Apple A10 Fusion vs Apple A17 Pro

The Apple A10 Fusion (codename A10) was introduced in September 2016 and designed for the iPhone 7. It offered solid performance for everyday tasks.

Manufactured using a 10 nm process, it features a 4-core architecture with 3 MB L2 and 4 MB L3 cache. The Apple A17 Pro (codename Ibiza) was unveiled in September 2023 and is the centerpiece of current high-end iPhones.

It offers the highest mobile computing power for demanding applications and games. Manufacturing is done using a 3 nm process, equipped with a 6-core architecture, and 20 MB L2 as well as 24 MB L3 cache. In a performance comparison, the Apple A17 Pro significantly surpasses the Apple A10 Fusion in single-core and multi-core performance.

Its maximum memory bandwidth of 51 GB/s is twice as high as the 26 GB/s of the Apple A10 Fusion. The integrated Apple A17 Pro (6 GPU Cores) graphics unit enables a vastly superior gaming experience compared to the Apple A10 graphics unit, thanks to hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Regarding power consumption, the Apple A17 Pro benefits from the 3 nm manufacturing process, which enables higher energy efficiency per computing operation.

Despite higher absolute consumption, its efficiency relative to performance is significantly better. Both are tightly integrated into Apple devices; the Apple A10 Fusion in older ones, the Apple A17 Pro in current premium smartphones. For maximum performance, state-of-the-art graphics, and future-proofing, the Apple A17 Pro is the clear choice, ideal for demanding applications and gaming.

The Apple A10 Fusion is a practical, economical solution for everyday tasks and users on a limited budget.