A18 Pro vs A17 Pro: Benchmarks Compared

The A18 Pro and A17 Pro are Apple’s flagship smartphone chips from consecutive generations, and in head-to-head benchmarks the A18 Pro typically scores about 10–15% higher in Geekbench 6 multi-core and around 10% higher in AnTuTu 10, while GPU gains are smaller but still measurable. This article compares their AnTuTu, Geekbench, and other benchmark results, explains what the scores mean in real-world use, and helps you decide whether upgrading matters.

Background: Where Each Chip Sits

The A17 Pro debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max in September 2023. It was the first 3nm smartphone chip, built on TSMC’s N3B process, and introduced a hardware ray-tracing GPU. The A18 Pro arrived a year later in the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, also on a 3nm process (N3E), with a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU. Both chips share the same core counts, but the A18 Pro’s cores run at higher clocks and the GPU has an extra core compared to the A17 Pro’s 5-core GPU.

Because both chips are designed by Apple and manufactured by TSMC, benchmark differences come down to architecture tweaks, clock speeds, memory bandwidth, and thermal headroom rather than a process node leap. That’s why the improvements are consistent but not dramatic.

Geekbench 6 Scores

Geekbench 6 is the most common CPU benchmark for phones. It measures single-core and multi-core performance using real-world tasks like image processing, file compression, and web rendering.

• A17 Pro: Single-core ~2,900, Multi-core ~7,200 (typical results from iPhone 15 Pro)
• A18 Pro: Single-core ~3,400, Multi-core ~8,500 (typical results from iPhone 16 Pro)

The single-core jump is about 17%, and the multi-core jump is about 18%. That’s a larger year-over-year gain than the A16 to A17 Pro transition, which was roughly 10%. The A18 Pro’s higher clock speeds (about 4.04 GHz vs 3.78 GHz) and improved memory subsystem explain most of the difference.

AnTuTu 10 Scores

AnTuTu is a composite benchmark that combines CPU, GPU, memory, and UX tests into one score. It’s popular because it gives a single number, but it’s also more sensitive to cooling and software versions.

• A17 Pro: ~1.55 million (average on iPhone 15 Pro)
• A18 Pro: ~1.75 million (average on iPhone 16 Pro)

That’s roughly a 13% overall improvement. The GPU subscore in AnTuTu shows a smaller gain, around 8–10%, because the A18 Pro’s extra GPU core is offset by similar architecture. Memory scores are notably higher on the A18 Pro due to faster LPDDR5X RAM (the iPhone 16 Pro uses 8GB LPDDR5X, while the 15 Pro uses 8GB LPDDR5).

Other Benchmarks: 3DMark, GFXBench, and Cinebench

For gaming and graphics, the most common tests are 3DMark Wild Life Extreme and GFXBench Aztec Ruins.

• 3DMark Wild Life Extreme (1440p): A17 Pro scores about 4,500; A18 Pro scores about 5,100 (a 13% gain).
• GFXBench Aztec Ruins (High, 1440p offscreen): A17 Pro ~35 fps; A18 Pro ~40 fps (a 14% gain).
• Cinebench 2024 (CPU multi-core): A17 Pro ~1,200; A18 Pro ~1,450 (a 21% gain).

These numbers come from public benchmark databases like Geekbench Browser and AnTuTu’s official rankings. Individual runs vary by 2–5% due to temperature, battery level, and background tasks.

Real-World Performance: What the Scores Mean

Benchmarks are useful for comparing raw power, but real-world apps rarely push the CPU to 100%. The A17 Pro already handles 4K video editing, AAA games, and multitasking without slowdowns. The A18 Pro’s advantage shows in:

• Longer sustained performance: The A18 Pro’s improved thermal design (in the iPhone 16 Pro) means it throttles less during 20-minute gaming sessions.
• Faster export times: Video rendering in apps like LumaFusion is roughly 15–20% quicker.
• Ray tracing: The A18 Pro’s GPU has better ray-tracing throughput, so games with ray-traced effects (like Resident Evil Village) run at higher frame rates.

For everyday tasks like social media, web browsing, and messaging, you won’t notice a difference. The A17 Pro is already overkill for those.

How to Choose: Upgrade or Not?

If you own an iPhone 15 Pro, the A18 Pro’s benchmark gains are real but not transformative. Consider upgrading if:

• You play demanding games with ray tracing and want the highest frame rates.
• You edit video or do 3D modeling on your phone and export frequently.
• You plan to keep the phone for 4+ years and want the latest chip for future app demands.

If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro or older, the jump is massive. The A17 Pro is already a huge leap over the A16, so the A18 Pro is even better. For most users, the camera and display improvements matter more than the chip.

Common Misconceptions

“Benchmarks don’t matter because apps are optimized for iPhone.â€� Partly true, but benchmarks still predict how well the phone handles future apps and heavy tasks. They’re not useless, just not the whole story.

“The A18 Pro is the same as the A17 Pro with a higher clock.� Not exactly. The A18 Pro has a different GPU core layout, improved memory controller, and a newer process variant (N3E) that offers better efficiency. The architecture is refined, not just clocked up.

“AnTuTu is the only benchmark that matters.� AnTuTu is easy to compare but can be manipulated by cooling tricks. Geekbench and 3DMark are more standardized. Look at multiple benchmarks to get a full picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the A18 Pro worth upgrading from the A17 Pro? Only if you need the extra GPU performance for gaming or video work. The CPU gain is about 15%, which is noticeable in exports but not in daily use.

Does the A18 Pro overheat in benchmarks? The iPhone 16 Pro has a redesigned internal layout with better heat spreading, so it sustains high performance longer than the 15 Pro. In extreme stress tests, it still throttles, but less severely.

Which chip has better battery life? The A18 Pro is more efficient per clock, but the iPhone 16 Pro’s larger battery and OLED panel improvements mean it lasts longer in real-world use. Apple claims up to 4 more hours of video playback compared to the 15 Pro.

Can I run PC games on the A18 Pro? Not directly, but the A18 Pro can run console-quality games like Death Stranding and Resident Evil 4, which are ported to iOS. The A17 Pro can also run these, but at lower settings.

What is the A18 Pro’s single-core score in Geekbench 6? Around 3,400, which is about 17% higher than the A17 Pro’s ~2,900. That’s one of the largest single-core jumps in recent years.

Does the A18 Pro support Wi-Fi 7? Yes, the iPhone 16 Pro supports Wi-Fi 7, while the 15 Pro only supports Wi-Fi 6E. This doesn’t affect benchmark scores but improves wireless speeds on compatible routers.

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