Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) Apple A16 Bionic
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Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) vs Apple A16 Bionic

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The Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU), introduced in 2021, is an SoC for high-end mobile devices. Manufactured using the 5 nm process, it comprises a 6-core CPU (two performance cores, four efficiency cores) and a 5-core GPU.

The 34 GB/s memory bandwidth supports various tasks and provides a solid foundation for everyday applications. The Apple A16 Bionic, introduced in 2022, serves as the main processor in flagship smartphones.

It is manufactured using the more advanced 4 nm process and also integrates a 6-core CPU (two performance cores, four efficiency cores) and a 5-core GPU. The A16 architecture aims for performance and efficiency improvements, with a maximum memory bandwidth of 51 GB/s. In terms of computing power, the Apple A16 Bionic offers an incremental increase over the Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) due to optimized architecture and a finer manufacturing process.

For gamers, the Apple A16 Bionic delivers better performance thanks to a newer GPU and higher memory bandwidth of 51 GB/s (vs. 34 GB/s). The 4 nm process of the Apple A16 Bionic also ensures superior energy efficiency, with both processors being permanently installed in their devices, making a separate price-performance evaluation not directly applicable.

The Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) remains a very good choice for users seeking reliable performance at a potentially more attractive device price. Those who prefer the highest graphics performance and improved energy efficiency in premium devices will find the Apple A16 Bionic to be the more suitable option.

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)

  • 5 nm manufacturing process
  • 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU
  • 34 GB/s maximum memory bandwidth
  • Solid performance for common applications

Apple A16 Bionic

  • 4 nm manufacturing process
  • Improved energy efficiency
  • Higher graphics performance (5-core GPU)
  • 51 GB/s maximum memory bandwidth

Performance Overview
Average performance across multiple benchmarks

Single-core performance
Rank 2 - 93 %
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple A16 Bionic
Multi-core performance
Rank 2 - 87 %
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
Rank 1 - 100 %
Apple A16 Bionic
Geekbench 6 Single-Core

Geekbench 6 Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
2,370
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz
2,531
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core

Geekbench 6 Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
5,726
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz
6,299
Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core

Geekbench 5, 64bit Single-Core
Single-core performance

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
1,745
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz
1,890
Geekbench 5, 64bit Multi-Core

Geekbench 5, 64bit Multi-Core
Multi-core performance

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
4,777
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz
5,465
iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
Apple A15 (5 GPU Cores)
1,713
Apple A16 Bionic
Apple A16 (5 GPU Cores)
1,789
AnTuTu 10 Benchmark

AnTuTu 10 Benchmark
Multi-core performance

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
1,157,370
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz
1,394,590
AnTuTu 9 Benchmark

AnTuTu 9 Benchmark
Multi-core performance

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
825,116 pts
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz
947,502 pts
AI performance (NPU)

AI performance (NPU)

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
15.8 TOPS
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz
17.0 TOPS

More benchmarks

At a glance

Wischen
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
FamilyApple A series (27)Apple A series (27)
CPU groupApple A15 (2)Apple A16 (2)
ArchitectureA15A16
Technology5 nm4 nm
SegmentSmartphone / TabletSmartphone / Tablet
Socket
PredecessorApple A14 BionicApple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
SuccessorApple A16 BionicApple A17 Pro

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

Wischen
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
CPU Cores / Threads6 / 66 / 6
Hyperthreading / SMT
Core architecturehybrid (big.LITTLE)hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Core Cluster 1: 2x Avalanche
3.23 GHz
2x Everest
3.46 GHz
Core Cluster 2: 4x Blizzard
2.02 GHz
4x Sawtooth
2.02 GHz
L2-Cache16.00 MB20.00 MB
L3-Cache32.00 MB24.00 MB
Overclocking

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Wischen
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
GPU nameApple A15 (5 GPU Cores)Apple A16 (5 GPU Cores)
GPU frequency1.34 GHz0.40 - 1.34 GHz
CUs / Shader20 / 64020 / 640
Raytracing
Max. displays33
Max. GPU Memory6 GB6 GB
Technology5 nm4 nm
Release dateQ3/2021Q3/2022

NPU AI performance

Wischen
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
AI hardwareApple Neural EngineApple Neural Engine
AI specifications16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS16 Neural cores @ 17 TOPS
NPU + CPU + iGPU

Memory & PCIe

Wischen
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
MemoryLPDDR4X-4266 (34.1 GB/s)
LPDDR5-6400 (51.2 GB/s)
Max. Memory6 GB6 GB
Memory channels11
ECCNoNo
PCIe
PCIe Bandwidth

Thermal Management

Wischen
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
TDP10 W10 W
TDP (PL2)
TDP up
TDP down
T. junction max.

Technical details

Wischen
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple A16 Bionic
Chip designChipletChiplet
AES-NI
Operating systemsiOSiOS
Instruction setArmv8-A (64 bit)Armv8.6-A (64 bit)
ISA extensions
Release dateQ3/2021Q3/2022
Release price
Documents

Your rating

Here you can rate one or both of the processors. The average rating of Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) is 4.2 stars (195 ratings), while Apple A16 Bionic has received 4.1 stars (254 ratings).

Click on the stars to rate one or both processors.

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
6C / 6T · 3.23 GHz
Apple A16 Bionic
Apple A16 Bionic
6C / 6T · 3.46 GHz

Most popular CPUs in both categories

Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)
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