At the heart of every Apple device is an Apple processor. Apple has been using its own chips in its iPhones and iPads for some time now, while the Mac line has almost completed the transition from Intel chips. Right now, Apple has a lot more devices with its own silicon than Intel – all that’s left is the Mac Pro, and before the end of 2023, every Apple product will probably run on its own chip.
What’s remarkable about Apple Silicon is its performance and energy efficiency. But not all chips are created equally. Understanding the performance differences of each chip will help you make your buying decision, especially when you’re choosing between iPhone 14 or MacBook models. Knowing how each chip works gives you a better idea of which products to buy and whether or not to buy a more powerful model.
Let’s take a look at how the new processors compare to the rest of the processors in the iPhone, iPad, and Mac lineup and see how each performs and what it means for you. For consistency, we used the Geekbench 5 benchmarks. Here’s each chip and how the benchmarks compare to each other.
Each processor compared
Before we get to the individual processors, let’s let the chips fall where they can. We’ve only included the chips in Apple devices that are still on sale, and it’s a fairly predictable chart with the fastest Macs at the top, followed by the iPad and iPhone. But there are also some impressive results: iPad Pro owners can say that their tablet is as fast as a MacBook Air, and that’s no exaggeration. And the difference between the $399 iPhone SE and the $899 iPhone 14 isn’t as big as their price difference shows.
Learn how the Apple M1 and M2 processors compare to Intel processors in our Mac processor guide.
iPhone processors
Let’s take a look at the specifications so we can understand the differences between them.
| CPU | Performance Cores | Efficiency Cores | Graphics cores | neural engine | Memory | transistors | Thermal Power Scheme | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A16 Bionic | 2 at 3.46 GHz | 4 at 2.02 GHz | five | 16 core | 8 GB | 16 billion | 6 W | iphone 14 pro |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22 GHz | 4 at 1.82 GHz | five | 16 core | 8 GB | 15 billion | 6 W | iPhone 14 |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 3.22 GHz | 4 at 1.82 GHz | four | 16 core | 8 GB | 15 billion | 6 W | iPhone 13, iPhone SE |
| A14 Bionic | 2 at 3.1 GHz | 4 at 1.8 GHz | four | 16 core | 6 GB | 11.8 billion | 6 W | iphone 12 |
Now let’s see how each processor works. Unsurprisingly, the A16 Bionic in the iPhone 14 Pro is the fastest. Both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 feature the A15 Bionic processor, but the iPhone 13 has one less GPU core than the iPhone 13 Pro, resulting in better graphics performance.
Apple is still selling the iPhone 12 with the A14 Bionic processor. It’s actually not much slower than the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 13 – the specs of the two processors are pretty much the same, and the performance cores of the A15 Bionic have a slightly higher clock speed and more RAM. If price is more important than the camera and other features, consider the iPhone 12 over the iPhone 13.
The speed difference is more apparent between the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12 and the chips in the iPhone 14 models. This could be the last hurray for the A14 Bionic as the iPhone 12 will be replaced by the 13 as a low-cost option with Apple’s next major iPhone release next fall, though, maybe it will make its way into the next version of Apple TV.
processors for iPad
The phased release of the Apple iPad line creates a strange order of performance for the processor and its device.
| CPU | Performance Cores | Efficiency Cores | Graphics cores | neural engine | Memory | transistors | Thermal Power Scheme | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 | 4 at 3.49 GHz | 4 at 2.06 GHz | 10 | 16 core | 8 GB | 20 billion | 15 W | iPad Pro 12.9″ and 11″ |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2 GHz | 4 at 2.06 GHz | 8 | 16 core | 8 GB | 16 billion | 14 W | iPad Air |
| A15 Bionic | 2 at 2.93 GHz | 4 at 1.82 GHz | five | 16 core | 4GB | 15 billion | 6 W | iPad mini |
| A14 Bionic | 2 at 3.1 GHz | 4 at 1.8 GHz | four | 16 core | 6 GB | 11.8 billion | 6 W | ipad |
The iPad Pro with M2 are the fastest models, and the gap between them and the iPad and iPad mini is significant. Plus, the M2 is 15 percent faster than the M1 it replaced in previous iPad Pros and the current iPad Air.
