Early benchmark data for Apple’s new A20 Pro chip—pulled from Geekbench 6 scoring entries identified with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max—paint a strong picture for performance improvements over last year’s A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro models. These results, while unverified, suggest Apple has delivered respectable upgrades in both CPU and graphics power.
CPU Performance: Notable Single- and Multi-Core Jumps
The early data show that the iPhone 18 Pro’s A20 Pro chip posts a single-core Geekbench 6 score of about 4,719 and a multi-core score near 12,677. The iPhone 18 Pro Max posts almost identical figures—around 4,725 for single-core and 12,575 for multi-core performance. Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro’s A19 Pro, these figures represent roughly a 21-23% uptick in single-core speed and a 27-28% increase in multi-core performance. Both phones appear to be running a six-core CPU operating at roughly 4.93 GHz.
GPU and Other Hardware Enhancements
The A20 Pro also delivers large gains in graphics performance. Early Geekbench Metal benchmark entries show the new full 7-core GPU scoring about 38-40% higher than the A19 Pro’s 6-core GPU. This aligns with Apple’s own claims that the A20 Pro boosts CPU speed by up to 20% and GPU speed by as much as 40% relative to its predecessor.
Under the hood, the A20 Pro uses a 2-nanometer process. Alongside that, it features integrated Neural Accelerators, 50% more memory bandwidth than the A19 Pro, and upgraded chip packaging with a redesigned vapor chamber. These enhancements are said to support up to 40% better sustained performance under heavier or prolonged workloads.
Caveats: Benchmarks Versus Real-World Performance
As with all early benchmark leaks, these Geekbench numbers are one-off runs and still unconfirmed. They provide a useful benchmark for potential, but real-world performance—especially during extended gaming sessions or under thermal constraint—is likely to differ. Apple’s vapor chamber redesign and improved packaging may help, but until independent reviews are in, the exact nature of sustained performance remains to be seen.
Still, the early performance figures suggest Apple’s latest chip could deliver two generations’ worth of improvements—fast enough single-core and multi-core CPU gains, plus a bold GPU upgrade—building on a trend of increasingly capability-packed iPhones.
What this means: If confirmed in independent hands, the A20 Pro could make the iPhone 18 Pro line particularly strong for both everyday use and demanding tasks like photo-editing, video rendering, and advanced gaming. The CPU improvements may improve responsiveness in apps and AI workloads, while the GPU strength will be critical for gaming, AR, and graphics-intensive tasks. Buyers interested in these use cases should watch for full reviews and thermals after launch, to see if the theoretical gains translate into sustained performance under load.
