Apple's A18 4-core iGPU Benched Against Older A16 Bionic, 3DMark Results Reveal 10% Performance Deficit

[T0@st]

Apple's new budget-friendly iPhone 16e model was introduced earlier this month; potential buyers were eyeing a device (starting at $599) that houses a selectively "binned" A18 mobile chipset. The more expensive iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models were launched last September, with A18 chips on-board; featuring six CPU cores, and five GPU cores. Apple's brand-new 16E smartphone seems to utilize an A18 sub-variant—tech boffins have highlighted this package's reduced GPU core count: of four. The so-called "binned A18" reportedly posted inferior performance figures—15% slower—when lined up against its standard 5-core sibling (in Geekbench 6 Metal tests). The iPhone 16E was released at retail today (February 28), with review embargoes lifted earlier in the week.

A popular portable tech YouTuber—Dave2D (aka Dave Lee)—decided to pit his iPhone 16E sample unit against older technology; contained within the iPhone 15 (2023). The binned A18's 4-core iGPU competed with the A16 Bionic's 5-core integrated graphics solution in a 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited head-to-head. Respective tallies—of 2882 and 3170 points—were recorded for posterity's sake. The more mature chipset (from 2022) managed to surpass its younger sibling by ~10%, according to the scores presented on Dave2D's comparison chart. The video reviewer reckoned that the iPhone 16E's SoC offers "killer performance," despite reservations expressed about the device not offering great value for money. Other outlets have questioned the prowess of Apple's latest step down model. Referencing current-gen 3DMark benchmark results, Wccftech observed: "for those wanting to know the difference between the binned A18 and non-binned variant; the SoC with a 5-core GPU running in the iPhone 16 finishes the benchmark run with an impressive 4007 points, making it a massive 28.04 percent variation between the two (pieces of) silicon. It is an eye-opener to witness such a mammoth performance drop, which also explains why Apple resorted to chip-binning on the iPhone 16e as it would help bring the price down substantially."




Dave2D's video description states: "iPhone 16e Review—E is for Expensive; my review of the Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone 15."

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[TheGeekn°72]

Fork over 600$, get less performance than previous gen, get significantly worse experience than literally any model at similar price point of the competition !

Just Apple things.

 

[bruhmoment01]

Thank goodness the results “were recorded for prosperity.”

 

[phints]

Fork over 600$, get less performance than previous gen, get significantly worse experience than literally any model at similar price point of the competition !

Just Apple things.

Are you sure? Even this base A18 probably still outperforms most competing SoCs running Android. Having 1 less GPU core is meaningless unless you're playing 3D games on your phone, I'd rather have the stronger CPU in this one than the 15 this compares it to.

Agree 16e is overpriced but still a strong SoC. If it had the 120Hz OLED it would be a no brainer but sadly it doesn't, leave off all the junk in the more expensive models like 2 extra pointless cameras.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Fork over 600$, get less performance than previous gen,

But this isnt an issue when Android phones come out with last year's leftovers.

get significantly worse experience than literally any model at similar price point of the competition !

Just Apple things.

There's hundreds of millions of users that would strongly disagree with you. Unless you're benchmarking CoD you'll never notice the difference.

 

[jsfitz54]

Thank goodness the results “were recorded for prosperity.”

ESL classes aren't working...

 

[R-T-B]

Fork over 600$, get less performance than previous gen, get significantly worse experience than literally any model at similar price point of the competition !

Just Apple things.

To be fair he's pitting a pretty high end last gen against this gens bottom barrel.

ESL classes aren't working...

That's just a typo. Speaking as a native english speaker, shit happens. It has nothing to do with "ESL classes."

 

[jsfitz54]

To be fair he's pitting a pretty high end last gen against this gens bottom barrel.


That's just a typo. Speaking as a native english speaker, shit happens. It has nothing to do with "ESL classes."

2 or "Two" completely different words, does not make a typo.

Here is the help that's needed:

posterity definition at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

 

[Vya Domus]

The real problem is the newer chip with the "bigger number" is slower, it muddies the waters, people expect a newer chip to be better.

 

[freeagent]

2025 is the year of fake performance lol

 

[Ruru]

2025 is the year of fake performance lol

Exactly. Just put a bigger number on a product and that's fine

 

[usiname]

But this isnt an issue when Android phones come out with last year's leftovers.

