| processor | performance core | efficiency core | graphic score | neural engine | memory | transistor | thermal design power | device |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | Ten | 16 cores | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 12.9-inch & 11-inch iPad Pro |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 8 | 16 cores | 8GB | 16 billion | 14W | iPad Air |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 2.93GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | Five | 16 cores | 4GB | 15 billion | 6W | ipad mini |
| A14 Bionic | 2 at 3.1GHz | 4 at 1.8GHz | Four | 16 cores | 6GB | 11.8 billion | 6W | iPad |
The M2-equipped iPad Pro is the fastest model, and the difference between the iPad and iPad mini is clear. Additionally, the M2 is 15% faster than the M1 that replaced the previous iPad Pro and powers the current iPad Air.
The new 10th generation iPad, released in fall 2022, features A14 Bionic, an upgrade from its predecessor, the A13 Bionic. According to Apple, the new 10th generation iPad features 20% more CPU and 10% more graphics.
Mac processor
For Apple’s M-series chips for the Mac, the company’s release schedule includes the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and other basic versions of the Mac. Apple then modifies it to create a higher end version.read about Comparison of M2 with M1 Pro and M1 Max.
The latest M-series chip is the M2, which was released with the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air in summer 2022, right after WWDC. The M2 will replace the M1 in these Macs, but Apple may keep the M1 model, offering it as a lower-priced option, such as the $999 M1 MacBook Air. In January 2023, Apple released the M2 Pro with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini, and the M2 Max with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro along with the M2 Mac mini.
| processor | performance core | efficiency core | graphic score | neural engine | base memory | transistor | thermal design power | terminal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 Max | 8 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 38 | 16 cores | 32GB | 67 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Pros |
| M2 Max | 8 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 30 | 16 cores | 32GB | 67 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Pros |
| M2 Pro | 8 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 19 | 16 cores | 16 GB | 40 billion | 30W | 14″ & 16″ MacBook Pros |
| M2 Pro | 6 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 16 | 16 cores | 16 GB | 40 billion | 30W | 14-inch MacBook Pro |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | Ten | 16 cores | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.4GHz | 8 | 16 cores | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | mac book air |
| M1 Ultra | 16 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 64 | 32 cores | 64GB | 114 billion | 60W | mac studio |
| M1 Ultra | 16 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 48 | 32 cores | 64GB | 114 billion | 60W | mac studio |
| M1 Max | 8 at 3.2GHz | 2 at 2.06GHz | 32 | 16 cores | 32GB | 57 billion | 30W | mac studio |
| M1 Max | 8 at 3.2GHz | 2 at 2.06GHz | twenty four | 16 cores | 32GB | 57 billion | 30W | mac studio |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 8 | 16 cores | 8GB | 16 billion | 14W | MacBook Air, 24-inch iMac |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 7 | 16 cores | 8GB | 16 billion | 14W | MacBook Air, 24-inch iMac |
with M2Apple claims an 18% increase in general CPU performance. M1A multi-core CPU test confirms Apple’s claims. The single-core CPU test showed a 13% reduction in M2 growth. With the M2 Pro and M2 Max, Apple claims a 20% improvement over the M1 Pro (which is no longer on the current Mac) and the M2 Max.
The M1 Ultra is a very good chip that doubles the CPU multi-core performance of the M1 Max, which has half the number of CPU cores. GPU performance is also excellent. There’s no word on when Apple will release the M2 Ultra, but it will most likely debut in the upcoming Mac Pro.
Apple’s Max chip has the same CPU configuration as the Plus version. The main difference is the GPU. Max can have twice as many GPU cores as Plus, which greatly improves graphics performance.
The chip that started it all, the good old M1, may seem slow compared to Apple’s latest chips, but that doesn’t undermine Apple’s original Mac processors. Remember, the M1 significantly outperforms the Intel processor it replaces.
