Apple Insider details on the new iPhone 15 Pro A17 chip

8/15 update below. This article was originally published on August 12

Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro design changes keep leaking, but there’s one detail missing: details about the next-generation A17 chip that will power the Pros. So far…

In a series of posts, Apple insider Unknownz21 analyzed the A17 chip in detail, revealing CPU and GPU composition, clock speeds, and the amount and type of RAM:

The dropout goes to Add more detailsnoting that:

• D83 = iPhone 15 Pro
• D84 = iPhone 15 Pro Max
• D47 = iPhone 16
• D48 = iPhone 16 Plus
• D9x = iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max

Additionally, Unknownz21 States That a six-core CPU will consist of two performance cores and four efficiency cores, while in a Final update They say the A17 could still debut with 8GB of RAM, as Apple has been testing 6GB and 8GB configurations, and it’s currently unclear why it would pick which or which one to choose as final. Unknownz21 says the two releases are named “POP, COLL + 6G” and “POP, COLL + 8G” within the company.

So what does all this mean? It will likely add up to significant gains. The combination of performance improvements along with increased battery life is the holy grail for smartphone buyers

First, going to 3nm manufacturing alone means Apple can run chips faster, cooler, and with lower power consumption than the 4nm A16. Something that gives Apple the ability to balance performance and battery gains. This can be seen in the faster maximum clock rate (3.7GHz vs. 3.46GHz) in the A16 chip.

Secondly, expect significant improvements in graphics because the A17 has an extra graphic core compared to the penta-core A16. Adding cores can increase power consumption, but again, the 3nm manufacturing process should negate this.

Early analyst calculations point to a CPU overclock of about 10%, but the biggest gains should come in GPU performance and a reduction of about 30% in power consumption. iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max, in particular, when combined with new stacked battery technology, can be battery life champions.

All of which fills another huge gap ahead of the widely leaked September release of the iPhone 15 lineup. Other features include the adoption of the Dynamic Island design in iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, with the standard models also getting the aforementioned A16 chip and a new 48MP primary rear camera.

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will have slightly larger screens (6.12 and 6.69 inches, respectively) due to record-breakingly thin bezels (which caused manufacturing issues) and a wide range of upgrades, like the 3nm A17 chip, and a lighter weight than Titanium. . The chassis, upgraded UWB and WiFi 6E, and Apple’s first periscope zoom camera, which will be exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro Max.

All iPhone 15 models will also ditch the Lightning port in favor of USB-C ahead of upcoming legislation requirements for 2024. And yes, the gap between the iPhone 15 Pro and standard models is widening again, but so will the price gap.

Update 08/14: Uknownz21 spoke with me to confirm that the analysts’ calculations of the A17 chip’s performance are “more or less correct”. Insiders also associate a CPU speed boost of around 10%, with energy efficiency savings of around 30%. However, they urge caution, noting that “it is more difficult to obtain accurate numbers like these than actual specifications.”

This is a crucial point because how Apple chooses to balance CPU and GPU is the most important factor. It’s nice to know the maximum clock rate, but how often will the chips hit it, when will it throttle, and how will Apple manage consumption versus energy conservation?

However, the key element here is the manufacturing process. While Apple technically produced the A16 chip used in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (and coming to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus) using a 4nm process compared to the 5nm process for the A15, it was repeatedly pointed out that the design was more the same. Closer to “A15+”.of the next generation chip.

Even Apple’s chipmaker TSMC admitted that the 4nm process behind it was more than an “improved version of the N5 technology”. In contrast, the jump to 3nm would be the real deal.

Update 08/15: Multiple leaks have revealed that Apple’s iPhone 15 range will adopt USB-C ports following new EU legislation that will take effect in late 2024. This upgrade will affect all iPhone buyers worldwide. But it seems wH The next big change coming to iPhones, thanks to EU legislation, will be limited to European markets.

leak out supercharged, a relatively new tech site I can vouch for reporting, doubled down on information from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that iOS 17 will only enable sideloading of apps in Europe. Supercharged cites a “discord thread” it has seen, which confirms the following:

The new feature will only be available to iPhone users whose region is set to Europe, as Apple will have to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), where “gatekeeper” tech companies will have to open their platforms to accommodate third-party app stores and payment platforms, as well as To set third-party apps as default for services like email and messaging.

For those who don’t know about sideloading, it is the ability to install apps from third party app stores and websites. Android has always offered this, but Apple responded that it brings additional security risks because the apps aren’t vetted.

There is truth to that, though the flexibility to add apps from third-party sites can also come in handy, such as gaining access to apps not available in your home region. It would also be a way for subscription services to offer lower prices if you install their apps outside of the App Store, where Apple currently takes a deep fee cut.

Not surprisingly, Gorman says Apple will downplay the addition of sideloading in iOS 17 when the update is released in September. It is also likely that this will be something that the company will strongly advise against for security reasons when it launches. However, this is arguably the biggest change to iPhones since the launch of the App Store in 2008.

Will it reach other regions? It is certainly possible. The European Union’s decision to impose USB-C as a common charger standard has been replicated in other countries, and is now being proposed in the United States. If sideloading proves popular in Europe, you can expect calls for it to grow and governments to take similar action.

More on Forbes

More from ForbesThe latest iPhone 15 leak reveals a bigger than expected price increaseby Gordon Kelly