Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro design changes continue to leak, but one detail had been missing: specifics about the next-generation A17 chip that will power the Pros. Until now…
In a series of posts, reliable Apple insider Unknownz21 has broken down the A17 chip in detail, revealing the CPU and GPU makeup, their clock speeds, and the RAM amount and type:
The leaker goes on to add further detail, noting that:
- D83 = iPhone 15 Pro
- D84 = iPhone 15 Pro Max
- D47 = iPhone 16
- D48 = iPhone 16 Plus
- D9x = iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
In addition, Unknownz21 states that the 6-core CPU will be comprised of two performance cores and four efficiency cores, while in a final update they say the A17 could still debut with 8GB RAM as Apple has been testing both 6GB and 8GB configurations, and it is currently unclear why or which of these was chosen as final. Unknownz21 says the two versions are labeled “POP, COLL + 6G” and “POP, COLL + 8G” inside the company.
So what does all this mean? Potentially it adds up to big gains. The combination of performance improvements alongside increased battery life is the holy grail for smartphone buyers
First, the transition to 3nm fabrication alone means Apple can run chips faster, cooler and with less power draw than the 4nm A16. Something that gives Apple the ability to balance both performance and battery gains. This can be seen in the faster maximum clock rate (3.7GHz Vs. 3.46GHz) in the A16 chip.
Second, expect major graphics improvements because the A17 has an extra graphics core compared to the 5-core A16. Adding cores can increase power consumption, but again the 3nm fabrication process should more than nullify this.
Analysts’ early calculations suggest a circa 10% CPU speed increase, but the greatest gains should come in GPU performance and a circa 30% decrease in energy consumption. The iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max, in particular, when combined with new stacked battery technology, could be battery life champions.
All of which fills in another big gap ahead of the iPhone 15 range’s widely leaked September release. Other highlights include adoption of the Dynamic Island design by the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, with the standard models also getting the aforementioned A16 chip and a new 48-megapixel primary rear camera.
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will have slightly larger displays (6.12 and 6.69 inches, respectfully) due to record-breaking thin bezels (which have caused manufacturing problems) and a wider array of upgrades, such as the 3nm A17 chip, lighter titanium chassis, upgraded UWB and WiFi 6E, and Apple’s first periscope zoom camera, which will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
All iPhone 15 models will also drop the Lightning port in favor of USB-C ahead of upcoming 2024 legislation requirements. And yes, the gap between iPhone 15 Pros and standard models is widening again, but so will the price gap.
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