Apple will likely reveal the A14 Chip alongside the iPhone during an event this fall. However, we already know a few details about the new chip. First, it’s expected to use a new 5nm process. This allows for lower electricity consumption than the 7nm process in the A13. That translates to less heat and faster potential clock speeds with the same energy input and heat dispersal.
Just how much faster?
As it turns out, the A14 may be the first mobile processor with a 3GHz clock speed. 3.1GHz, to be precise. It’ll be the fastest mobile processor by a wide margin, and the first ARM processor in a mobile device to break the 3GHz barrier. Apple’s chips have really become a technological marvel.
Fastest Clocks Around
Currently, processor speeds from Exynos and Qualcomm aren’t quite at 3GHz yet. The latest processor from Snapdragon, the 865 powering the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and other flagships, has a single processor core that can reach 2.84GHz in that device. That’s close, but measurably slower than 3GHz. Furthermore, that’s just one core capable of those speeds, the other three high performance chops run at 2.42GHz, and the average use chips run at 1.8GHz. And, yes, a higher number is better. Think of it as the number of “things” a processor can do in a second.
The A13 already blows the competition out of the water in terms of raw performance and everyday use with a 2.7GHz processor. In speed tests and benchmarks, the results aren’t even close, despite newer chips out from competitors. The A14 will extend this lead even further with a 5nm process and at least one 3.1GHz core, perhaps two or more, to match previous hexa-core chips from Apple.
Processor Speed Isn’t Everything
But raw processor speed isn’t everything. Yes, the A13 is already better than the rest, and the A14 will extend that lead, but what about the rest of the phone? In PhoneBuff’s “Everyday use” speed test, the iPhone wins the processor-intensive first round, showing that those benchmarks do translate to real world performance in the iPhone. However, it loses the second round, which tests how many apps the phone can store in memory. Ultimately, this means in everyday use, more apps re-loading, more frustrations, and a slower workflow.
Apple used to have the best memory management. Android phones couldn’t compete. That is still true in a way. Apple is doing more with just 4GB of RAM than other companies do with 8GB. However, Android smartphones don’t just have 8GB of RAM anymore. The Samsung Galaxy Ultra, for example, has 16GB of RAM. That’s why it’s able to beat Apple.
For Apple to match that performance without sacrificing battery life, they’ll need a more efficient processor, which leaks say is coming in the form of the A14. They may also need a larger battery. RAM uses power, and the more you have, the more power required. However, if Apple could bump the iPhone up to 5GB or 6GB of RAM, they likely could reclaim their top spot in these “everyday use” speed tests.
The A14 is going to be the fastest chip around. But if it wants to really make the iPhone 12 a powerhouse, it’s going to need help from the rest of the phone. Apple has been reluctant to increase memory or battery life in the past, but perhaps they’ve grown past minimalism to the point of failure. Perhaps Apple’s finally ready to listen to consumers.