The new 10th generation iPad, released in fall 2022, features the A14 Bionic, an update to the A13 Bionic in the previous model. Apple says the new 10th generation iPad offers a 20 percent CPU boost and a 10 percent graphics boost.
Mac Processors
For Apple’s M-series chips for Mac, the company’s release schedule includes a base version for the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and other Macs. Apple then modifies it to create higher end versions. Read about how the M2 compares to the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
The latest M-series chip is the M2, which was released alongside the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air in the summer of 2022, right after WWDC. The M2 replaces the M1 in these Macs, but Apple could keep the M1 models to offer low-end options like the $999 M1 MacBook Air. In January 2023, Apple released the M2 Pro for the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro and Mac mini, and the M2 Max for the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro along with the M2 Mac mini.
| CPU | Performance Cores | Efficiency Cores | Graphics cores | neural engine | Base memory | transistors | Thermal Power Scheme | Device |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M2 Max. | 8 at 3.49 GHz | 4 at 2.4 GHz | 38 | 16 core | 32 GB | 67 billion | 30 W | Macbook Pro 14″ and 16″ |
| M2 Max. | 8 at 3.49 GHz | 4 at 2.4 GHz | thirty | 16 core | 32 GB | 67 billion | 30 W | Macbook Pro 14″ and 16″ |
| M2 Pro | 8 at 3.49 GHz | 4 at 2.4 GHz | nineteen | 16 core | 16 GB | 40 billion | 30 W | Macbook Pro 14″ and 16″ |
| M2 Pro | 6 at 3.49 GHz | 4 at 2.4 GHz | sixteen | 16 core | 16 GB | 40 billion | 30 W | 14 inch Macbook Pro |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49 GHz | 4 at 2.4 GHz | 10 | 16 core | 8 GB | 20 billion | 15 W | 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air |
| M2 | 4 at 3.49 GHz | 4 at 2.4 GHz | 8 | 16 core | 8 GB | 20 billion | 15 W | Macbook Air |
| M1 Ultra | 16 at 3.2 GHz | 4 at 2.06 GHz | 64 | 32 cores | 64 GB | 114 billion | 60 W | Studio Mac |
| M1 Ultra | 16 at 3.2 GHz | 4 at 2.06 GHz | 48 | 32 cores | 64 GB | 114 billion | 60 W | Studio Mac |
| M1 Max. | 8 at 3.2 GHz | 2 at 2.06 GHz | 32 | 16 core | 32 GB | 57 billion | 30 W | Studio Mac |
| M1 Max. | 8 at 3.2 GHz | 2 at 2.06 GHz | 24 | 16 core | 32 GB | 57 billion | 30 W | Studio Mac |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2 GHz | 4 at 2.06 GHz | 8 | 16 core | 8 GB | 16 billion | 14 W | MacBook Air, iMac 24″ |
| M1 | 4 at 3.2 GHz | 4 at 2.06 GHz | 7 | 16 core | 8 GB | 16 billion | 14 W | MacBook Air, iMac 24″ |
Apple claims that with the M2, overall processor performance has increased by 18 percent compared to the M1. In the multi-core processor test, we can confirm Apple’s claim. The single-core test showed a smaller 13 percent gain for the M2. Apple says that with the M2 Pro and M2 Max, performance is 20% faster than the M1 Pro (which is no longer found in any of the current Macs) and the M2 Max.
The M1 Ultra is a monster chip, doubling the multi-core CPU performance of the M1 Max, which has half as many CPU cores. It also outperforms GPU performance. It’s still unknown when Apple will release the M2 Ultra, but it will most likely make its debut in the upcoming Mac Pro.
The Apple Max chips have the same processor configuration as the Plus versions; the key difference is in the GPU. Max can have twice as many GPU cores as Plus, so its graphics performance is significantly higher.
The chip that started it all, the good old M1, may feel slow compared to Apple’s more modern chips, but that shouldn’t undermine Apple’s original Mac processor. Remember that the M1 is ahead of the Intel processors it has replaced, resulting in a significant price/performance ratio.