Apple A12Z Bionic vs Apple M1

The Apple A12Z Bionic was introduced for the iPad Pro and aimed at demanding mobile applications, while the Apple M1, as Apple's first ARM-based processor for Macs and newer iPads, offers high performance with high energy efficiency.

The Apple A12Z Bionic is manufactured using the 7 nm process and utilizes a multi-core architecture. The Apple M1 benefits from the more advanced 5 nm manufacturing process and features an 8-core CPU configuration, increasing efficiency and performance. In performance benchmarks, the Apple M1 significantly outperforms the Apple A12Z Bionic in Geekbench 6 for both single-core and multi-core performance.

In Cinebench R23, the Apple A12Z Bionic shows surprisingly high single-core performance, whereas the Apple M1 clearly dominates in multi-core tasks as well as in Cinebench 2024 (where it solely provides data). For gaming scenarios, the Apple M1 offers noticeably better performance than the Apple A12Z graphics, thanks to its stronger Apple M1 (8 Core) graphics unit and more efficient 5 nm architecture.

The Apple M1's 5 nm manufacturing process indicates superior energy efficiency and higher performance per watt compared to the Apple A12Z Bionic's 7 nm process, which positively impacts battery life and thermal management. Both processors are integrated into devices. Older iPad Pro models with the Apple A12Z Bionic are more affordable on the used market.

The Apple M1 in current Macs and iPads offers significantly higher overall performance and thus a better price/performance ratio for demanding users. In summary, the Apple A12Z Bionic is a solid platform for mobile productivity. However, the Apple M1 delivers significantly higher CPU and GPU performance as well as superior efficiency.

For maximum computing power and future-proofing, the Apple M1 is the recommendation; the A12Z Bionic remains an option for existing devices and lighter mobile applications.