Unlike previous years, Apple will use a new generation of chips for the entire iPhone 16 series. But there will still be differences between the standard and Pro models. Enough to differentiate the range, while also giving the cheapest iPhone model the latest architecture.
An A18 chip for everyone, but not the same
According to a reputable leaker on Weiboif the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Pro will both be equipped with the new Apple A18 processor engraved in 3 nm by TSMC, the Pro version will be entitled to a more muscular configuration:
- 2 high-performance cores (up to 4.05 GHz) + 4 efficient cores
- 6-core GPU
- 3nm N3P etching
The standard iPhone 16 will have to make do with a 5-core GPU and a reduced cache size. It will also use the N3E manufacturing process, a slightly less advanced variant of 3nm.
Apple is planning to repeat the trick of the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, where the latter benefits from a SoC with more GPUs and is slightly faster on the CPU part. This rumor could suggest that the Ray-Tracing that arrived on the iPhone 15 Pro thanks to the tenfold increase in graphics power, will be exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro thanks to its additional GPU cores.
AI, the new battle horse of Apple chips
This change in strategy is explained by Apple’s desire to catch up in terms of artificial intelligence. The firm is preparing a major overhaul of iOS with the arrival of Apple Intelligence on the new iPhones (and the iPhone 15 Pro), which will require more powerful chips, particularly at the level of the coprocessor dedicated to machine learning.
Apple is reportedly working on its own large language model, called Ajax, to manage AI directly on the device, without going through the cloud. A choice consistent with its privacy philosophy, but which requires more local computing power.
Significant performance gains
Compared to the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro, the A18 chip in the iPhone 16 Pro is expected to bring:
- +5% CPU performance
- +30% graphics performance
- -10% energy consumption
- A Geekbench score of 8571 points, compared to 7288 for the A17 Pro
Improvements made possible by TSMC’s improved 3nm process introduced with the A17 Pro.
The new A18 chip and its AI capabilities are expected to be one of the big stars of the iPhone 16 keynote, expected on September 9. Apple seems determined to maintain its lead in raw power, while catching up on its relative gap in AI, in the face of increasingly aggressive competition in this field. Answer during the conference on September 9.