The iPhone 15 Pro could get a massive power upgrade

Geekbench scores have leaked for the rumoured new A17 Bionic chip – and they're astoundingly good

Apple iPhone 15 Ultra phone in silver and gold on white background
(Image credit: 4RMD)

The iPhone 15 range isn't expected until later in the year, but that hasn't stopped a spate of rumours and leaks from dominating headlines. We've heard about everything from titanium frames and new cameras, to disappointing displays and price hikes.

Another thing that we're expecting to see is the advent of a new chipset. Apple recently secured the full allocation for TSMC's 3nm fabrication process, suggesting that the A17 Bionic – which would be the next generation of Apple's mobile chipset – could use the process.

Now, Geekbench scores have leaked, apparently showing the single- and multi-core scores of the A17 Bionic in early testing. The results, if true are staggering. According to a tweet, the chip scored 3,019 in single-core testing and 7,860 in multi-core. That would dwarf the scores achieved by the iPhone 14 Pro Max – a phone which is definitely no slouch on the power front – which averages around 2,500 in single-core and 6,200 in multi-core.

The source of the leak is somewhat ropey, coming from an anonymous Weibo poster. However, when shared on Twitter, it was retweeted by notorious tech insider, Ice Universe. Ice simply added a trio of thumbs up emoji's, which could suggest that the information is good.

If it is true, then hold onto your hats, because any phone powered by that processor would be nursing some serious horsepower. It would be almost as powerful as the old M1 Mac Mini – a full desktop computer – in phone format. I don't know many people who would actively look to tackle serious, hardcore computing, like video editing or music production, from their phone. But there is absolutely no reason why you couldn't with this much power on hand.

For regular levels of use, that power should make light work of daily tasks. The 3nm architecture should also offer better battery efficiency too, which could lead to some ridiculous battery life times.

There's around six months left until the new range is expected, so there may well be a little wait before we get any of this confirmed. But there's sure to be a wealth of new leaks before then, so keep your eyes peeled for more in the coming months.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.