A18 vs. A18 Pro: What's the Difference?

[creediddy]

Apple place the M-series chips into iPhone Pro. That will make the difference between non pro phones or place the M-series chips into the foldables in the future.

 

[chucker23n1]

Apple place the M-series chips into iPhone Pro. That will make the difference between non pro phones or place the M-series chips into the foldables in the future.

Too much power draw, and for what? Is "it's slow" a problem the iPhone 16 Pro faces?

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Because most of the article compares the A18 against the A16 Bionic, and the A18 Pro against the A17 Pro, instead of giving any specific details on how the performance of the A18 and the A18 Pro compare.

For an article titled "A18 vs. A18 Pro: What's the Difference?", that's kind of disappointing.

One could say such journalism will be replaced by AI, given the title is arguably misleading.

ChatGTP, write an original article with this title in the style of MR and make it three paragraphs:

Apple’s latest A18 and A18 Pro chips, introduced with the iPhone 16 lineup, mark another leap in mobile processing power, but there are some key differences between the two that consumers should consider when choosing between the standard iPhone 16 models and the higher-end Pro versions. While both chips are built on Apple’s advanced 3nm process, promising improved efficiency and performance, the A18 Pro offers several upgrades designed to cater to users who demand more power for tasks like gaming, photography, and multitasking.

One of the biggest differences lies in the core architecture. The A18 features a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, which deliver excellent performance for most daily tasks. However, the A18 Pro ups the ante with a 6-core GPU and additional Neural Engine cores, enabling superior graphics performance, faster machine learning capabilities, and better support for resource-intensive apps like high-end mobile games or AR applications. This makes the A18 Pro a better choice for power users and professionals who need their iPhone to handle the most demanding workloads.

Additionally, the A18 Pro is optimized for more advanced camera and video features. While both chips support impressive computational photography, the A18 Pro enables ProRes video recording at higher resolutions and frame rates, along with enhanced support for Apple’s Deep Fusion and Night mode. The difference may not be as noticeable for casual users, but for creators who rely on their iPhones for professional-grade content, the A18 Pro's camera optimizations offer a significant advantage. Ultimately, the choice between the A18 and A18 Pro comes down to how much power and advanced functionality you need from your device.

Now do it in the style of Ars Technica and make it five paragraphs:

Apple's introduction of the A18 and A18 Pro chips with the iPhone 16 lineup marks another iteration of the company’s focus on pushing the boundaries of mobile silicon. Both chips are fabricated using TSMC’s cutting-edge 3nm process, resulting in improved power efficiency and performance. However, despite their shared foundation, the A18 and A18 Pro are designed for different use cases, with the latter offering more computational horsepower and features tailored toward demanding tasks. In typical Apple fashion, the company has reserved its most advanced silicon for the Pro models, aiming to differentiate its higher-end devices beyond just physical design and build materials.

At the core of the A18 chip is a 6-core CPU, featuring two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, complemented by a 5-core GPU. This combination delivers robust performance for everyday tasks such as app usage, media consumption, and gaming. For most users, the A18 is more than capable of handling what iOS demands, offering a smooth experience with enhanced energy efficiency that extends battery life even under load. The A18 also brings improvements in machine learning, thanks to its updated Neural Engine, though it’s not the focal point for those looking for top-tier performance.

The A18 Pro, on the other hand, takes things a step further. While the CPU configuration mirrors that of the A18, the A18 Pro features a 6-core GPU, which provides a significant boost in graphical performance. This is a crucial distinction for users who push their devices to the limit with graphics-heavy tasks like AAA mobile gaming, augmented reality applications, and video editing. Additionally, the A18 Pro boasts an enhanced Neural Engine with more cores dedicated to machine learning and AI-driven tasks. This increased capacity not only improves real-time processes, such as image and voice recognition, but also allows for more advanced features in computational photography and video processing.

One area where the A18 Pro truly distinguishes itself is in support for advanced camera features. The A18 Pro enables Apple’s ProRes video recording at higher resolutions and frame rates, an important capability for professionals or content creators who use their iPhones for serious videography. The Pro chip is also optimized for Deep Fusion, Night mode, and Apple’s new Photonic Engine, enhancing image processing in low-light conditions. While the A18 is no slouch in the camera department, it lacks the advanced video encoding and decoding capabilities of its Pro sibling, which could be a deciding factor for users focused on creative workflows.

Ultimately, the A18 and A18 Pro represent two tiers of performance within the iPhone 16 lineup, and the choice between them largely depends on how much processing power and graphical performance a user needs. For most people, the A18 will more than suffice, offering a solid blend of power and efficiency. However, for those who require the most advanced features — whether for gaming, machine learning, or professional content creation — the A18 Pro offers the extra headroom to handle the most demanding tasks. Apple’s strategy of segmenting its chips further underscores its effort to create a clear distinction between the base and Pro models, giving users a compelling reason to step up to the more expensive devices if they need the performance to justify it.

Write it as four paragraphs and make it somewhat more technical:

Apple’s introduction of the A18 and A18 Pro chips with the iPhone 16 series highlights their continued emphasis on custom silicon to differentiate performance tiers across devices. Both chips are manufactured on TSMC's 3nm process node, enabling higher transistor density and improved energy efficiency. While they share the same architecture foundation, including a 6-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, the A18 and A18 Pro diverge in critical areas like GPU power, machine learning capabilities, and specialized hardware acceleration. These differences are designed to optimize the Pro model for more intensive workloads and content creation tasks.

