- In our Geekbench CPU test, the A18 Pro delivered 5% faster performance than the A18 in single-core tasks.
- However, the 6-core GPU on the A18 Pro delivers around 15% better graphics performance than the 5-core A18 GPU.
- The Neural Engine is the same on both chipsets, and they perform along the same lines.
This year, Apple has packed the new A18 chipset on iPhone 16 and 16 Plus while the premium iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max feature the more powerful, A18 Pro SoC. On paper, both chipsets appear very similar so we conducted various benchmarks to find out the real-world performance differences between A18 and A18 Pro . On that note, let’s check out the findings.
Apple A18 vs A18 Pro: Specs Comparison
Apple A18 vs A18 Pro: Geekbench 6 CPU
In our first Geekbench 6 CPU test, the A18 scored 3,141 in single-core and 7,804 in multi-core. Whereas, the A18 Pro does slightly better due to a large cache size and achieves 3,358 in single-core and 8,814 in multi-core. The A18 Pro CPU is only about 5-7% faster than the A18 CPU which is pretty narrow. I would say both the chipsets deliver nearly identical CPU performance.
Apple A18 vs A18 Pro: AnTuTu Benchmark
In the AnTuTu benchmark, the A18 achieves a total score of 1,668,567 points. And the A18 Pro gets 1,816,016 points, offering an overall performance gain of around 8.8%. The A18 Pro CPU and GPU deliver around 8-10% faster performance than the A18.
Apple A18 vs A18 Pro: Geekbench 6 GPU
In the Geekbench 6 GPU test, the 6-core A18 Pro GPU scores 32,569 and the 5-core A18 GPU achieves 28,030 points. The test was done on Apple’s Metal graphics API. Here, the difference is substantial, where the A18 Pro GPU offers around 16% better graphics performance than the A18.
Apple A18 vs A18 Pro: 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test and Solar Bay
To test the GPU further, we ran the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress test on both A18 and A18 Pro. The 5-core A18 GPU gets the best loop score of 3,600 points and the lowest loop score of 2,370 points, with a stability of 65.8%.
On the other hand, the 6-core A18 Pro GPU gets the best score of 4,574 points and the lowest score of 3,096 points, at 67.7% stability. Here, the performance difference comes down to a massive 30%. Besides having an extra GPU core, it seems the graphite substructure in the iPhone 16 Pro Max greatly helps the GPU to sustain its peak performance, even under sustained load.
In the 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited test which puts the Ray Tracing units through its paces, the A18 gets an overall score of 7,068 with an average frame rate of 26.9 FPS. In contrast, the A18 Pro gets 7,985 points and achieves an average frame rate of 30.4 FPS. In Ray Tracing capability, the performance difference is around 13% between A18 and A18 Pro.
Apple A18 vs A18 Pro: Geekbench AI
In the latest version of Geekbench AI 1.1, the 16-core Neural Engine on both A18 and A18 Pro performs along the same lines. In fact, the A18 does slightly better in Half Precision (FP16) and Quantized (INT8) data types. Both Neural Engines have access to faster LPDDR5X memory (up to 7500 MT/s) which results in better performance. Simply put, A18 and A18 Pro are powerful enough to run on-device Apple Intelligence features for AI/ML tasks.
The Verdict
After comparing the A18 and A18 Pro chipsets on several benchmarks, we can conclude that the A18 chipset is a notch below the A18 Pro. Recent reports also show that both chipsets have different SoC designs. However, you get the same CPU cores, but the cache size has been halved on A18. And on the GPU side, you get one less GPU core.
Overall, the performance difference in CPU is somewhere between 5% to 8%. In the GPU department, the A18 trails by around 15-20%. As far as day-to-day usage is concerned, you won’t find much difference except in sustained gaming performance. In my book, both are flagship-level chipsets.
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- Apple and Google have officially confirmed their team-up for the next-gen Siri AI.
- The Cupertino Giant will be using Google’s Gemini for a more personalized Siri model as well as Apple Intelligence features.
- We can expect the next-gen Siri to come out with iOS 26.4, sometime in March or April.
Apple has officially confirmed joining forces with Google to use its Gemini AI model to power the next-generation Siri. It will offer a more personalized experience and will be coming out with the iOS 26.4 update. Apple also plans to leverage Gemini’s capabilities for other Apple Intelligence features as well, later down the line.
The Next-Gen Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI
Apple officially confirmed that it will be partnering with Google in a statement to CNBC . Here’s what it stated, “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.”
Later, Google also shared a post on X confirming the tie-up, “Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”
Image Credit: X/@NewsFromGoogle
Both statements clearly mention that the Cupertino Giant will be using Gemini to power its assistant Siri. This was already rumored, as Apple’s attempts to acquire Perplexity went nowhere. With Gemini, Siri will get a major AI update . It will be able to handle more nuanced conversations and provide better results. Something long-time Apple users have been asking for years.
The next-gen Siri will arrive with the iOS 26.4 update, which will launch sometime in March or April. And it is only going to be available for Apple Intelligence-supported devices .
Something else worth noting is how Google’s statement mentions that Gemini will power Apple Intelligence features. This leads us to believe that Apple could use Gemini’s multi-modal capabilities for its Writings tools , Image Playground , and Message summaries, too.
Elon Musk Not Happy With Apple and Google Tie Up
xAI CEO Elon Musk also responded to Google’s announcement post on X, sharing his thoughts on the matter by saying, “This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.” Though we don’t expect either Apple or Google to respond to Elon, we will update the situation as it progresses.
It is worth noting that xAI is the company behind Grok, which is in hot water currently due to its inappropriate image generation fiasco , and has been getting backlash from multiple news outlets, X users, and even government authorities.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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