Earlier today, we reported on a Geekbench Metal result for the iPhone 13 Pro showing an approximately 55% graphics performance improvement compared to the iPhone 12 Pro.
Since that time, additional Geekbench results for both CPU and GPU performance across the iPhone 13 lineup have surfaced to provide a more complete look at the improvements.
On the graphics side, a Metal result for the iPhone 13 (designated iPhone14,5) reveals a score of 10608 for the A15 Bionic in that device, roughly 15% higher than the score for the A14 Bionic in the iPhone 12.
The Metal score for the iPhone 13 is significantly lower than the corresponding 14216 score for the iPhone 13 Pro due to the fact that the Pro models (and the new A15-equipped iPad mini) feature a 5-core GPU while the regular iPhone 13 models include a 4-core GPU.
Turning to CPU performance, we see similar scores across regular and Pro devices in the iPhone 13 lineup because they all feature the same 6-core CPU setup. A survey of scores coming in today reveals single-core scores of around 1725 and multi-core scores generally around 4600.
With only a handful of results registered in the Geekbench database so far, these scores are still rough estimates, but the average scores will firm up over time as more come in.
Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal.
A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.
Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.
The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware.
With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
Tuesday September 16, 2025 11:17 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26 was finally released on Monday, but the software train never stops, and the first developer beta of iOS 26.1 will likely be released soon.
iOS 18.1 was an anomaly, as the first developer beta of that version was released in late July last year, to allow for early testing of Apple Intelligence features. The first betas of iOS 15.1, iOS 16.1, and iOS 17.1 were all released in the second ...
Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by Juli Clover
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected.
Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update.
Complaints
There are a long...
Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19.
As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
Tuesday September 16, 2025 12:26 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple released iOS 26 on September 15, and it's now available for all iPhone users with a compatible device. There are a lot of changes and features to learn about, so if you want a quick, easy-to-read list that outlines what's new, we've got you covered.
Design
Liquid Glass design that reflects light and refracts what's underneath. It's system wide, with dynamic tab bars and toolbars...
Tuesday September 16, 2025 5:56 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has now made iOS 26 available to download on compatible iPhone models, and if you just installed the new software, Apple has made some changes and feature additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that you may want to check out.
To download iOS 26 on your iPhone, go to Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update, then let your device check Apple's servers for the latest software. Wait for the...
Meanwhile, Google's state of the art Pixel 6 Pro numbers from Arstechnica ('https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/shocking-pixel-6-rumor-lists-google-soc-with-two-arm-x1-cpu-cores/'):
Pretty dang impressive, the A14 has been killer in performance and battery life in the 12 Pro Max (leaps ahead of the 11 Pro Max) and looks like they outdid themselves yet again.
Graphics: 4-core A15 15% faster than A14, 5-core A15 55% faster than A14
Single-core CPU: 10% faster than A14
Multi-core CPU: 18% faster than A14
While 5-core A15 is indeed impressive, I am not sure rest of the A15 numbers can be called "pretty dang impressive" over A14.
Odd that this is the first iPhone where the Pro and non-Pro models do not have the exact same chip. Yet, Apple bragged that they did not raise the prices on anything, even though on the regular iPhone they shortchanged the chip (granted, with Apple chips, even a shortchanged chip is a hell of a chip).
Believe it or not… in the real world, there are people out there don’t even care what kinda chip their iPhone has. They rather pay less $$$ then worry about a chip that contains more core.
Ohhh but the random YouTubers said that Apple didn’t compare the A15 to the A14 in promotional materials so the performance must be the same! I believe them since they made 20 videos today saying the same thing! ??? /s
It’s all click bait. Everyone in the YouTube or Twitter is trying to make money based on guesses, estimates and stories.
Pretty dang impressive, the A14 has been killer in performance and battery life in the 12 Pro Max (leaps ahead of the 11 Pro Max) and looks like they outdid themselves yet again.
?♂️ The battery life on my 11 Pro Max was significantly better than that of my current 12 Pro Max (both 512GB). My wife has my hand-me-down 11 Pro Max, and I’m plugging in much earlier in the evening than she is.
Pretty dang impressive, the A14 has been killer in performance and battery life in the 12 Pro Max (leaps ahead of the 11 Pro Max) and looks like they outdid themselves yet again.
