Yes, the standard A19 is faster than the standard A18 in the available Geekbench comparisons, but the measured gap is based on iPhone-level results—not a controlled test of the chips alone. Apple lists the same CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine core counts for both. Its own performance claims compare each chip with an older generation, so they do not establish a direct A19-versus-A18 speed increase.
Which chips and phones are being compared?
This comparison covers the standard A19 in iPhone 17 and standard A18 in iPhone 16. It does not cover the A19 Pro or A18 Pro, which are separate variants. Apple’s published specifications and launch announcements are the basis for the hardware details below.
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How do the A19 and A18 specifications compare?
| Specification | A19 in iPhone 17 | A18 in iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Process description | Apple describes it as third-generation 3-nanometer technology. | Apple describes it as second-generation 3-nanometer technology. |
| CPU | 6 cores: 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores. | 6-core CPU; Apple’s cited iPhone 16 announcement does not state the performance/efficiency split. |
| GPU | 5 cores with Neural Accelerators; hardware-accelerated ray tracing. | 5 cores; hardware-accelerated ray tracing. |
| Neural Engine | 16 cores. | 16 cores. |
Sources: Apple’s iPhone 17 technical specifications and its iPhone 16 announcement. The process-generation labels are Apple’s descriptions; they are not a direct measurement of performance or power efficiency. Matching core counts likewise do not mean that the chips deliver identical throughput or use identical power.
What is notable about the GPU and Neural Engine?
Apple explicitly lists Neural Accelerators in the A19’s GPU cores, saying they help run generative AI models on-device. Apple’s A18 announcement instead says its 16-core Neural Engine is optimized for large generative models and runs machine-learning models up to twice as fast as the A16 Bionic. These are distinct vendor statements with different descriptions and older-chip comparators, not a head-to-head AI test. The published specifications do not establish a quantified A19-versus-A18 AI advantage.
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- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
What do the benchmark scores show?
Primate Labs’ Geekbench 7 iPhone device chart lists these CPU scores for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 16:
| Geekbench 7 CPU score | iPhone 17 with A19 | iPhone 16 with A18 | Difference from listed iPhone 16 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-core | 3197 | 2867 | About 11.5% higher |
| Multi-core | 8473 | 7586 | About 11.7% higher |
The percentages are arithmetic comparisons of the chart’s displayed entries, not Apple claims or controlled estimates of isolated chip gains. The chart reports phone-device results, and its underlying submissions can change; they reflect the phones’ implementations as well as their chips. See Primate Labs’ iPhone 17 benchmarks.
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- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
What about GPU compute?
A separate Geekbench 6.6.0 compute comparison reports 37,516 for iPhone 17 and 28,605 for iPhone 16, roughly 31.2% higher for the iPhone 17 entry. That is one result pair from those phones in that test version, not a universal measure of A19 GPU superiority. Different test versions, phone conditions, and selected results can produce different comparisons. The result is shown in Primate Labs’ Geekbench compute comparison.
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What does Apple claim about performance?
Apple’s launch claims use different baselines, so they cannot be combined to calculate how much faster A19 is than A18:
Rank #3
- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
- For A19, Apple says its 6-core CPU is 1.5 times faster than the A15 Bionic in iPhone 13, and its 5-core GPU is more than twice as fast as A15.
- For A18, Apple says its 6-core CPU is 30% faster than A16 Bionic; its 5-core GPU is up to 40% faster and 35% more efficient than A16.
These are Apple’s own comparisons against older chips, not matched A19-versus-A18 tests. The claims appear in Apple’s iPhone 17 announcement and iPhone 16 announcement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is the A19 worth choosing over the A18?
The available evidence supports a narrow conclusion: the iPhone 17’s A19 posts higher scores than the iPhone 16’s A18 in the cited Geekbench entries, while Apple’s published core counts are alike. Those benchmark scores alone do not tell you how much difference you will notice in a particular app or game.
Rank #4
- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Please check with your carrier to verify compatibility.
- When you receive the phone, insert a SIM card from a compatible carrier. Then, turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, and follow the on screen prompts to activate service.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
They also do not establish sustained gaming performance, thermal throttling, battery life under matched workloads, or a controlled Neural Engine comparison. Choosing between the phones requires considering the rest of each device, current price, and storage as well as the chip; this comparison does not assess those factors.
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