Apple A18 Pro vs Apple A17 Pro

The Apple A17 Pro, codenamed "Ibiza", was introduced in 2023. The Apple A18 Pro, internally named "Donan", was launched in 2024.

Both are designed for Apple's high-end smartphones and are manufactured using the advanced 3nm process. They feature a 6-core CPU and an integrated 6-core GPU (Apple A17 Pro and Apple A18 Pro, respectively). Both utilize 20 MB L2 and 24 MB L3 Cache. In Geekbench 6 single-core performance, the Apple A18 Pro surpasses the Apple A17 Pro by over 15 percent, and in multi-core performance by more than 17 percent.

These performance improvements are noticeable. For gaming, the A18 Pro offers improved performance thanks to an optimized GPU and a higher maximum memory bandwidth of 60 GB/s (vs. 51 GB/s for the A17 Pro). Both processors are designed for high energy efficiency. The Apple A18 Pro achieves its increased performance with presumably comparable efficiency per computing unit.

A direct price/performance comparison is difficult, as the CPUs are tightly integrated into iPhones. The A18 Pro offers maximum performance, while the A17 Pro offers high performance at a potentially more attractive overall price. In summary, the Apple A17 Pro offers excellent performance. However, the Apple A18 Pro surpasses it in computing and graphics performance, making it the better choice for users seeking maximum performance and future-proofing.