Each Apple device has a processor in the center. Apple has been using its own processor on its iPhone and iPad for some time, while the Mac lineup has begun its second year of two-year transition. Apple now has far more devices with its own Silicon than Intel, and before the end of 2022, probably every product it makes will be powered by a home-made chip.
What’s remarkable about Apple Silicon is its performance – major chip makers can’t ignore Apple’s chips because they outperform Apple. This is great for Apple and its customers, but for users who invest in Apple products, it’s even more important to understand the difference in performance between each chip. Knowing how each chip performs gives you a better idea of which product you will buy and whether you are worth the money to move to a higher model.
Let’s take a look at how the new M2 compares to the rest of the processors in the iPhone, iPad and Mac lineup and see how each processor performs and what it means to you. For continuity, we used the Geekbench 5 number.
IPhone processor
Before comparing the performance of each iPhone processor, let’s take a look at the specifications so that we can understand the difference between them.
| Processor | Performance core | Skills core | Graphics core | Neural engine | RAM | Transistors | Thermal design power | Device |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 5 | 16-core | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | IPhone 13 Pro |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 4 | 16-core | 8GB | 15 billion | 6W | iPhone 13, iPhone SE |
| A14 Bionic | 2 at 3.1 GHz | 4 at 1.8GHz | 4 | 16-core | 6GB | 11.8 billion | 6W | IPhone 12 |
| A13 Bionic | 2 at 2.65GHz | 4 at 1.8GHz | 4 | 8-core | 4 GB | 8.5 billion | 6W | IPhone 11 |
Now let’s see how each processor performs. Not surprisingly, the A15 Bionic is the fastest on the iPhone 13 Pro. The iPhone 13 also has an A15 Bionic processor, but for the first time, it has a lower GPU core than the iPhone 13 Pro — an extra GPU Core Pro allows the phone to boast 35 percent more graphics performance than its non-Pro. Siblings
Apple still sells the iPhone 12, which has an A14 bionic. It’s actually not much slower than the iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic. The space between the two processors is virtually the same, the A15 Bionic’s performance cores have a bit faster clock speed and more RAM. If price is the main priority compared to the camera and other features, consider the iPhone 12 instead of the iPhone 13.
The difference in speed between the iPhone 11’s A13 Bionic and the A14 Bionic is even clearer. This is the last rate for the A13 Bionic, as the iPhone 11 12 will be replaced by Apple’s next big iPhone rollout next fall.
IPad processor
The shocking release of Apple’s iPad lineup created a strangely-looking performance order for the CPU and its devices.
| Processor | Performance core | Skills core | Graphics core | Neural engine | RAM | Transistors | Thermal design power | Device |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 18 billion | 14W | iPad Pro 12.9 ”& 11 ″, iPad Air |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 2.93GHz | 4 at 1.82GHz | 5 | 16-core | 4 GB | 15 billion | 6W | IPad mini |
| A13 Bionic | 2 at 2.65GHz | 4 at 1.8GHz | 4 | 8-core | 4 GB | 8.5 billion | 6W | IPad |
The A15 Bionic is newer than the A14 Bionic on the previous iPad Air, but the performance gap between the two is small, which is probably one of the reasons Apple took an M1 when upgrading the iPad Air in 2022. The A15 Bionic on this tablet must have a clock down to maintain a proper operating temperature, so it is not as fast as the A15 Bionic on the iPhone 13 Pro.
The M1-equipped iPad Pros and iPad Air are the fastest models, and the gap between them and the iPad and iPad mini is significant. The shocking release makes it difficult to predict what Apple will do with the CPUs on the iPad and iPad mini; The iPad will probably get the A15 Bionic in its next upgrade, but what about the iPad mini? The M1 can be too hot for the iPad mini form, although it can run a clocked-down version.
Mac processor
Along with Apple’s M-Series chips for the Mac, the company’s release schedule includes the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and other Mac versions. Apple then modified it to make a high-end version.
The latest M-Series chip is the M2, which was released shortly after WWDC in the summer of 2022 with the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The M2 replaces the M1 on those Macs, but Apple may have around the M1 model to offer as a low-cost alternative, such as the $ 999 M1 MacBook Air.
| Processor | Performance core | Skills core | Graphics core | Neural engine | Base RAM | Transistors | Thermal design power | Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 10 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | 13 ″ MacBook Pro, MacBook Air |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 20 billion | 15W | I’m happy today |
| M1 Ultra | 16 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 64 | 32-core | 64GB | 114 billion | 60W | Mac Studio |
| M1 Ultra | 16 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 48 | 32-core | 64GB | 114 billion | 60W | Mac Studio |
| M1 max | 8 at 3.2GHz | 2 at 2.06GHz | 32 | 16-core | 32 GB | 18 billion | 14W | 16 “MacBook Pro, Mac Studio |
| M1 max | 8 at 3.2GHz | 2 at 2.06GHz | 24 | 16-core | 32 GB | 18 billion | 14W | 16 ″ MacBook Pro, Mac Studio |
| M1 Pro | 8 at 3.2GHz | 2 at 2.06GHz | 16 | 16-core | 16 GB | 18 billion | 14W | 14 “and 16” MacBook Pro |
| M1 Pro | 6 at 3.2GHz | 2 at 2.06GHz | 14 | 16-core | 16 GB | 18 billion | 14W | 14 “MacBook Pro |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 8 | 16-core | 8GB | 18 billion | 14W | 13 “MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, 24” iMac, Mac Mini |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2GHz | 4 at 2.06GHz | 7 | 16-core | 8GB | 18 billion | 14W | MacBook Air, 24 ″ iMac |
With the M2, Apple claims that there has been an 18 percent improvement in general CPU performance compared to the M1. In multi-core CPU testing, we are able to confirm Apple’s claim. The single-core CPU test showed a 13 percent increase for the M2.
The M1 Ultra is a beast of the chip, which doubles the CPU multi-core performance of the M1 Max, which has half the CPU core. It also shines in GPU performance.
For the M1 Max, Jason Snell mentions that it distinguishes itself from the M1 Pro with its graphics performance – the 32-core GPU gives it a big boost. The only device we haven’t personally tested is the 8-core CPU, the 14-core GPU M1 Pro’s 99 1,999 14-inch MacBook Pro, but online benchmarks show about 20 percent slower CPU performance than the 10-core CPU, 16 -Core GPU M1 Pro.
An interesting comparison can be found between the 8-core CPU M1 Pro and the low-end M1. The 8-core M1 Pro offers about a 30 percent increase, and the 99 1,999 14-inch MacBook Pro costs about 33 percent more than the M1-based $ 1,499 13-inch MacBook Pro. Only in terms of pure performance, you’re paying a little more than a dollar per cent point.
The chip that started it all may seem slower than the good Ol ‘M1, M1 Pro and Max – but it doesn’t weaken Apple’s original Mac processor. Remember, the M1 surpasses the Intel processors it replaces, resulting in a significant price / performance value.
Compare all processors
Put all the performance numbers in a chart and what do you get? A somewhat predictable chart, the M1 Pro / Max tops the charts, followed by a mix of the iPad and iPhone. Owners of the iPad Pro may say that their tablet is as fast as the MacBook Air (or Air owners may say the laptop works as well as the iPad Pro) and that would not be an exaggeration. And the difference between the $ 399 iPhone SE and the $ 1,099 iPhone 13 Pro Max is not as huge as their price indicates. Other than that, the chips fall where they can.