There's hundreds of millions of users that would strongly disagree with you. Unless you're benchmarking CoD you'll never notice the difference.

Not the last year, A16 Bionic is used in Iphone 14 Pro, so it is slower than 2 year old phone, probably on par with Iphone 13 Pro, 3 year old phone. About the Android phones, you can get the latest SOC for $600, Xioami K80 pro for example.
But nobody expect from cheap brand as Apple to give you something valuable when they are focused on brainless consumers who can't see any difference. You can throw whatever insult you want and they will fight in front of your shop to get the new (old) toy for premium

 

[Muser99]

The writer is too “press release” in style. Too many unnecessary words needing additional clarification. Bad numeracy too with 5 cores becoming 6! Just write plainly please. We don’t need war and peace.

 

[medi01]

Are people really buying Apple's bazingas for non-fashion related reason?

Fork over 600$, get less performance than previous gen, get significantly worse experience than literally any model at similar price point of the competition !

When was it different at ANY price point pretty please?

 

[dyonoctis]

Not the last year, A16 Bionic is used in Iphone 14 Pro, so it is slower than 2 year old phone, probably on par with Iphone 13 Pro, 3 year old phone. About the Android phones, you can get the latest SOC for $600, Xioami K80 pro for example.
But nobody expect from cheap brand as Apple to give you something valuable when they are focused on brainless consumers who can't see any difference. You can throw whatever insult you want and they will fight in front of your shop to get the new (old) toy for premium

Only slower in 3D games*. But unless you want to play the latest and greatest AAA tech demo level 3D mobile games, 3 years old performance is still very fast. But if you are an hardcore mobile gamer, you know what to get.
If you are a spec nerd, you also know what to get, but the reality is that "mid-range" SOC have become good enough for most people for a long time.

Look at the sales numbers, and you'll see that even when people aren't buying an iPhone, they don't exactly rush towards the best value android premium phone. They either go a entry level but good enough phone, or get the expensive flagship. Most people don't care that much about specs.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Fork over 600$, get less performance than previous gen, get significantly worse experience than literally any model at similar price point of the competition !

Just Apple things.

The 16E is the "4th generation" iPhone SE. This is Apple's entry level phone, and it's designed after the iPhone 14's parts and performance level. The previous generations were designed around the shell of the iPhone 5s (1st gen) and 8 (2nd and 3rd gen).

It's honestly not a bad result. Might find myself with one sometime.

Not the last year, A16 Bionic is used in Iphone 14 Pro, so it is slower than 2 year old phone, probably on par with Iphone 13 Pro, 3 year old phone. About the Android phones, you can get the latest SOC for $600, Xioami K80 pro for example.
But nobody expect from cheap brand as Apple to give you something valuable when they are focused on brainless consumers who can't see any difference. You can throw whatever insult you want and they will fight in front of your shop to get the new (old) toy for premium

I'm using an iPhone Xs Max. It's a phone from 2018. Not only it remains usable - it performs very well, runs the miHoYo games my Galaxy S10+ a year newer can't worth a damn, and it still receives iOS updates.

Not to mention it is fully supported by Apple and service is available worldwide. If anything happens to it there's a whole technical support system and I can get it fixed by Apple-authorized repair centers or even Apple themselves.

Samsung will probably turn you away at the door or charge you something insane if you show up with a Galaxy S9 for them to fix. The aforementioned S10+ hasn't received a single Android update in years, never mind its predecessor. Heck I bought my mom a Galaxy S20 FE back then and that phone, too, despite officially making the cut for Samsung's "longer lifecycle" list is also abandoned on Android 13, not really receiving anything more than even my 10+ did.

This is what you people who purchase Android phones with loyalty, especially the cheaper stuff from China will never understand. In 3 years your phone has been forgotten by the manufacturer who will offer no parts and service, and most likely abandoned despite their repeated promise they'll do better and support the device over the years.

What I mean is different strokes for different folks, consumers aren't brainless sheep for opting into either, and ever since Apple loosened restrictions on video game emulators and file system access, I haven't really had a reason to keep an Android phone around anymore, and I certainly don't miss the bugs, shoddy performance, Google Play, the bad game ports etc.