Apple"s iPhone 15 lineup is expected to be unveiled in September. Though the phone is still about a month away from being announced, some key details about the iPhone 15 Pro"s processor, called the A17 Bionic chip, have leaked online.
According to the leaker, URedditor, the A17 Bionic will have 6 CPU and 6 GPU cores clocked at 3.7 GHz. This would be a slight bump up from the A16"s 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. The A17 is also rumored to support 6GB of LPDDR5 DRAM, the same amount as the A16.
In February, a market research firm TrendForce said all 2023 iPhone models will get 8GB RAM. However, the latest leak indicates the iPhone 15 Pro may stick with 6GB like the iPhone 14 Pro.
The more significant upgrade will likely come from the A17 built on TSMC"s new 3nm process. The A16 used a 4nm process, so the shrinkage to 3nm should improve efficiency. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently estimated that the 3nm process will reduce power consumption by up to 35%.
Apple A17 - t8130 - Coll
— Unknownz21 🌈 (@URedditor) August 9, 2023
6 CPU Cores + 6 GPU Cores
3.70 GHz
6GB LPDDR5 DRAM - Micron/Samsung
TSMC 3nm Process
LPDDR = Low Power Double Data Rate SDRAM
The A17 is used by both the D83 and D84, also likely planned for D47 and D48 (16 series), as the D9x will use t8140 (A18).
Based on the leaked specs, the A17 appears to be an incremental upgrade over the A16, with modest performance and efficiency gains expected from the 3nm process.
On the other hand, more significant changes are rumored for 2024 and beyond. The A18 chip in 2024 may be the first to use TSMC"s next-generation 2nm process. Apple is also designing its modem chips to replace Qualcomm"s eventually.
Also, last week a leaker said that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max could have a new 2TB storage tier. The claim was echoed on Weibo, adding that Apple may also bump the base capacity from 128GB to 256GB on the Pro models.
As with all leaks, take these A17 details with a grain of salt until Apple confirms them on stage. But the specs show what to expect from the iPhone 15 Pro"s processor and capabilities.