Leaker Claims iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Chip Boasts 6 GPU Cores, 6GB RAM
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Apple’s upcoming A17 chip, which will be used in this year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, will boast a 6-core CPU as well as a 6-core GPU, says leaker Unknownz21. Apple’s current fastest chip is the A16 Bionic, which is currently used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which has a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU, meaning we should see some GPU improvements in the new iPhone 15 Pro devices.
The leaker says the A17 chip will have a maximum clock speed of 3.70 GHz, which is a slight boost over the 3.46 GHz maximum of the A16.
Unknownz21 adds that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are expected to offer the same 6GB RAM capacity found in the iPhone 14 Pro lineup. While there have been rumors claiming that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max would be equipped with 8GB RAM, Unknownz21 says the Pro handsets’ having added RAM is “unlikely,” but not out of the question.
Apple’s A17 chip will be manufactured using TSMC’s new 3-nanometer (3nm) fabrication process, which will provide improved performance and efficiency over the A16 used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The extra GPU core in the A17 should bring a nice bump in the graphics performance of Apple’s flagship iPhone Pro models, with the new 3nm process promising faster CPU speeds and extended battery life compared to the 4nm A16 chip. We could also see as much as a 10 to 15% CPU performance boost, as well as power consumption improvement by as much as 30%.
The A17’s new 3nm fabrication technology makes the new chip expensive to make, meaning that this year we’ll see it used only in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models are expected to be powered by the A16 chip currently found in the top-of-the-line iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max handsets.
This isn’t the first iPhone 15 rumor to be shared by Unknownz21. Earlier this year, the leaker shared a document that featured information about the iPhone 15’s antenna architecture, including diagrams. The document indicated that the faster Wi-Fi 6E wireless networking specification will only be used in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus handsets will continue to use Wi-Fi 6.
In April, Unknownz21 said Apple had decided to drop the rumored solid-state unified volume button from its plans for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max handsets. He said Apple will instead use the traditional two-button volume controls on the Pro models.
Apple is likely to unveil the new iPhone 15 lineup at a media event expected to be held on Tuesday, September 12. iPhone 15 pre-orders should go live later that same week on Friday, September 15. The iPhone 15 lineup will likely be available in stores one week after that on September 22.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
