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Apple’s A18 Pro is a generational upgrade over A17 Pro, but the size of the gain depends on the workload. Apple’s 2024 launch claims put the same CPU workload up to 15% faster with 20% less power, and the GPU up to 20% faster. Public Geekbench submissions also show higher CPU and GPU scores for the iPhone 16 Pro than the iPhone 15 Pro, but they are device results—not controlled chip-only tests.
The chips are found in different phones: A18 Pro powers the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, while A17 Pro powers the iPhone 15 Pro generation. That phone and software context matters when interpreting any benchmark.
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What changes from A17 Pro to A18 Pro?
A18 Pro is built using second-generation 3-nanometer technology and a new transistor architecture, according to Apple. Its listed configuration includes a six-core CPU, six-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. Apple specifies two performance cores and four efficiency cores in the CPU.
Apple’s A17 Pro announcement also describes a six-core GPU and highlights a redesigned GPU, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and a dedicated AV1 decoder. However, that announcement does not give a directly parallel, complete core-by-core specification for A17 Pro. The figures below therefore distinguish specifications Apple explicitly lists for A18 Pro from A17 Pro’s launch details.
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| Specification or feature | A18 Pro | A17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Host phone generation | iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 15 Pro generation |
| CPU | Six cores: two performance and four efficiency cores, as specified by Apple | A directly parallel core-by-core specification is not stated in Apple’s cited launch announcement |
| GPU | Six cores | Six cores |
| Neural Engine | 16 cores; Apple says it is faster and more efficient than the previous generation | A directly comparable core count is not stated in Apple’s cited launch announcement |
| Manufacturing and architecture | Second-generation 3-nanometer technology and a new transistor architecture, according to Apple | Apple described A17 Pro as its first 3-nanometer chip |
| Other highlighted capabilities | CPU machine-learning accelerators for Apple Intelligence tasks; hardware ray tracing | Hardware-accelerated ray tracing and a dedicated AV1 decoder |
Sources: Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro announcement and Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro announcement.
How much faster does Apple say A18 Pro is?
Apple’s September 2024 launch announcement says its new six-core CPU can “run the same workload as the previous generation 15 percent faster while using 20 percent less power.” That is Apple’s stated comparison under its launch framing, not a general guarantee for every app or a third-party test result.
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- CPU: Apple claims the same workload can run 15% faster while using 20% less power.
- GPU: Apple says it is up to 20% faster than the previous generation.
- System memory bandwidth: Apple reports a 17% increase.
- Hardware ray tracing: Apple claims performance up to 2x faster.
Apple’s A17 Pro launch figures use a different comparison: A17 Pro versus A16 Bionic. Apple described A17 Pro as offering CPU performance up to 10% faster, a Neural Engine up to 2x faster, a six-core GPU up to 20% faster, and hardware ray tracing four times faster than software-based ray tracing. Those figures are not A17 Pro-to-A18 Pro measurements and should not be used as such.
What do Geekbench CPU scores show?
The following are public Geekbench Browser device submissions for iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro. They compare the phones’ recorded results, not isolated chips in a controlled laboratory. The two software versions are separate snapshots and should not be combined or averaged.
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| Geekbench version | iPhone 16 Pro (A18 Pro) | iPhone 15 Pro (A17 Pro) | Recorded operating systems |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.7.0 CPU | 3,543 single-core; 8,958 multi-core | 2,984 single-core; 7,595 multi-core | iOS 27.0 on iPhone 16 Pro; iOS 26.6.1 on iPhone 15 Pro |
| 6.4.0 CPU | 3,584 single-core; 9,190 multi-core | 2,990 single-core; 7,548 multi-core | iOS 18.3.1 on iPhone 16 Pro; iOS 18.3 on iPhone 15 Pro |
Sources: Geekbench Browser iPhone 16 Pro results and Geekbench Browser iPhone 15 Pro results.
Both listed snapshots put the iPhone 16 Pro ahead in single-core and multi-core scores. The recorded operating systems differ between phones in each comparison, and individual submissions can vary with device conditions and software. Treat the scores as useful indications of direction, not a definitive percentage uplift for every A18 Pro or A17 Pro device.
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What does the Geekbench GPU comparison show?
One public Geekbench 6.7.0 compute comparison lists 31,722 for the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro GPU and 28,522 for the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro GPU. The recorded systems are iOS 26.4.2 and iOS 26.6.1, respectively. This is one device-submission pair, not a universal estimate of graphics performance.
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- Compatible Devices: Compatible with 13-inch MacBook Neo A18 Pro 2026 (Model A3404)
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Will you notice the difference in everyday use?
The benchmark results support a straightforward conclusion: the newer iPhone 16 Pro scores higher in the cited CPU and GPU comparisons. The practical difference depends on what you do. A faster CPU can matter for demanding tasks that use the processor heavily; GPU gains are more relevant to graphics and compute workloads. The available figures do not establish a precise improvement for a specific app, game or sustained workload.
Apple’s efficiency claim is tied to the same CPU workload, but the cited evidence does not quantify battery-life gains for identical real-world use. Nor does it establish how long either phone maintains peak performance under sustained load. A benchmark score alone cannot answer those questions.
Is A18 Pro worth upgrading from A17 Pro?
If you already have an iPhone 15 Pro, the evidence here shows a faster next-generation chip, not a universal need to upgrade. The strongest case is a specific need for more performance in demanding CPU, GPU or machine-learning tasks. If your phone already handles your workload well, the available launch claims and submitted benchmarks do not prove that routine use will feel dramatically different.
For someone choosing between these generations, A18 Pro is the newer and faster option in the cited comparisons. Make the decision in the context of the full phone generation and your intended use, rather than treating a single benchmark score as a complete measure of the upgrade.
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