The standard A18 chip features a 5-core GPU, which is more than capable for general tasks like media consumption, everyday app usage, and casual gaming. Apple claims a notable performance-per-watt improvement over its predecessor, the A17, making the A18 an efficient powerhouse for most users. The chip also benefits from an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine, allowing for faster on-device machine learning and real-time processing tasks. This supports new iOS features such as enhanced speech recognition and real-time language translation, but the A18’s hardware is clearly geared toward balanced performance and battery life rather than raw computing power.

The A18 Pro takes a more performance-centric approach, primarily through the inclusion of a 6-core GPU, which provides a substantial boost in graphics performance. This makes the A18 Pro far better suited for GPU-intensive tasks like high-end mobile gaming, augmented reality, and video rendering. Additionally, the Pro variant features a beefed-up 18-core Neural Engine, delivering more robust AI and machine learning capabilities. This expanded machine learning throughput is critical for advanced features like computational photography, where tasks such as real-time image segmentation and object detection demand significant parallel processing power.

Another key differentiator is the A18 Pro’s enhanced media engine, which supports hardware-accelerated ProRes and ProRAW video encoding at higher frame rates and resolutions. This makes the Pro chip ideal for users engaging in professional-grade content creation directly from their iPhone. While both chips benefit from Apple's Photonic Engine for computational photography, the A18 Pro unlocks higher-tier camera capabilities, such as improved HDR processing and enhanced low-light performance. Ultimately, the choice between the A18 and A18 Pro comes down to workload requirements—while the A18 is more than sufficient for general users, the A18 Pro’s additional cores and specialized hardware make it indispensable for power users and professionals.

 

[chucker23n1]

My impression is that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 draws significantly more power than the Gen 3. If that is the case, they won't be able to do a MacBook Air-like fanless laptop, except by making it thicker/wider.

And, just like with the laptops, the Gen 4 only wins on multi-core. Apple could give their SoCs more cores if they wanted to. (But it would draw more power!) The real hard game is the single-core crown.

 

[puppy29452]

Glad to hear that the entry-level iPhone is not getting last year's chip. At least those who are buying the iPhone 16 this year won't be stuck with older technology. However, I do not like how Apple is deciding to advertise a prominent feature, specifically Apple Intelligence, even though it isn't ready at launch, which sounds like false advertising to me.

 

[sublunar]

More than likely the efficiency clock speed is lower. You can see the single core speeds drop so we know the core clocks are lower on single so why not all around..

The lower Multi Core can be explained by having a lesser ability to dissipate heat compare to the 16 pros and lower clock speeds all around.


The biggest thing apple focus'ed on wasn't performance. It was the the fact it could perform the same as previous gen but with 20-30% more efficiency therefore doing same performance for less.

Its obvious this is a more finalized 17 since they tightened up performance a bit and its more efficient.

I'd have said that the peak clock speed is going to be lower or the power profile is such that turbo speeds are ramped down sooner in the A18 compared to the A18 Pro.

This could either be for market segmentation purposes or there really are a number of chips on the wafer that have a broken GPU for a start but the CPU may also been clocked down because it can't sustain the turbo speed like the A18 Pro CPU must be certified to do so.

The A15 that went into the iPad mini 6 is also clocked down from the one that went into iPhone 13.

My impression is that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 draws significantly more power than the Gen 3. If that is the case, they won't be able to do a MacBook Air-like fanless laptop, except by making it thicker/wider.

And, just like with the laptops, the Gen 4 only wins on multi-core. Apple could give their SoCs more cores if they wanted to. (But it would draw more power!) The real hard game is the single-core crown.

that was my thinking with the current generation of ARM competitors, they could approach Apple levels of performance at the cost of power consumption, heat, and reduced battery life.

The MacBook Air continues to be Apple’s party piece but they should not rest on their laurels.

The risk for Apple ought be to windows getting fully utilised on ARM CPUs. A warning to get their OS house in order I think.

 

[chucker23n1]

I'd have said that the peak clock speed is going to be lower or the power profile is such that turbo speeds are ramped down sooner in the A18 compared to the A18 Pro.

This could either be for market segmentation purposes or there really are a number of chips on the wafer that have a broken GPU for a start but the CPU may also been clocked down because it can't sustain the turbo speed like the A18 Pro CPU must be certified to do so.

Yeah. Perhaps they can't sustain them because the Pro phones have a better thermal system. In part because titanium; in part because of their graphite stuff. I believe that was specifically mentioned on the Pro, implying that the non-Pro doesn't get it. Which in turn might be for cost reasons, or simply market segmentation.

However, early Geekbench results suggested to me that the clock speeds are the same, so, it's unclear.

that was my thinking with the current generation of ARM competitors, they could approach Apple levels of performance at the cost of power consumption, heat, and reduced battery life.

Yep.

I suspect the Gen 4 will only fit in large phones, or smaller ones will clock it down a fair bit.

The risk for Apple ought be to windows getting fully utilised on ARM CPUs. A warning to get their OS house in order I think.

Perhaps. I don't think macOS is doing poorly, but it also hasn't received huge improvements in a while. But I can't imagine it's bad enough that it would move the needle much in terms of hardware sales.

 

[BorisDG]

Storage QLC or TLC? That is not mentioned in some of the articles.

I just got my 16 Pro (256GB) and I've checked with 3uTools. It says it's using Hynix TLC. For example my 14 Pro (also 256GB) used Kioxia (Toshiba) TLC. So at least up to 256GB it's safe and you are getting TLC and not QLC.