With the release of the A17 Pro, Apple unveiled its most potent smartphone chip to date. However, how much does it differ in terms of speed, efficiency, and capabilities from the A16 Bionic? For a detailed comparison of iPhone 16 A17 Bionic chip performance, continue reading.
As the name suggests, the A17 Pro is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max; the A16 Bionic is used in the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. We’ll concentrate on the Apple Silicon similarities and differences below, but there’s also a detailed comparison of all the iPhone 15 models available.
What is the A16 Bionic?
With the release of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max in September 2022, Apple unveiled the A16 Bionic system-on-a-chip. The A16 Bionic, like earlier chips, is based on a 64-bit ARM architecture (similar to Apple Silicon but not like conventional x86 PC processors).
An integrated circuit that has a CPU, GPU, RAM, and other parts is called a system-on-chip (SoC). Apple carried over the tradition of utilizing the best chip from the previous year in the non-Pro iPhone models by incorporating the A16 Bionic into the base iPhone 15 and the Plus model in 2023.
What is the A17 Pro?
In 2023, the A17 Pro—an upgraded system-on-a-chip—was introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. It too has an ARM-based architecture, but with a six-core CPU that has two performance cores that run at over 3.8 GHz and four efficiency cores that hit 2.1 GHz, performance is marginally better. Additionally, the A17 Pro increases the SoC’s total RAM from 6GB to 8GB.
Along with a 20% boost over the A16 Bionic, Apple also added a sixth GPU core, bringing the total to six. Support for hardware ray tracing and enhanced shading enables the GPU to handle realistic lighting effects in 3D apps more effectively.
Apple increased the number of transistors to 19 billion and included hardware support for the video codec AV1 decoding, which is expected to eventually displace HEVC. The N3B process from TSMC, which is thought to yield “true” 3-nanometer chips, is used in the production of the A17 Pro.
How much better is the A17 Pro?
When the A17 Pro was introduced, Apple merely stated that it had a 10% faster CPU than the A16 Bionic, and several benchmarks support this assertion. The Geekbench single-core score of the iPhone 15 Pro is better than that of the A16 Bionic, going from 2540 to 2890, while the multi-core score increases from 6420 to 7159. The metal results are even more amazing. These scores gauge GPU performance and support Apple’s 20% assertion that the A16 Bionic’s scores will drop to 27074 on the A17 Pro.
CPU benchmark scores
According to Apple, the A17 Pro’s CPU performance cores outperform the A16 Bionic by up to 10%, and based on the preliminary Geekbench scores, the performance gain appears to be considerably greater.
The A17 Pro outperformed the A16 by about 16% in terms of single-core performance. It was about 13% quicker on multi-core.
| A17 Pro | A16 Bionic | A15 Bionic | |
| Single-core score | 2914 | 2519 | 2183 |
| Multi-core score | 7199 | 6367 | 5144 |
In terms of single-core performance, the A17 Pro even outperformed the M1, but in terms of multi-core performance, it lagged behind Apple’s standard desktop processor.
Hardware specs
Apple claims that the A17 Pro is “the industry’s first 3-nanometer chip.” Similar to the A16 Bionic, it has six CPU cores, but because of micro-architectural and design enhancements, they are faster and more potent.
The A17 Pro has “the fastest single-threaded performance in any smartphone,” according to Apple.
The GPU has a sixth core, up from five, with various improvements and features. Furthermore, the neural engine is now twice as fast as the neural engine in the A16, although it still has 16 cores.
| A17 Pro | A16 Bionic | |
| CPU | 6-core | 6-core |
| GPU | 6-core | 5-core |
| Neural Engine | Up to 35 trillion operations per second on a 16-core system | Up to 17 trillion operations per second on a 16-core system |
| Memory | 8GB | 6GB |
| Transistors | 19 billion | 16 billion |
| Chip design process | 3nm | 4nm |
A17 Pro vs A16 Bionic wrap-up
The A17 Pro’s advancements over the A16 may not seem like much at first, but when combined, they create the most potent and effective mobile processor in the world, with noticeable gains in neural engine and graphics performance.
It remains to be seen if the majority of consumers really require the most powerful smartphone chip ever made, but for those who do, the A17 Pro appears to be the finest option available.
Regarding the A17 Pro, what excites you the most? Or do you think the A16 or earlier is fine? Post your ideas in the comments section.
We appreciate you reading our comparison of the A17 Pro and A16 Bionic.
Does the A17 Pro Make the iPhone 15 Pro Worth It?
The short answer is probably no if you’re considering upgrading from the iPhone 14 Pro to the iPhone 15 Pro just to get a speed bump. You may have a different perspective if you spend a lot of time playing 3D games. Performance will increase thanks to the GPU upgrades, and Apple’s strategy to release “AAA” titles on mobile devices—like Resident Evil: Village—will necessitate the use of an iPad or iPhone 15 Pro equipped with an M1 chip.
That being said, chances are good that you already own a PC or console that can run these games if you’re a committed gamer. You can play these games at higher resolutions on a big screen, such as a TV or monitor, even if you have to rely on upscaling techniques like NVIDIA’s DLSS.
Conclusion of iPhone 16 A17 Bionic chip performance
The A17 Pro, Apple’s most potent smartphone CPU to date, is now available only for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max were released in September 2022, coinciding with the introduction of the A16 Bionic system-on-a-chip. The 64-bit ARM-based architecture of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models makes use of it.
He The A17 Pro, which has six CPU cores like the A16 Bionic but is quicker and more capable due to micro-architectural and design enhancements, is regarded as the industry’s first 3-nanometer chip. For a speed bump alone, the iPhone 15 Pro might not be worth it in light of the A17 Pro.
FAQS
How powerful is A17 bionic chip?
Significant increases were achieved by the A17 Pro on Jetstream 2. Its ratings were 41% better than the A15 Bionic and roughly 17% higher than the A16 Bionic in this instance. It’s amazing that it performed better than the M2 chip.
What is the performance of A16 vs A17?
The frequency of the high-performance cores in the A17 Pro is 3.78 GHz, whereas that of the A16 Bionic is 3.46 GHz. The power-efficiency cores also see a little speed increase, with the A17 Pro operating at 2.11 GHz as opposed to the A16 Bionic’s 2.02 GHz.
Is the A17 chip worth it?
Put another way, the P-cores in the A17 Pro deliver on average 58% higher peak performance and are 15% more efficient than the most recent Snapdragon chip. Result: 160% higher score and an 8.5% reduction in power consumption. The end result was a 340% higher score but a 29.5% greater power consumption.