Apple's A18 Pro for iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max Rivals Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 Power

Apple is preparing the A18 for its future iPhone 16 series, but a fresh report cites an A18 Pro, implying that the company is constructing a slightly more powerful version specifically for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The new A-series SoC looks to have started testing early since leaked Geekbench 6 scores show it outperforming Apple's M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max in single-core performance. Unfortunately, the multi-threaded performance creates a dull image, at least for the time being.

Apple's A18 Pro Has Slower Multi-core Performance Than Snapdragon 8 Gen 4A

When we compare Apple's single-core results for the M3, it scored 3,076 points in Geekbench 6, with no difference from the M3 Pro and M3 Max in the same test. With the A18 Pro, @negativeonehero posted on X that the future silicon has a single-core score of 3,500, making it approximately 14% faster than the entire M3 line.

Apple has always had an advantage in this category, and while the gap has shrunk significantly in multi-threaded tests, the company has remained the unchallenged leader in single-core performance. Even when compared to the purported Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 ratings given by the same tipster, Qualcomm's forthcoming flagship processor received a score of 2,845, putting the A18 Pro 23 percent ahead.

Unfortunately, Geekbench 6's multi-core reveals the limitations of Apple's second-generation 3nm processor, which is only rumored to score 8,200 points, making the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 29 percent faster. However, keep in mind that Apple will very certainly retain a 6-core CPU divided across two performance and four efficiency cores.

Balancing Performance and Power: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4's Journey to Efficiency

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is believed to have a “2 + 6” CPU cluster, and with Qualcomm not implementing efficiency cores this year, its new SoC will definitely achieve greater multi-core ratings, as per WCCFTech. Of course, as most of you are aware, performance is only one side of the equation, and without knowing the power consumption of each chipset, we cannot predict how power-efficient they will be.

Fortunately, we've learned several times that the A18 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 will be mass-produced using TSMC's 3nm "N3E" technology, so power consumption should be comparable, at least on paper. Regardless, the tipster stated in his article that these numbers came too soon, implying that the A18 Pro is still in its early testing stages. With each passing month, we may see a more true portrayal of its performance, so stay tuned for future updates.

Photo: Rohan/Unsplash